A major new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical will be this year’s Christmas gift to audiences at Leicester’s Curve Theatre.
Running from 21 November 2026 to 9 January 2027, the Made at Curve production will be directed by artistic director Nikolai Foster with set design by Leslie Travers.
Announcing the production which follows on from consecutive hit festive offerings of classic musicals The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady, Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has long been a favourite novel for so many of us – possibly the first book to fire our imaginations and introduce us to the beauty of a world filled with pure imagination.
“Christmas is always such a magical time at Curve and with this scrumdiddlyumptious musical, it promises to be another golden year for families and friends of all ages to enjoy the power of live theatre together.
“This delicious musical celebrates the great songs from the Gene Wilder film, alongside sensational new songs from the hit-makers behind Hairspray, Tony Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. And with a script by the acclaimed writer David Grieg, it’s a mouth-wateringly scrumptious recipe; we are looking forward to bringing the wonder of Wonka’s wonderful chocolate factory to life, in one of our most ambitious shows to date.”
Accessible performances will take place across the run, including British Sign Language interpreted (4 December), Captioned (12 December), Dementia Friendly (16 December), Audio Described and Touch Tours (19 December and 6 January) and Relaxed (7 January).
The new Made at Curve production will be complemented by wraparound learning and engagement activity delivered by Curve’s Creative Programmes team, including a free digital Education Pack and bespoke workshops for school groups, as well as a Theatre Day on 10 December, where school groups and audience members of all ages will be able to learn more about the creation of the production and behind the scenes insights from the show’s team.
Inspired by Roald Dahl’s much-loved 1964 novel and featuring songs from the beloved 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical has a book by David Greig, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The musical premiered in the West End in 2013 with a production directed by Sam Mendes and arrived on Broadway in 2017.
Angela Thomas
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