Ad-gifted
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Musical is whipping up a tasty treat in Manchester. Have you got your golden ticket?
This weird and wonderful story, by arguably the most famous children’s writer in the world, Roald Dahl, has already been adapted to the big screen twice with a prequel coming out this year. And in 2013, West End audiences were welcomed into the Chocolate Factory with a brand-new musical that you can now catch on tour!
Don’t forget to read my review of Take That musical Greatest Days
An extraordinary story
The world goes mad over the chance to win a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. An unusual mix of troublesome boys and girls are the lucky few who claim their place on the Factory tour.
And Charlie Bucket, an inventive and caring little boy, wants it more than anyone but his chances are slim. His poor and loving family scrape together pennies for a Wonka bar but there is no ticket. Until he, quite unexpectedly, finds money in a junk yard and buys himself a winning bar.
Soon they all enter the gates and find themselves in a yummy wonderland. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows as, one by one, misbehaving children start to find themselves in sticky situations.
“Flabbergasted at the stage craft”
I was positively curious as to how they were going to bring to life such a magical place. And I was flabbergasted at the stage craft.
From riding on a fizzy rainbow rollercoaster and boarding a lift that travels in all directions to swimming in a chocolate river and flying into space, it’s genuinely spectacular. Projection and the power of digital animation make this a special experience.
It was super fun to see the iconic children and their naughty escapades. Spoiled brat Veruca is tossed into the nutty garbage, greedy Augustus is sucked up a chocolate pipe, gum obsessed Violet is turned into a giant blueberry and TV addict Mike is shrunk to the size of a Wonka bar. I’m smiling even thinking back to these silly scenes.
It is worth mentioning that the oompa-loopas aren’t quite what you might expect. They are tin men type cyborgs that are shiny, silver and sinister.
In terms of the soundtrack, it was lacking in terms of memorability but that didn’t matter. I was so totally invested in this world that I wanted to explore it more. Like an everlasting gobstopper, I didn’t want it to end.
“They are magic”
Wonka (Gareth Snook) is delightfully unhinged. Walking a tight rope between manic and mysterious. Roald Dahl wrote deeply disturbing children’s novels and so I appreciated the darker version of this bizarre man with an even darker sense of humour. He may not appear on stage until the end of Act One but he quickly becomes the ringmaster of this sugary circus.
In complete contrast, Charlie Bucket (Haydn Court) is so adorable you could gobble him up. His innocence and kindness lights up the stage as does his angelic voice. His Grandpa Joe (Michael D’Cruze) is just as likeable with a childish enthusiasm and joyful outlook. Together they are magic.
Wonder awaits at Charlie and The Chocolate Factory The Musical. It conjures up a world of pure imagination that wows!
Playing at Palace Theatre in Manchester until Sunday 30 July 2023.
Image credit: Johan Persson