Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Bournemouth Pavilion
Last night we were invited to the opening night of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Bournemouth Pavilion.
It might have been an amateur production by Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company (BBLOC), but you wouldn’t have known it!
The cast, the set and the orchestra were all amazing with interactive sets, colourful costumes and toe-tapping tunes.
Based on the iconic story, this spectacular stage show follows the hit West End and Broadway productions to combine the memorable songs from the original 1970’s motion picture (‘The Candy Man’ and ‘Pure Imagination’) with all new numbers from the multi award-winning songwriters of Hairspray.
When Charlie Bucket finds one of the five golden tickets to the Wonka Chocolate Factory, he and the other winners can’t wait to feast on the sweets of their dreams. But, beyond the gates they discover more than just remarkable edible delights. As they embark on an extraordinary journey through Willy Wonka’s marvellous mind, they soon learn that nobody leaves the same way that they arrived…
The stand-out performances were of course Willy Wonka, expertly brought to his quirky and eccentric life by Edward Brennan and little Charlie Bucket (Noah Long), whose innocent and honest charm made you fall in love with his character from the start.
Eliza’s favourites was Verucca Salt (Molly Bennett), who impressively stayed on pointe for much of the show, Violet Beauregarde (Milly Bagnall) and her chewing gum trick and Lilah adored Mike T.V. (Tom Carr), who was brought up to date as a computer gaming obsessed, teenage hacker.
That said, the whole cast was brilliant and of course, the cheeky and tiny, knee-shuffling Oompa-Loompas drew the biggest cheers of the night, with their funny costumes, hilarious dances and catchy songs. The set changes were seamless and Mike TV getting lost in the screens and the glass elevator ride at the end were very cleverly done.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is on until Saturday 31st May with tickets costing from £21.50 per person, but they do offer family discounts. Head over to the BBLOC_ instagram page for images from the show.
Disclaimer: We were guests of Bournemouth Pavilion for the purpose of a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own
