The Matilda Effect

by Anna Reynolds

Touring November 2026

Original image for The Matilda Effect by and (c) Daisy Steeers

Reynolds’ punchy, amusing and provocative writing shines a light on challenges faced by women scientists throughout history.

In The Matilda Effect, we meet three women, all called Matilda.
We visit three time zones: then, now, and still developing. 
And we encounter a giant amount of mansplaining.

Matilda is a climate pioneer. 
Mattie is a geneticist.
Tilly is an engineer. 

But every time one of them gets close to the Big Idea, or the Big Prize, Tom, Dick and Harry are there, standing in front of her.

Director

Rosamunde Hutt

2026 Tour

We’re open for bookings for our November 2026 inaugural tour of The Matilda Effect. The production will be highly flexible and capable of visiting many different places – including spaces which haven’t been purposely designed for theatre. We have a particular focus on education settings.

To express interest, hear more and for a discussion please contact us asap using the Contact Form below.

R&D 2025

In Women’s History Month 2025 we produced a short R&D Tour for The Matilda Effect. Cast and presentation details follow below.

Cast

Sarah Agha
Lebogang Fisher
Vissey Elliot Safavi
Thomas Wingfield

  • Picture of Lebogang Fisher (actor)
    Lebogang Fisher

Public Presentations

We’ll be presenting script-in-hand performance readings of an extract from The Matilda Effect on several dates in March 2025.

Saturday 8 March at 5pm
BEAM Hertford
On International Women’s Day and to launch BEAM’s wonderful new Stage Two : an extract presentation followed by Q&A with the Creative Team
Tickets: PAY WHAT YOU FEEL
Event duration: approx. 60 minutes

Monday 10 March at 7.30pm
Omnibus Theatre, Clapham, London
Part of ‘Engine Room’
Tickets: £6

Tuesday 11 March at 7pm
Watford Central Library
Part of Hertfordshire County Council Libraries Service Centenary
Extract presentation followed by Q&A and discussion with the Creative Team and special guest TV producer Irma Inniss (Mr Loverman for BBC)
Tickets: £4
Event duration: approx. 60 minutes

Irma Inniss

Irma Inniss

Irma is a producer for television, dramaturge and actor.

She has produced MR LOVERMAN, the new Fable Pictures / BBC One series based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo. Prior to this she was Series Producer on GRIME KIDS for Mammoth Screen/BBC3, she co-produced THEN YOU RUN for Kudos/Sky and produced series three of THE BAY for Tall Story Pictures/ITV. Irma worked as Development Producer for Ged Doherty and Colin Firth’s company, Raindog Films and was Script Executive on TIN STAR for Kudos/Sky, prior to which she spent two years as Producer on HOLBY CITY, having been a script editor on both it and EASTENDERS.