Journey beyond your imagination this Easter weekend!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical is the 2013 show based on the classic 1964 children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The story follows a young child named Charlie Bucket who lives with his grandparents and mother. Within their town, there is a chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka: though no one has heard from him in a very long time. When a competition is held allowing five children to enter Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, everyone is eager to find a golden ticket to enter. Charlie finds one of these tickets and embarks on an extraordinary journey through Willy Wonka’s wonderful world, not quite knowing what will lie ahead. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a beloved property for both children and adults, intriguing us all to find imagination in life.
With Easter approaching, Cambridge Operatic Society’s production is perfectly timed. Cambridge Operatic Society is a friendly musical theatre company who have been performing since 1910. They strive to perform to the highest standard, giving West End production levels of quality. Having not watched a production by Cambridge Operatic Society, I was eagerly anticipating a journey through my imagination!
The whole production is phenomenal and was very well put together: similar to the West End quality wise. The show was directed by Pippa Duffy, musical direction by Nicholas Sheehan and choreographed by Katy Graham Clare. Behind a strong creative team, they have worked effortlessly together to create a wonderful experience. The set utilises a screen which helps us to magically be transported to different settings. Pieces brought in (such as the bed) are imaginative and feel very professional, making it exciting each time new set came onto the stage. In addition, the lighting is used effectively to highlight the actors. The overall score was played by an incredible band which enhanced the whole experience, playing the score extremely well. Duffy and the creative team should be incredibly proud of their production as it feels very professional.
When we came to see the show, we got to watch Team Chocolate in the youth cast. Splitting the cast is great, allowing more talent to shine and letting the young players rest between shows. The ensemble in this production are very hardworking, often swapping to many different outfits throughout each act. Graham Clare’s choreography was perfect for the score, allowing for some great sequences alongside the principal cast. Ash Smith plays Jerry Jubilee and Katie McArthur plays Cherry Sundae, the news reporters for the golden ticket winners. McArthur and Smith worked perfectly together, adding comedy in each scene they were in. This helped make each segment feel fresh and unique. Heather Panton plays Mrs Teavee. Panton has great vocals in ‘That Little Man of Mine’ and understands her character: acting concerned about her son. Marco Palma plays Mr Salt. Palma plays a panic father very well, maintaining to the needs of his daughter in ‘When Veruca Says’: singing this song well. Deejay Latchuman plays Mr Beauregarde. Latchuman plays a modern influencer very well, and his dynamics alongside Ann Jordan were perfect. Karen Taylor plays Mrs Gloop. Taylor is a kind and caring parent, maintaining to her son really well and also singing a great rendition of ‘More of Him To Love’. Ellie Stoneley plays Mrs Green. Stoneley’s portrayal is fun and quirky, getting lots of laughs from the audience.
Liz Brinsdon, Lucas Elkin and Janice Chambers play Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and George Georgina respectfully. All three work together well to create a strong family group for Charlie, as well as singing together well. Augustus Gloop was played by Henry Whiteley. Whiteley portrays Augustus very well, including the accent which cannot have been easy. He also has strong vocal ability throughout the show. Veruca Salt was played by Lola Wilkes Read. Wilkes Read knows what makes Veruca spoilt and uses this to enhance her performance. Her dancing was well choreographed and executed flawlessly. Violet Beauregarde was played by Dolly Ann Jordan. Ann Jordan worked well alongside Latchuman to portray the influencer/celebrity lifestyle. She danced and sung through ‘Queen of Pop’ with high energy. Mike Teavee was played by Zevi Khairdean. Khairdean was able to capture the uncontrollable gamer nature of Mike very well. He gave lots of sarcasm throughout the show which made it a delight to watch: getting the audience laughing. Mrs Bucket is played by Tia Lake. Lake portrays a caring and kind mother, perfect for this role. Her vocals in ‘If Your Mother Were Here’ were wonderful to listen to!
Grandpa Joe is played by Leslie Wheeler, the fun grandad Charlie has a strong bond with. Wheeler plays a fun, joyful grandad who actively is great to watch. His song ‘Charlie, You and I’ was strong and his dynamics with Atkinson was on point. Willy Wonka himself is played by Luke Thomas, the eccentric chocolate inventor was invites the children to the factory. Thomas understands the character perfectly, being whimsical and faithful adaptation to the book. All of his vocals, especially in ‘The View From Home’ were excellent, showcasing his strong vocal ability. He also had great dynamics with the entire cast, especially Atkinson as Charlie. The stand out performance for us was Frances Atkinson as Charlie Bucket, a young man who dreams of entering Wonka’s factory. Being such a pivotal role in the show, it is essential that Charlie is casted correctly. Atkinson is the perfect Charlie, giving a caring and kind side to the character. His vocals in all songs were outstanding and his relationships with the rest of the cast really sold the entire production!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory continues to run at Cambridge Corn Exchange until Saturday. Book your tickets now!
Tickets for this performance were provided complimentary. Many thanks to Cambridge Operatic Society for the wonderful performance!
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