Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Good Companions Musical Theatre

Good Companions Musical Theatre’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a vibrant, imaginative production that captivated audiences of all ages.

Willy Wonka played by Joe Woffinden was nothing short of outstanding, an engaging, charismatic performance with a wide vocal range and excellent comedic timing. His rendition of The Candy Man opened the show beautifully, instantly drawing in the audience and starting the show strong, from this point on we knew we were in for a good night!  As the show progressed, his character deepened, during act 2 there were some particularly funny lines that he delivered with ease and his connection with Charlie and the audience grew stronger.

Charlie Bucket played by James did a fantastic job, he was warm, sincere, and completely believable. His relationship with Grandpa Joe was especially emotional and loving. The chemistry between Charlie and Willy Wonka was also great to see and ended in a heartfelt duet of ‘A View from Here’, in the glass elevator. Their voices blended beautifully, and the scene provided a moving finale.

Grandpa Joe played by Steve Dunning, Steve was exceptional in this part very heartfelt, and funny. The group of grandparents played by Lisa Scott-Savage, Heidi Hand and Ollie Hand were strong throughout. The upstairs bedroom set worked particularly well showing the cozy, close-knit family life, a complete contrast from the wonder of the large Wonka factory. Charlie’s mum played by Claire Jarman gave a performance that added warmth, with a beautiful singing voice that shone in her solo number ‘If Your Father Were Here’ with a flashback on Charlie’s younger years with his dad.

The children’s characters were all well cast and portrayed with enthusiasm and confidence. On the night we came we saw Team Lollipop. Augustus Gloop played by  Stefan and Mrs Gloop played by Debs McPherson, the family from Bavaria to first win a golden ticket both had the audience laughing out loud with their characters and delivery of lines. Great Bavarian dancing from the ensemble, full of energy. Veruca Salt played by Olivia ballet danced beautifully including some lovely point work and also she showed the attitude expected of the spoilt Veruca Salt.  Mr Salt played well by Jake Perry as the doting father wishing to give his daughter everything she asks for. Violet Beauregarde played by Olivia stood out as the Queen of Pop with an avid group of fans following her. Her costume worked well when this blew up into a big ball and there was clever use of projection when she went pop! Her on-stage relationship with her father Mr Beauregarde played by Phil Stanley was very believable, he also brought out the humour in this character well.  Mike Teavee played by Louie was full of cheekiness and his mother Eleanor Mallinson gave a particularly strong and polished performance in their rendition of ‘That Little Man of Mine’.

The Oompa Loompas were brilliant and a particular highlight of the show. Their entrances through the audience added excitement and a sense of endless magic, as it felt that they just kept coming and coming! The costumes were fun, and the choreography worked well and was executed well with good synchronisation. The Oompa Loompa’s were a clear favourite with the younger members of the audience, who were completely engaged every time they appeared.

Jerry played by Rob Chilton and Cherry played by Lauren Adams, the reporters, captured the audience’s attention right from the beginning of the show appearing on the drop-down screen. The continuity they brought throughout the production, with updates and comedic commentary was great and helped build the excitement of the announcements of the golden ticket winners with a live video feed executed well by cameraman Tom Banks.

One of the biggest stars at this performance was Seb Probert as the British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, Seb didn’t just translate, he performed! His expressive signing, energy, and stage presence made him an integral part of the storytelling. Dressed in the second act as an Oompa Loompa he was fully involved in the action and his dancing at the end of the show was a joy to watch, he was very much a part of this fabulous cast. A large number of the audience members attended especially to see Seb, and their enthusiastic response showed just how loved and vital his role is. Huge congratulations to the society for such a genuine and powerful commitment to equality, inclusion, and diversity.

Credit to the production team Director Phil Simcox, Musical Director Dave Adey and Choreographer Cat Howourth. This was a joyful, creative production with well-rehearsed musical numbers and great executed choreography. Technically, the production was slick and professional. The sound was clear throughout; lighting was well designed helping bring each scene to life. The staging was smooth keeping the pace moving. Costumes across the board were perfectly suited to the characters, helping to bring the world of Dahl’s imagination to life. A very professional programme that was clear to read and a very clever touch at the end of the performance by playing songs from their next production Me and My Girl.

A huge well done to Good Companions Musical Theatre for a wonderful evening of magic and chocolate.

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