Review: Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is utterly magical and gorgeous. I laughed, I cried, and I had goosebumps.

From the very beginning, my eyes were glued to the stage. Despite more than half of the audience being children, the show is equally attractive to adults as it is to school kids. The main character, Charlie Bucket (Haydn Court), is a boy from a poor family. But even at his young age, he is more intelligent, kinder, more curious, and more open-hearted than his peers. He is a dreamer and an inventor, with “an empty stomach, but a house full of love,” with Haydn’s voice reaching your heart.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a tale of two visionaries – Charlie and Willy Wonka (Gareth Snook) – both passionate about what they are doing and able to “make something out of nothing.”

There is an implicit connection between the Buckets’ house and Wonka’s factory; both places are separate worlds, detached from the reality outside. Charlie’s family may be poor but they’re rich in support and hope. Even though the pivot is a bed with four grandparents, who never got out of it, every member of the family is still young and mischievous at heart. They adore every “treasure” Charlie finds on the street and brings home, and they know that he is a good boy who deserves a better life.

On the other hand, Willy Wonka’s factory is a thriving, magical world that “must be believed to be seen.” It is also full of love and care since Mr Wonka’s life revolves around the factory he has created. Both Wonka and Charlie feel out of place in the real world, which is full of greedy, profit-seeking parents and sheltered, spoilt children, who always get what they want, like Augustus Gloop (Robin Simões da Silva), Veruca Salt (Kazmin Borrer), Violet Beauregarde (Marisha Morgan), and Mike Teavee (Teddy Hinde).

My expectations, however, were different from what I had seen on stage. I imagined a wonderland of marshmallows and chocolates, yet Wonka’s Factory, including the Oompa-Loompas, appeared in a steampunk setting. Nevertheless, the creative team did an outstanding job by effectively translating the magical feeling one would get by reading a book through the environment.

Video designer Simon Wainwright and illusion designer Chris Fisher created Wonka’s world without any bulky decorations but with the means of imagination and technology. So, my advice would be not to set specific expectations regarding the decorations of the Chocolate Factory, but open yourself up to a world of pure imagination and enjoy the inventive vision of director James Brining.

It feels as though I could write about every aspect of the show in detail, however, doing so would spoil it for future visitors. In short, this is a magnificent show that enchants audiences of all ages, from children to their grandparents. The musical makes you experience a wide range of emotions and feelings that are triggered by the charming voice of Michael D’Cruze (Grandpa Joe), the powerful songs of Willy Wonka, the excellent performance of each of the five children visiting the factory, and many more. It is an iconic, must-see show where “every ticket is golden” indeed.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory runs at the Palace Theatre Manchester until July 30 2023 and tours the UK until February 4 2024.

Written by Maria Plakhtieva