On Thursday night
We had a family trip
To Willy Wonka’s
Chocolate Factory

I had been invited
To the press night of
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
The musical currently
Touring the UK
David and I debated
Taking all the children
Especially as Esther and William
Had seen The West End show
Twice
But I am so glad that we
Bought the extra seats
As this show is
Completely different
To the production
We saw in Drury Lane

The touring show is
In many ways
Much smaller
Than the London version
But it’s heart
Is just as big
And it’s imagination
Just as magical

All four children
Aged 6 – 13
LOVED the show
At The Marlowe Theatre
In Canterbury
They have not stopped
Talking about all they saw
Or playing the soundtrack

I now have three daughters
Who would love to play
Charlie Bucket on stage

Let me explain …

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Tells the tale of Charlie Bucket
A child raised with little money
And a lot of love
That so many of us
Remember from childhood
The classic Roald Dahl book
The Gene Wilder film and
The remake with Johnny Depp

The heart of the story
Remains unchanged

In this version
The setting has a
Steampunk theme
From the rubbish dump
Where Charlie collects
Other people’s trash
To become their treasure
To the robotic Oompa Loompas
And some of the workings
Of the wondrous Wonka factory

The first act focuses on
Charlie
As a gentle soul
Who always sees the best
In everything
And along with their family
Makes the most of every moment

The children and I
Instantly fell in love with Charlie
And Amelia Minto
Who played the role
She was a wonderful performer
With a gentle enchanting stage presence
And a stunning singing voice
She played Charlie with warmth
And a beautiful sense of wonder
For me she completely stole the show

My daughters are now all learning
Charlie’s songs
Almost Nearly Perfect and
A Letter From Charlie Bucket
Which Amelia Minto
Delivered perfectly

I think her performance was so good
It made me wish that the other
Child characters had been played by children
And not by young adults
The performances of
Augustus Gloop
Veruca Salt
Violet Beauregarde and
Mike Teavee were solid enough
But it was very clear that
That they were not children
And for me
And my children, i think
That was a shame

The grandparents were funny
Especially good old Grandpa Joe
We loved his performance of
Don’cha Pinch Me Charlie

We all loved Mrs Bucket
Who signed her lines
As well as saying them
This was a wonderful inclusion
Especially when we learned
That the actress is
“Hard of hearing”

My older kids absolutely loved
Gerry and Cherry
The news reporters
Who introduced the different
Golden ticket winners
On the wireless

I thought it was a shame
That this production used
The Broadway soundtrack
Rather than the songs
From the much loved
West End production

My youngest daughter
Was very sad
That Juicy!
Was not included in the score
The first act was heartfelt
And full of tender moments
Between Charlie and their family

The second act in contrast was an
Explosion of colour
A whistle stop tour
Through the wonders of
The chocolate factory
Disposing of children
Along the way
It felt a little disjointed to me
Like it was missing some
Depth to the storytelling
But my children loved it
The audience around us
Seemed to really enjoy it
And at the end
I was crying as
Willy Wonka revealed
Charlie’s true prize

Gareth Snook has an amazing voice
I enjoyed his characterisation of
Mr Wonka
His dark humour
And all his word play
Particularly in the brilliant song
Strike That Reverse It

The factory adventure
Was brought to life
By video projections
These were especially effective
During the classic song
Pure Imagination
I wish I had filmed Bea’s face
During this song
She was completely
Under Willy Wonka’s spell
Soaking up all the sparks
Of magic, light and colour
Moving around the stage

We loved the boat scene
The glass elevator flight
And seeing Charlie’s imaginings
And inventions come to life
On screen

The magic of this show
Was at its best when
Charlie was the central focus
Amelia Minto’s performance
Is one that will stay with me
For a long long time
And I know it has inspired my children

There is a lot to love in this show
A perfect half term treat
If you are local to Canterbury
The show is at The Marlowe Theatre
Until the 3rd June

Will you be booking a golden ticket?

There’s no time to dally when wonder awaits!