Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical – Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh and Touring

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was reviewed at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh (playing until 15 April 2023). The tour continues until 17 January 2024.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Roald Dahl has been in the news recently as his estate has commissioned changes to some of the language in his stories that might be seen today as offensive. The musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has undergone its own rewrites and reshaping as the show moved from London to Broadway and now a UK tour.

The original production, directed by Sam Mendes, had a successful three and a half year run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane despite mixed reviews. It fared less well on Broadway, where it acquired a new director and was reworked with some characters eliminated and the children, apart from the title character, played by adult actors.

This first UK tour was mounted at Leeds directed by former Dundee Rep head, James Brining. The show has been reworked again and, like the Broadway version, uses adult actors to play the Golden Ticket winners. Charlie is still played by a child actor. Four share the role in this touring version – two boys and two girls. At the press night in Edinburgh the role was played by the talented Noah Walton.

The score of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is by Hairspray’s Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who certainly know how to write a memorable song. Unfortunately, they haven’t produced any songs that linger in the memory. Indeed, the songs that get most audience reaction are the ones written for the film by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley – ‘The Candy Man’ and ‘Pure Imagination’.

Edinburgh Lyceum’s David Greig wrote the book for the musical. The first half is a bit slow in reaching the inevitable conclusion of Charlie winning a Golden Ticket to visit Wonka’s mysterious and legendary chocolate factory. The quartet of Charlie’s bedbound grandparents is nicely played by Kate Milner-Evans, Emily Winter (a regular in musicals at Dundee Rep), Ewan Gillies and Michael D’Cruze. It is the latter as Grandpa Joe who has the most to do  and D’Cruze gives an assured and charming performance.

Willy Wonka doesn’t make his entrance until late in Act I. Veteran of many musicals, Gareth Snook is in fine voice and gives a confident performance as the decidedly odd and slightly sinister chocolate creator.

I remember being somewhat underwhelmed by the physical production in London but here designer Simon Higlett and especially video designer Simon Wainwright have created a much more magical world. The Cybermen-like Oompa Loompas are a great creation and the use of video really inventive. The famous glass elevator is a bit disappointing (as it was in the original production) – what comes down from the flies must go up again!

A 10-piece band, directed by Ellen Campbell, sound terrific though the sound design (or more likely the Playhouse’s problematic acoustics) mean that a lot of the lyrics are missed.

I was hoping that the many rewrites and reworking of the show over the years would have resulted in a pacier piece with more memorable songs but that hasn’t happened (yet!). Though, a large and enthusiastic audience with loads of kids, who seemed to be thoroughly entertained,  gave the cast a tremendous ovation.

Keith Paterson