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Guest Review written by Mr SmallHouseBigTrips
For me, there is now a scale of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: at the one end (not so great) is Johnny Depp’s. At the other (fantastic) is Gene Wilder’s. In the middle, maybe closer to Wilder, is Chalomet’s (pretty decent). On that line, BMOS’s current run of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory firmly sits on the Gene Wilder side. It is a wildly brilliant production and one that me and the girls had an absolute ball watching.
It always seems like such a cliche when reviewing amateur productions to say something along the lines of “you couldn’t tell the difference between this and a professional show”, but in absolute, genuine honesty, BMOS have completely knocked this out of the park and I would happily and confidently rate this version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right up there with the big, expensive, professional versions that have come and gone over the years.
It has a slightly different start to the story that most of us know and love: Mr Wonka (Robbie Love) is out from the factory in disguise to learn whats been happening in the world after an extended period of self-exile behind the walls of his factory, he bumps into Charlie Bucket (Theo Traat on this occasion, sharing the role with James Cowley on alternate performances) and from talking to him is inspired to run the famous golden ticket competition: we’re soon introduced to his family and the story kicks off properly.
Charlies family is warm and funny: I was especially taken with this version of Grandpa George who is dismayed to wake up every day in the same bed again, and also the delightful patter between Grandpa Joe (Nick Owenford) and Grandma Josephine (Lucy Homer). Whilst only having a relatively small role, Mrs Bucket (Annabel Pilcher) is wonderful. Watch out for her song and dance midway through the first act. Something definitely got in my eyes for that performance, and I’m not talking about dust or dry ice. It was a beautiful number, which I’d love to see again.
We soon meet our motley crew of reprobate children who hoover up the golden tickets, each as delightfully awful as each other. Augustus Gloop (Chris Fowler) and Veruca Salt (Ellen Tozer) steal the show here, and feed up a lot of laughs to the audience. And then we’re off to the factory.
After the interval, we’re soon introduced to the Oompa-Loompa’s. Readers, these may possibly be my favourite version of Oompa-Loompa’s since the 1971 Gene Wilder film, which is one of my favourite films of all time. I have never heard a theatre audience laugh with such glee and happiness when they are introduced. I am positive that everybody who sees this, will walk out, talking about brilliantly, they are conceived and performed.
It’s a huge challenge for set design when inside the factory. Theres a lot of rooms to cover and fantastical scenes to portray, and the backdrop work makes this work for the cast. There’s plenty of amusement in there as well with crafty jokes and playful warnings for the sharp eyed.
This is a big musical number, with fantastic songs throughout. Some you will know, the most obvious being the classic Willy Wonka theme that chimes through the entire performance, and obviously the classic The Candy Man, together with some tunes that I belive are unique to the stage production, or at least I’ve not heard them before. They’re all great, and the cast are clearly having as much fun on stage as we, the audience were watching them.
Full five stars.
Quote: Oompa Loompa diddly do, this the Willy Wonka show for you.
Book tickets now: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/bmos-presents-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-the-musical/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/
Showing until Saturday 15th June 2024.