Step inside a world of pure imagination…well, almost. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a beloved book and an iconic movie, but I’m not sure about the place it holds as a stage musical – it struggles to capture the same magic.

The production follows the story of young Charlie Bucket, who’s positivity is a shining light, despite his family’s poverty – the family of six relying solely on eating cabbages. However, one of Charlie’s greatest joys in life is chocolate, especially Wonka bars, and luckily for him Wonka is finally reopening his factory – offering a tour for five golden ticket winners. Charlie eventually gets his hands on a ticket, and his life is about to change forever.

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the acting was solid, with clear dedication from the cast

The pacing of the first act felt a bit sluggish, dedicating it to Charlie’s background and the build-up towards him getting the ticket. However, when Charlie finally got the golden ticket – the moment fell flat. The sense of desperation and thrill that makes the golden ticket hunt so captivating was underplayed – it’s all very oversimplified, making the moment seem anticlimactic. The second act seemed to whiz through almost the entirety of the plot, each pivotal moment being constricted to one short musical number, making what was next to come almost predictable.

The classic songs from the film, such as ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘The Candy Man’, were well performed and brought a welcome sense of nostalgia. However, many of the original songs written for the musical were not particularly memorable, with the exception of ‘When Verruca Says’ – a standout song, that I absolutely adored.

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the sets fall short of creating the whimsical world that is Wonka’s factory

For an amateur production, the acting was solid, with clear dedication from the cast.  I found Amy Sanford’s performance of Mrs Gloop to be marvellous, the humour she brought to the character was a saving grace of the show for me.  However, the choice to have adult actors portray all of the golden ticket-winning children (except Charlie), eliminated from the childlike wonder and innocence that make the story so charming. Additionally, the ensemble choreography felt inconsistent, with moments that lacked precision and synchronicity.

Despite taking into account that this is an ammeter production, I think the sets fall short of creating the whimsical world that is Wonka’s factory. The performance absolutely needed stronger visual elements to fully engage the audience.

Overall, while I don’t think this adaptation does justice to Roald Dahl’s original story, I see this being a good night out for a family, it has a lot of humorous moments and is overall just a bit of fun. It offers an an enjoyable experience to those willing to embrace the playful spirit of it all.