Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Is A Sweet Treat For All Ages
Review: Musical mayhem at New Wimbledon Theatre
Gareth Snook (Willy Wonka), Jessie-Lou Harvie (Charlie Bucket) and Amelia Minto (Charlie Bucket).
June 23, 2023
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory manages to offer a full feast for all senses that will appeal to all ages and this sweet-themed musical runs at New Wimbledon Theatre until July 1.
Set in a grim northern town, we are swept away from bleak surroundings to the magical world of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory in a musical based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel, dating back to 1964.
The opening sequence introduces us to the world of poor Charlie Bucket and her down-at-heel family. Charlie, played by Amelia Minto for review night, is scavenging for anything useful she can find on the local refuse tip.
When she returns home to her family of a hard-working mother and her bedridden grandparents our eyes are opened to the world of a child whose only treat is a once-a-year Wonka chocolate bar. The stage is cleverly transformed from the grim tip to the inside of their miserable hovel.
The opening songs were sung in a strident fashion by young Amelia, although they weren’t particularly memorable tunes. On other performances the role is also played by boys, as well as other girls.
The catchier numbers in the first half came when the four grandparents, who all share one bed, sing along together as the family makes their own fun at home. An added interest in the show is the use of sign language by Mrs Bucket (Leonie Spilsbury), as well as by her own family when they talk to her.
Much of the conversation in the first half centres on how Charlie, who we learn is a wanna-be inventor, wants to secure one of five golden tickets hidden in a Wonka chocolate bar. This will earn the finder an exclusive visit to Willy Wonka’s factory.
As the countdown to find the five golden ticket winners unfolds, the humour in the show becomes apparent. American TV presenters Mike Teavee (Teddy Hinde) and Cherry Sundae (Lucy Hutchison) have the audience laughing – and that’s before the real characters of the first four winners emerge.
This is where the show is almost cartoon-like and definitely designed to appeal to the younger members of the audience. It’s hard to pick the best performance from those four golden ticket winners, but vile Veruca Salt (Kazmin Borrer) had us all laughing with her ballet performances and her domination of rich father (Christopher Howell – who also played one of Charlie’s Grandpa George).
It's no surprise that Charlie secures herself the fifth golden ticket, and the first half scenery disappears for the second half when our winners visit the chocolate factory with their families. It’s at this point that we finally get to meet Willy Wonka, played with a twinkle and a real sense of charisma by Christopher Snook. His eye-catching costume also merits a mention for set and costume designer Simon Higlett.
To capture the atmosphere of the chocolate factory, a lot of hi-tech projections are used in Act Two. The visual effects are so striking that the audience are almost taken on a drug trip as the characters are shown around the factory by Willy Wonka.
Those who remember the 1970s film, starring Gene Wilder, will enjoy the ‘Pure Imagination’ song, as well as the appearance of the modern day Oompa Loompas – silver-clad robots, who perform a great dance.
Charlie Bucket, captured so well by strikingly talented Amelia Minto, naturally emerges as the only apparent golden ticket survivor. Her four rivals are dispatched in a range of hilarious methods that certainly amused the younger people in the audience.
Mention must also go to Michael D’Cruze as Charlie’s inspirational Grandpa Joe. It’s impossible not to like his character and D’Cruze is certainly convincing as the grandfather we’d all want to call our own. It’s this spirit that leaves the audience with a positive feeling as this ‘feel-good’ musical comes to an end.
By Sue Choularton
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