A show of pure imagination
It’s fifteen years after the famous golden ticket competition. Charlie Bucket is now the heir to Wonka’s factory, and the others are dealing with the consequences of their actions. Written by Caden Scott and Courtney Bassett, the production shows an interesting and unique continuation of the story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with the other competitors now grown up and living in the factory together.
With brilliant use of the performance venue, Half Trick makes the most of their staging and set in the Augustine church by using the stage for many different areas within the factory’s accommodation to the best of its ability. A brilliant effort from the crew to create and bring this idea to life. Throughout our time watching the unfortunate competition participants, we watch how much these characters have changed and grown into adult life, with their backstories shaping them into who they are today.
Veruca Salt is introduced to us as a new, more mature version played by Airlie Duff, a very moving performance as the bad nut now grown into a young woman, Duff was able to showcase a new Veruca Salt with a dark past that has shaped her life in many ways; it was amazing to see how the character could change in an adaptation for the better.
Chris Veteri made the character Mike Teavee somehow the character you would just love to hate throughout. Being able to step into the shoes of the young boy who, now an adult, has some disturbing thoughts and some strange views on life, the performance made you think that despite being older physically, he’s still the same golden ticket winner mentally.
Alex Medland plays the former chewing gum-obsessed Violet Beauregarde, with the same attitude as the young competition winner. Medland showcased a new side to Violet upon reflecting on the character’s unsettling conclusion to her time at the factory. A fiery personality not to be messed with, it was touching to see how bringing up the past could change the mood in Violet. A brilliant job from Medland.
Whilst all the “losers” were brilliant to watch interact with one another it was Caden Scott as Augustas Gloop that stole the show and brought in the laughs from the audience, Scott was able to take Augustas Gloop and make him a loveable goofball of a character trying to keep the peace within the group when he could. Scott was able to make Gloop a joy to watch on stage with such positivity from start to end.
Finally, the rags-to-riches story with a twist- Charlie Buckett, played by Rory Drinnan-Murray. A wonderful yet cracked version of Charlie, showing us a more insane, Wonka version of the character who is scared to think for himself outside of Mr Wonka’s ideas, often questioning if he remembered what life was like for him before becoming the heir to the factory.
Overall, this was a brilliant production from Half Trick, with twists and surprises throughout, with a version of five adults who once visited a chocolate factory after winning a golden ticket. I look forward to seeing what the company come up with in their next production.