Five hundred youngsters will be taken on a special trip to the City’s flagship theatre on Lime Street next week to see the show based on Roald Dahl’s famous story.

Everton in the Community and the LFC Foundation agreed to help fund and organise the visit after being approached by the Empire Theatre Trust. The Trust, a charity, owns the theatre, which is operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG Entertainment). All four bodies have combined to cover the costs.

The youngsters, many of them from underprivileged areas, will attend the Royal Shakespeare Company’s matinee showing of Matilda on Thursday, December 18.

All will be given special goody bags to mark their visit to Britain’s largest two tier theatre, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025.

Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, takes a stand and changes her own destiny. It has won more than 100 awards.

David Morgan, Chairman of the Empire Theatre Trust said: “We are so grateful to the Reds and Blues for partnering with ourselves and ATG to make this happen.

“Christmas is such a special time for children and Matilda is such a special musical. So we are delighted to bring so many youngsters in to see the show.

“The Trust works year round with the Empire staff and management to ensure children get to come to this famous theatre and enjoy it - especially through a major Creative Learning programme and the renowned Empire Youth Theatre.

“Having the support of the city’s two great football clubs and their charitable arms is a wonderful extension to that work and tops off the year in a really special way.”

Sue Gregory, Chief Executive Officer at Everton in the Community, said: “We are delighted to join forces with the Liverpool Empire Theatre Trust and LFC Foundation this festive period to help fund this special trip to Matilda for some of our young participants, giving them the chance to experience the magic of live theatre and create lasting memories.

“Our work sees us support thousands of young people across Merseyside each year through a wide variety of programmes specifically designed to engage, empower and inspire them to achieve whatever they want. We help to create opportunities which might not usually be readily available to them and remind them just how special they are and experiences such as this can hopefully light a spark and open up new worlds to them.”

Matt Parish, Chief Executive Officer at LFC Foundation, said: “We are passionate about supporting people across the Liverpool City Region and we are therefore thrilled to join the Liverpool Empire Theatre Trust and Everton in the Community to help create another opportunity for young participants.

“We know that some children will not be fortunate enough to enjoy the festivities like many others, so I am delighted that this trip to Matilda has come to fruition and we can play a small part in making a difference this Christmas.”