Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Edinburgh Playhouse

Come to Edinburgh Playhouse and you’ll be in ‘a world of pure imagination’ with the first ever UK and Ireland tour of Charlie and the Chocolate factory directed by James Brining and written by David Greig with music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Adapted from Roald Dahl’s children’s story of the same name, this production is sure to be a hit with the whole family! With vibrant and colourful lighting by Tim Mitchell and mystifying video and illusion design from David Callanan and Chris Cox respectively, the show lives up to the expectations of the book as well as the two movie adaptations from 1971 and 2005.

A notable moment where it is as though you are watching the film live in front of your eyes comes from the four grandparents. Although not on stage as a full four in the second half, the first act places them on the upper floor of the Bucket household, providing great comedy and fantastic harmonies. Having grown up reading Dahl myself, there was a real sense of nostalgia watching these scenes unfold.

From the show’s outset, Charlie Bucket (Noah Walton) proves to us that he may be small, but he sure is mighty. Not only is Walton desperate to find his golden ticket, he also shows the crowd how much talent he already has at such a young age. With great command of his voice already, Noah Walton is one to be watched as his skills develop further.

For me, a stand out performance comes from Robin Simões Da Silva in the role of Augustus Gloop. Although a smaller role in comparison to others, Da Silva shows themselves to be a strong character actor with impressive vocal ability – even successfully yodelling which I for one know is not an easy task (I failed many times).

It is the second act that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory really comes to life as we meet Willy Wonka (Gareth Snook) and explore his factory. One thing this production does well is combining practical and visual effects to tell the well-known story of the various mishaps that take place within the factory. Despite using projection for the chocolate river and a blow-up blueberry suit, everything was believable showing just how successful it was – as these truly are unbelievable events!

While there are some small issues such as the pacing of some transitions and some clunky set movement, overall Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is not to be missed! Grab your golden ticket now before it’s too late!

Charlie and the Chocolate runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse until the 15th of April and tickets can be found at https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

Reviewer: Dylan Mooney

Reviewed: 29th March 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★