Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
The show premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June 2013 and ran for 3 years and 7 months before closing on 7 January 2017. Receiving mixed reviews from critics, the show won two Laurence Olivier Awards in 2014 for Best Costume Design and Best Lighting Design. The show ran for almost nine months on Broadway and has toured both in America and Australia.
It tells the story of Charlie Bucket, who finds one of five golden tickets and earns a trip to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. However, beyond the gates Charlie and the other winners discover more than just remarkable edible delights. As they embark on an extraordinary journey through Willy Wonka’s marvellous mind, they soon learn that nobody leaves the same way that they arrived.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the most well loved stories from one of the UK's most revered children’s authors. Roald Dahl's work is the stuff of legend so there was immediately high expectation for what would emerge on stage. It's also incredibly easy to compare the production to one of Dahl's other infamous stories - Matilda - which has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon. Charlie is a very different show to Matilda, but that's not altogether a bad thing.
This show is a local production from the incredibly talented team at West Bromwich Operatic Society who should be complimented on many areas of the production.
By its very nature, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory requires an element of other worldliness about it and the set, and in particular the shows use of video, is spellbinding. The world Dahl created for Wonka's factory was extrovert, loud and eccentric; and almost impossible to recreate accurately with physical props. Instead, cleaver use of video allowed for smooth transition between rooms of the factory and made way for various machines (and elevators!) to take centre stage.
However for me, tonight's star of the show was Theo Traat who played Charlie. For someone so young Traat proved himself to be a competent actor and an equally brilliant vocalist. Alongside Simon Pugh as Grandpa Joe, the duo had a tangible chemistry that gave a real sense of credibility to their performance.
Whilst there are definitely some areas of the show I feel hit the mark more than others, the source material is good, the costumes are beautiful and the cast slick and well rehearsed. If you're a Roald Dahl fan and, in particular, a fan of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then you'll have a brilliant night out, no question's asked.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory plays at Wolverhampton Grand until Sunday 30th March. For more information, or to get your tickets, head online to grandtheatre.co.uk.
