THEATRE: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
Yes, the Wonka Factory has opened in Australia but the flavour is missing.
Roald Dahl is among a select group of writers that includes Lewis Carroll, Dr Seuss and JK Rowling whose work for children is as enthralling to adults. Many of his children’s books have been adapted successfully for the stage: Matilda, Fantastic Mr Fox and James And The Giant Peach.
The musical version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory first opened in London’s West End in 2013 to mixed reviews, and four years later on Broadway where the reviews were even less favourable. It’s the Broadway version that is replicated for the Australian runs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The story is well known to many through the book and two feature films. Young Charlie Bucket and his grandfather Joe join an exclusive tour through the mysterious chocolate factory of eccentric Willy Wonka. There are four other Golden Ticket winners and their guardians on the bizarre joyride, which becomes a test of character around the theme of self-indulgence verses selflessness.
The tour, with chocolate and candy at every turn, is a journey into temptation. The other children, a bunch of spoiled brats, fail the test while Charlie and Grandpa Joe pass.
The immediate problem with this Australian production is that it has been downsized since its inception on the West End. It lacks pizazz, especially if your expectations have been set by the psychedelica of the films. The chocolate factory should be as wonderful as the inside of Aladdin’s cave. Sadly, too much is left to the imagination.
As Willy Wonka, Paul Slade Smith (who understudied the role on Broadway) is enjoyable enough, but it is Tony Sheldon as Grandpa Joe who has the greatest on-stage presence. Sheldon, whose credits include Bernadette in Priscilla, has a charisma that the audience warms to. Perhaps Sheldon should have been considered for the Wonka role.
The casting is problematic in other areas, too. While five child actors play Charlie (Lenny Thomas on opening night), the other children are played by adult actors and herein lies a problem. The adult actors are great in their roles but playing children next to an actual child just doesn’t work. Harrison Riley, playing the television-obsessed kid, Mike Teavee, looks more like Charlie’s dad standing next to him than another child.
There are some great special effects moments, including clever puppetry. There are delightful, not to mention frightening, squirrels, and the Oompa-Loompas steal the show. The choreography from Joshua Bergasse (Gigi) manages to include ballet and life-sized animals admirably.
So, considering these flaws, what is the secret to Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’s longevity as a stage musical? It probably helps that the book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and the Gene Wilder film version remains popular with new and nostalgic audiences alike. It’s a family show that appeals to multiple generations.
That such a cherished text has not been given the grand treatment is a disappointment. The magic is missing. There’s no golden ticket to this chocolate factory.
It lacks pizazz, especially if your expectations have been set by the psychedelica of the films.