‘A little bit naughty’: Storytelling and the logotherapeutic process in Matilda the Musical

Abstract

Since its debut in 2010, Matilda the Musical has become a worldwide phenomenon, seen by over 11 million people in 91 cities. In the musical, Matilda’s love of reading and storytelling serves as a means of resistance and empowerment in the face of the oppressive forces of her parents and headmistress Miss Trunchbull, and she learns that the act of telling stories can help reshape reality. This article demonstrates that logotherapy, a branch of psychotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl, provides a valuable framework for analysing and understanding the themes of storytelling, identity formation and rebellion in the show. Logotherapy emphasizes the search for meaning as the key impetus in human life, and considers creativity and narrative determination as essential tools for realizing and claiming one’s purpose in society. This analysis of Matilda the Musical through the lens of Frankl’s logotherapy offers a unique perspective on the musical and opens up new insights into the importance of storytelling in the therapeutic process.