Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This production rather resembled one of Willy Wonka’s renowned confections, in that it was very sweet and packed with good things.  It also brought to mind the musings of the celebrated 20th Century philosopher, Forrest Gump, in that this was a box of chocolates in which you never quite knew what you were going to get.

Willy Wonka lies at the heart of everything, and the leading actor in this production was more than equal to the challenge.  Honestly, he is such a showman: he has terrific stage presence, an instinctive understanding of where to be and how to react, and the confidence to look the audience right in the eye and sell the show.  He knew the part so well that his dialogue skipped along with energy and verve, qualities that were also evident in the lyrics of his sequence of songs at the beginning of Act 2.  There was humour as well, with a generous sprinkling of amusing lines and asides tucked into the pacey monologues.  “Easy as pie!” he exclaims shortly after Violet’s blueberry pie induced demise, before archly enquiring “Too soon?”.

The ensemble provided solid support to the signature numbers of several of the prize winners, and the company really came into its own with the arrival of the Oompa Loompas.  The representation of Wonka’s factory workers in the original Gene Wilder movie laid a trap which the Society effortlessly avoided, but their cheerful styling in rainbow T-shirts and tights with short dungarees, sometimes accessorised with glasses and gloves, captured the essence of these iconic characters.  Their movement and choreography was well realised: the style and rhythm was carefully matched to the music, while there was enough consistency to identify the group and enough variation to define individuals.  The best dancers displayed notably crisp movements and graceful extensions, but the whole company brought an infectious energy to the factory scenes which frequently ended in pleasing tableaux.

I think you have to accept that any show loses a little bit of its sense of occasion if the band is hidden away, but the company did well in keeping the singers and musicians together even if the balance between them still wasn’t perfect.  That said, the balance within the band was excellent, with the reeds and brass complementing each other, and the solo violin giving the more emotional moments a touch of poignancy.

The set combined upstage projections with downstage trucks to generally good effect.  Charlie’s modest and compact home comprised his grandparents’ elevated bed and some well-chosen fixtures such as a humble stove, while the candy store was fitted out in the manner of a corner shop.  The factory featured some wonderful units such as the mixing machine, and the edible garden was beautifully realised with picture-book flowers in primary colours, although there was little coherence between this and the accompanying projection.  Nevertheless, the design was admirable in its scope and ambition, with some impressive technical accomplishments such as mapping projected doors onto their physical equivalents in the back wall.

The Society did well in bringing such an ambitious and challenging production to the Amey Theatre stage, despite the inevitable technical and financial constraints, and the talented company once again illustrated the art of the possible in this entertaining and accomplished presentation.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.