The Power of Imagination — Onstage and Off | Suki Hillier | TED

00:08Hi everyone. Today I want to talk about imagination and theater. For the past year I've been playing Matilda at the Cambridge Theater in London's West End. The theater has 1,249 seats and it is almost full every single night. Matilda is based on the book by Rald Doll and a lot of you probably already know the story.

00:27It is about a brave little girl who, even though she is bullied by her parents, uses her intelligence, courage, and magic to take control of her own life. Well, I am that Matilda alongside three other amazing girls. The four of us share the lead role, which is wonderful.

00:45But getting here was not exactly simple. I had to go through six rounds of auditions twice. The first term was in spring 2024. I made it all the way to the final round. but then got a really bad cold. I couldn't sing. I couldn't perform. So, I had to stop.

01:036 months later, I had to go through the whole process all over again. And then came the hardest part, the waiting. Four whole weeks of not knowing. It felt like 4 years. But then finally, one day the call came. I'd been offered the role. I didn't know what to laugh or cry.

01:21So, I did both at the same time. Here's something I should tell you though. Matilda and I go way back, long before auditions, long before any of this. I started watching a 1996 Matilda film when I was just 3 years old. I watched it over and over again.

01:36I would sit very still, staring at objects around the house and trying to make them wobble. So, when I finally got to step onto the real stage of the Cambridge Theater, I couldn't do things with my eyes. Well, after seven years of staring at cups, three months of intensive rehearsals followed.

01:54every step, every line, every move again and again until I didn't have to think about it anymore. The cast and coaches were all so patient with me. Honestly, they deserved medals. But somewhere in all those hours, something had changed. I'd stopped trying to find Matilda because I realized she'd been inside me the whole time.

02:15She was the girl I've been dreaming about since I was three. I didn't become her. I just finally let her out. The theater itself is a world of its own. It has lights, painted walls, window frames, desks, and swings. And there is a library where I can dive into my books and find the wonderful Mrs.

02:34Phelps waiting for me. There is my very kindest honey. And over there, sitting in front of the telly with my brother and my rather obnoxious parents. And somewhere lurking into the shadows, is a terrifying Miss Trunch Ball. Every night before the show starts, I stand backstage getting ready.

02:51In my mind, I think about Tilda's life. Her love of books, her hatred of bullies, her courage to find her own way to fight back. I breathe in, I breathe out, and then I step onto the stage. And when I'm in the light, I am her. I'm brave enough to stand up to Miss Trunchull.

03:08When she grabs boy by his ears, I shout her with everything I have. My heart beats so fast, I can feel it. When my dad writes my books, I know I'm resilient and that I will get my own back. Glue his hat to his head, dye his hair green. Every time I have a hidden smile right here.

03:25I love standing on the elevating bookstand during quiet. Everything's so still, so quiet. But my heart is pounding as I feel all Matilda's anger bursting out through my eyes. But things in life do not always go as planned. And the same is true on stage.

03:42One night during the scene where I hugged Miss Honey because she'd offered me something no one else ever has. Kindness. I hug her very tightly. At that exact moment, Miss Trunchable ran in. We were supposed to spring apart. Except we couldn't because my hair was completely tangled into a necklace.

04:021 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds of stage time feels rather long, let me tell you. But nobody panicked. We stayed calm. We stayed in the scene quietly. Very quietly, we untangled ourselves. I lost some hair and Miss Honey lost a necklace. But we carried on.

04:18The audience never noticed a thing. And most luckily, Miss Trunch wouldn't catch us either. You see, the stage and life are not so different. Because imagination isn't about escaping the real world. It is a we're building one. And when our imagination is worked together, every character on that stage comes alive.

04:36the cast, the crew, and every single person in the audience all join in. That is when the real magic happens. I look out and see your shining faces back at me. I can see smiles. I can see tears. I hear you clapping so hard, as if you'd never want to leave Matilda's world.

04:53And honestly, neither do I. But at that moment, I want to give every single one of you the biggest hug and tell you Matilda loves you all. Thank you.