Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The New Musical

Off the back of winning best play and being nominated for best musical at the NODA East Regional Awards last week, BSEODS took to the stage this week with their production of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The New Musical " at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.

This production of such a well-known story relies heavily on the performances of the five children, and ‘Team Oompa’ did not disappoint. Special congratulations to the young actors who all did a terrific job. I am sure ‘Team Loompa’ were equally as fantastic.  A particular highlight was Austin Rolt’s portrayal of Charlie Bucket, which  was a spirited and heartfelt performance, capturing the innocence and wonder of the character.

The show is divided into two distinct halves: Act One tells the stories of how each of the children secures their golden ticket, while Act Two dives into the events within Wonka’s enchanting chocolate factory.

Each child’s discovery of their golden ticket was accompanied by a delightful feature song performed with their respective parent: Neil Hickey as Mr. Salt, Dani Morris as Mrs. Gloop, Stephen Lawrence as Mr. Beauregarde, and Holly Hayhurst as Mrs. Teavee. Each delivered a strong and engaging performance, perfectly complementing their on-stage children’s vibrant personalities.

Interspersed with the reveal of the various ticket winners, Charlie’s story with his impoverished family is explored. The dialogue from the four grandparents, Grandpa Joe (Nigel Witney), Grandma Josephine (Lorraine Taylor), Grandma Georgina (Mary Carter) and Grandpa George (Nic Metcalfe), provided many comedic moments, and the family number “If Your Father Were Here” featuring Kat Metcalfe as Charlie’s mother, Mrs Bucket, was particularly moving, leading into “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” with some nice physical comedy as Grandpa Joe triumphantly rose from his bed after 45 years.

Throughout the show, but more prominently in Act Two, we were treated to delightful ensemble numbers featuring lively choreography. Highlights included the Oompa- Loompas at the start of Act Two, the Squirrels sequence and the Vidiots sequence as Mike Teavee was shrunk. All the choreography was simple enough that everyone could do a good job yet sophisticated enough that it was not boring and the strong dancers could shine. Well done to Abigail Longworth for striking this balance and also well done to Izzie Blair who really stood out and was deserving of the ensemble dance captain role.

Costumes were simple yet effective, particularly in the ensemble numbers. The Oompa-Loompas’ white dungarees and different styles of green wig were really effective. I liked that Alex Schosland had gone the extra mile and dyed his beard green. Hope that was temporary!

The technical side of the production had been well thought through, with highlights including an inflatable purple suit for Violet Beauregarde and the back projection which was well utilised in the scene where Mike Teavee falls through various TV channels. The glass elevator on a hydraulic lift was a fantastic idea, though I felt with more focussed lighting and masking off the feet of the lift, there could have been an even greater wow factor. There were several places where the lighting let down the illusions which could have been amazing.

The live orchestra in the Theatre Royal pit, under the baton of Gaz Brown (Musical Director) delivered the music expertly, and overall, the singing and harmonies were strong, despite a few tuning issues in some chorus numbers.

Finally, Willy Wonka himself, played by Steve Murray, was superb. His comic timing, both in physical theatre and dialogue and with the odd knowing look to the audience all added to the whimsical nature of his character. He had the audience in the palm of his hand, striking a balance of being zany and creative yet caring, with a rich tone to his singing, despite some tuning issues on the higher notes.

Overall, this was a strong production and Adam Thurkettle (Director) together with all the production team should be commended for this whimsical production. As always, thank you so much to Mel Barnes for being such a wonderful host. Judging by the comments from the audience as they left, everyone seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the show. Well done BSEODS.

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