Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical: Who does Lashana Lynch play in Netflix's musical film?

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, based on the book by Roald Dahl, is available to stream on Netflix now. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the musical stars Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, and Emma Thompson in key roles.

While Weir plays the titular character of Matilda Wormwood, Thompson portrays Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the main antagonist and principal of Crunchem Hall. Meanwhile, Lynch’s character is Miss Jennifer Honey.

A fresh take on the Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage musical (2011), the film's screenplay has been written by Dennis Kelly.

According to the OTT giant, the synopsis for Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical reads:

"Matilda, an extraordinary girl armed with a sharp mind and a vivid imagination, dares to take a stand against her oppressive parents and head teacher to change her story with miraculous results."

To note, prior to its OTT release, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical was released theatrically on Friday, December 9, 2022, earning $19.7 million worldwide.

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All about Lashana Lynch’s role in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

In Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, Lashana Lynch’s character is that of a kind-hearted teacher, Miss Jennifer Honey, who inspires Matilda to imagine. Miss Honey, who's Miss Trunchbull's niece and a teacher at Crunchem Hall, is known for her mild demeanor and timidity.

Miss Trunchbull was her primary caretaker after Miss Honey’s father Magnus Honey died in his 40s under mysterious circumstances. According to Matilda (the novel), Miss Trunchbull hated her step-brother-in-law Magnus and might have killed him. In the book, police rule out his death as a suicide, with no further explanation provided by Dahl.

Since Miss Honey suffered Miss Trunchbull’s tyranny first-hand throughout her childhood, the former had empathy for Matilda and started caring for the young child. She was the only adult who noted Matilda’s high IQ and pushed her to read and explore other academic areas.

In the novel, Miss Honey eventually adopts Matilda and in Matilda, the 1996 film, she becomes the Principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School. Her background states that Magnus was a prominent doctor while her mother’s identity remains unknown.

In 1969, after Miss Honey lost her mother at the age of 2, Magnus wanted someone to take care of her. That’s when her mother’s step-sister Miss Trunchbull entered her life and practically made it a living hell.

It seems Trunchbull put up a façade in front of Miss Honey’s father, so he wasn’t aware of the torture Miss Honey was facing. Miss Honey wanted to share this with Magnus but was very scared of Miss Trunchbull.

After Magnus died, Miss Trunchbull inherited his wealth and house and a 5-year-old Miss Honey was left all alone to fend for her security. Fortunately, she escaped the tyranny and started living in a small cottage in a forest.

Years later, she returned to Crunchem Hall as a teacher.

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Is Miss Honey a lesbian?

Several theories suggest that Miss Honey's character was a lesbian since she didn’t have men in her life and also because she stayed in a cottage in the woods, but Dahl doesn’t specify anything.

Lashana Lynch, the actor who portrayed the character in Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, wasn’t aware that Miss Honey was a queer icon for many 20-year-olds.

Speaking to EW while promoting Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical, she said:

"It wasn't something I was aware of until I saw some comments on social media and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this is a revelation to me.'”

Meanwhile, the British actress, last seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Woman King, will next be seen in a Bob Marley biopic. Being backed by Paramount Pictures, the highly anticipated biopic will see her as Bob’s wife, Rita Marley.

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Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical is streaming on Netflix.