CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY - REVIEW

“Your life’s about to change now, so don’t get left behind!”

Truer words couldn’t have been spoken with regards to tonight’s performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the New Wimbledon Theatre. Hilarious and heartwarming, this show truly has it all. Playful Productions has successfully updated the classic tale of Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka in ways that make it fresh for modern audiences, while still maintaining the warmth and charm we expect.

Having only seen the Broadway production and not the Original iWest End production, I knew there would be some changes between the versions; however, both shows were distinct enough that these changes didn’t feel out of place (though I did selfishly miss the more dramatic demise of Veruca Salt in the American adaptation!). One of the most obvious differences is that Charlie is a little girl, which is so heartwarming, as I’m sure there would be many young girls in the audience connecting themselves closely with her character. The team of Charlies is made up of both girls and boys, which is a brilliant new decision for the show.

In addition, I think it is wonderful that Mrs Bucket uses sign language when she spoke, to which any character that interacted with her would respond in the same way. It’s small but impactful moments like this that push the theatre world towards a more accessible future, and again I’m sure this makes a huge impact to many children in the audience. Also, on a very personal note, I was really excited when I realised that the Buckets were Northern – besides Billy Elliot, you very rarely hear Northern accents in musical theatre!

Another highlight from the show is Gareth Snook as Willy Wonka, who gives a deliciously mad performance as the eccentric, unpredictable chocolatier. Snook has great energy, and in many ways addressed the audience more so than the characters themselves; however, this does not seem unnatural in the context of the show in the slightest. One could easily imagine Wonka rambling on endlessly to no one in particular, so we the audience reflected his inner monologue.

I was also incredibly impressed with the fact that the grandparents and Charlie’s mother also play the parents of the other children. These transitions and quick changes are so seamless that my friend didn’t even realise that they were the same performers until I pointed it out to her in the interval. And of course, the ensemble of this show is incredible, particularly in Act Two with the Oompa Loompas, which in this version are robots, removing any of the controversial aspects of Dahl’s original version.

This production is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children, with a number of jokes interspersed throughout the play that would not be recognised by younger audiences but would make their parents chuckle.

Overall, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is as brilliant for families as it is for general theatre lovers. This show is filled with humour, excitement and, most importantly, imagination.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
by Amy Rye
The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays Scrooge. Before the show, half a bottle of Jim Beam, some wine, and beer have been consumed in the previous 4 hours. The rest of the cast, try to keep the show on track, also aided by James Murfitt as the compere, Charles Dickens. The … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
by Ellie Preston
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
by Tom Carrao
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
by Amy Rye
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
by George Rennie
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and daughter’s … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE