Roald Dahl's morality tale of Charlie Bucket's search for a golden ticket has become a modern classic. The original book debuted in 1964, but it was the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that brought the story to a whole new global level. Gene Wilder's mercurial Willy Wonka gave children and adults alike the trip of a lifetime inside his sweet factory, complete with Oompa Loompas and hidden dangers. A 2005 re-imagining with Johnny Depp took advantage of the leaps in technology that had occured in the interveneing years to bring an even more visually sumptuous telling of the story. In 2013 the theatre beckoned, a new musical wtih music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. After a strint on Broadway, the musical has been revived in a new production in conjunction with the Leeds Playhouse.
Act 1 deals solely with the search for and the finding of the five Golden Tickets that have been hidden inside the Wonka Bars worldwide. As we all now know four of the tickets go to some very undesirable recipients: Mike Teavee, Violet Beauregarde, Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt. Thankfully in an incredible stroke of luck Charlie finds a coin and spends it on a Wonka Bar, and the fifth Golden Ticket is his. And so the story unfolds as the five and their guardians take a trip into Willy Wonka's mysterious factory.
Its a tall order for the theatre to match the big budget vistas of the movies, but set and costume designer Simon Higlett together with illusionist Chris Fisher and video designer Simon Wainwright have combined to make Charlie's journey a thrilling spectacle. You never come out of the theatre feeling short changed after years of watching the movie versions. Central to the piece are two performances: that of Charlie and Willy Wonka. Charlie had changed gender on the night I saw the show, Jessie Lou-Harvie sported a Glasgow accent and won the hearts of everyone in the audience with her portrayal of the poor but never downhearted Charlie. We rooted for her with every scene. She is matched by Gareth Snook's Willy Wonka. Genial, scary, magical - Snook managed to portray all these things as he took on one of modern literature's most famous figures and made the role his own. His entrance song 'It Must Be Believed To Be Seen' set the perfect tone for the crazy antics of the inventor.
Each of the 'victims' portrayed their characters to the hilt. Emma Rowbotham Hunt as the terminally spoilt Veruca Salt, Teddy Hinde as television and game obsessive Mike Teavee, Marisha Morgan as social influencer and teenage pop star Violet Beauregarde and Robin Simões Da Silva as serial scoffer Augustus Gloop. The performers delivered children who should be seen and not heard, preferably not seen. Each one transforming themselves into the very worst type of human being.
A shout out too for Michael D'Cruze as a heartwarming Grandpa Joe and Leonie Spilsbury as Mrs. Bucket, both of whom were a stand out in the first Act.
Anyone expecting the Oompa Loompas to be orange and little were in for a surprise. Due perhaps to budgetary restrictions and the need for the cast to play multiple roles, these inhabitants of Wonka's factory are now silver clockwork droids (we think) but they still are a focal point of work in the factory.
Music wise Marc Shaiman's score is serviceable, we didn't spot any hit tunes in there which linger in the mind, and two iconic songs from the 1971 film 'Pure Imagination' and 'The Candyman' have been retained to put a smile on the face of old stagers like us.
All told the cast and the nine piece band delivered a quality show which would be a golden ticket for anyone lucky enough to catch the tour. We sat captivated from start to finish as were the packed audience (largely made up of kids) at the Palace. If you are lucky enough to find your own ticket (and its not cheap to go to Wonka's factory) you'll be pleasantly rewarded with a confectionary of delight. But watch out for the giant squirrel!
Rob & Ian
