Theatre
Celebrate Roald Dahl Day with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
This month marks the celebrations of Roald Dahl Day, with special events centred around the great novelist’s birthday on the 13 September.
On this particular Sunday in 2015, like all other days since 25 June 2013, the talented cast at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane will take to the iconic stage to recreate the magic of one of Roald Dahl’s best-loved tales.
Two years on, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is still the sweet tooth of the West End. Serving up a delightful taste of all things delicious and fun, the Sam Mendes production is surely one of the best ways to celebrate the legacy of Roald Dahl.
Having this year welcomed Jonathan Slinger as Willy Wonka, the hit musical continues to entertain family audiences with enough cheek and wit for the adults, while providing that unique eccentricity to capture young imaginations.
Slinger has brought something subtly unsettling to the lead role, which captivates as much as it unnerves. Such is the charm of how this Roald Dahl classic has been retold since the original book in 1964.
The grandparents roles are hilarious in their own right, with Grandpa Joe (played by Barry James) proving significant to Charlie Bucket’s journey through the chocolate factory.
Similarly to Matilda, Roald Dahl’s other title currently attracting audiences on the West End, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory owes a lot to its child cast. Four Charlie Buckets – Noah Crump, Johnny Evans-Hutchison, Zachary Loonie and Jake Poolman – rotate seamlessly.
Set and costume designer Mark Thompson has done an extraordinarily beautiful job to make this one of the most unforgettable sets we’ve seen for some time, while choreographer Peter Darling ensures every inch of the stunning stage is flattered to its best.
Just when you think you know all you need to about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the company behind this Theatre Royal Drury Lane production stand to capture your imagination all over again.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is showing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until June 2016.
