Michael Cox reviews the musical adaptation of the much-loved story.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a perfectly serviceable production. It’s enjoyable enough and should enchant young theatre goers; yet given that we are again invited to enter a world of ‘Pure Imagination’, serviceable just doesn’t cut it.
The plot is the same as in Roald Dahl’s original book and the countless adaptations: hard on his luck yet well-mannered Charlie Bucket yearns to win one of five golden tickets for a tour of Willy Wonka’s mysterious confectionary factory. The first half follows the coverage of the tickets being found by four horrible children, all while Charlie’s grandparents and mother pine for him to win. Through pluck and luck, Charlie gets the fifth and final ticket. The second half dramatizes the tour, where one by one the selfish and rule-breaking children receive forms of poetic justice.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the musical—it’s well produced and has a solid ensemble. And yet, that is also the very problem: why is it being produced? What does this musical version offer over other previous renditions? The piece is a mixed bag, even if it does incorporate iconic moments from previous versions. The script and songs have gone through numerous changes since its initial West End opening (nearly ten years ago), and yet what is presented in this current tour is both overly familiar and underwhelming.
The cast are consistently strong. Gareth Snook makes for a fun Wonka: zany and sarcastic but with just enough child-like wonder to be engaging. The four children (played by young adults) are equally revolting and entertaining, and the Bucket family are charming (and have fun when doubling as the nasty chaperoning parents). The role of Charlie is split between four young performers—Noah Walton gave a completely winning performance on press night—and is depicted with just enough earnestness to make for an engaging hero.
There are some solid choices to be commended. The problematic Oompa Loompas are presented here as a chorus of robots, and though they may look like knockoffs of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, it does nicely get around the difficulties found within Dahl’s text. Another very welcome choice is the incorporation of sign language throughout the musical, making the production more assessable and giving a nice warmth to some scenes, particularly those between Charlie and his mother.
It is hard to be too disparaging with a production that clearly yearns to please. Yet, while there are some rather delicious ingredients to be found, it fails to wow or enchant, making for a production that doesn’t leave a bad taste but comes across as more filler than cream.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory performs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until April 15th before continuing its UK tour. For further details check the production’s website.
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