REVIEW: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Redcliffe Musical Theatre

Based on the beloved Roald Dahl novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tells the story of young Charlie Bucket, a humble boy with a kind heart, who wins a once-in-a-lifetime golden ticket to tour the mysterious and magical factory of eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka. Alongside four other golden ticket winners—each with their own terrible flaw—Charlie embarks on a journey filled with sweet treats, strange inventions, and lessons in morality. Redcliffe Musical Theatre’s production, directed and produced by Madeleine Johns, took on this enormous challenge with a cast of committed performers, cheerful costumes, and a sense of fun that the audience clearly enjoyed.

It’s no small feat—this show is famously tricky to stage, and the team faced the added challenge of lost rehearsal time due to the cyclone. With multiple cast members rotating through key roles and intricate staging requirements, it was clear from the outset that this was a huge undertaking for a community theatre company. The production included all the nostalgic favourites from the movie musical—“Pure Imagination”, “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”, and “The Candy Man”—guaranteeing plenty of moments for audience members young and old to smile along and sing in their heads (or out loud, if you were me).

I attended a Sunday matinee, where Milo White took the stage as Charlie Bucket (a role he shared with Auden Ryan and Kirill Yaremchenko). From the moment he appeared, Milo radiated the optimism, creativity, and sweetness the role demands. With a bright voice, rosy cheeks, and the kind of energy you dream of in a young performer, he was truly a joy to watch. His wide-eyed wonder during the factory scenes was genuinely heart-warming—you could almost see the magic glisten in his eyes whenever he entered inventing mode. His chemistry with Terry Skinner as Grandpa Joe was lovely, and their duet, “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket,” was a sweet and charming moment in Act One. While Terry was the only main character not to adopt an accent (which made him stand out slightly), his scenes with Charlie were a joy and heartfelt. Allison Renton brought a warm, maternal presence as Mrs Bucket and provided lovely vocal support throughout.

Willy Wonka was brought to life by Gary Farmer-Trickett, who shared the role with vocal coach Anthony van Stam. On the day I attended, Gary delivered a wonderfully strong performance, absolutely nailing the comedic timing and manic energy of the character. While his Act One solo “It Must Be Believed to Be Seen” was slightly overshadowed by the power of the ensemble, he really came into his own after intermission. From the rapid-fire lyrics of “Strike That, Reverse It” to the dreamy sincerity of “Pure Imagination”, Gary captured Wonka’s deliciously unpredictable nature—equal parts whimsical and a touch dangerous.

The show did start a little slowly—Charlie has quite a few solo numbers before the story really kicks into gear (a fault of the script rather than the company). But things picked up considerably once we met the other golden ticket winners and their wildly eccentric parents. One of my favourite surprises came in the form of the delightfully deadpan reporters, Jerry Jubilee and Cherry Sundae, played by Jake Hollingsworth and Tylah-Jay Foster.  Jake’s proper British seriousness paired beautifully with Tylah-Jay’s bubbly pizzazz.

The four naughty children and their accompanying adults were played by a mix of rotating cast members (as is common at RMT). On the day I attended, Tyler Haynes was a suitably zoned-out Mike Teevee, Santino Belmonte delivered a high-energy Augustus Gloop, Alessia Lily Monteverde dazzled as Veruca Salt, and Ruby Marriott shone as Violet Beauregarde. These characters are caricatures of four of the seven deadly sins: gluttony (Augustus), pride (Violet), greed (Veruca), and sloth (Mike), and each of these young actors leaned into those unfavourable traits perfectly.

Each golden ticket winner had their moment in the spotlight with their own introductory song. “Queen of Pop”, Violet’s number, stood out in particular—with the dancers working overtime and TJ Foster hilariously grooving along. Ruby Marriott was a cool and confident Violet Beauregarde, paired well with Beau Frigault as her hype-man dad. Their matching tracksuits and blue lipstick were an absolute vibe.

While the thick German accents made it purposefully difficult to understand them, Santino and Sarah Ashby (as Mrs Gloop) yodelled their way through “More of Him to Love” with superb energy. Mrs Teevee (played by Brianna Gibbins, though I saw understudy Nikki Glowacki) was a chaotic delight in “That Little Man of Mine”, and Mike’s brief vocal moments revealed a lovely tone.

Alessia Lily Monteverde’s Veruca Salt was all snobby elegance and tantrums, delivering “When Veruca Says” with attitude to spare alongside her on-stage father Erickson Ilustre. She nailed the bratty persona, complete with sharp vocals, well-placed eye rolls, and even some ballet en pointe!

Act Two took us fully into the factory, where the visual magic had to lean more towards DIY charm than big-budget spectacle. The reveal of the chocolate room was a little underwhelming and might have benefitted instead from a projected backdrop to expand the world beyond the curtain and small set pieces. Jonathan Johns’ set design showed plenty of creative ambition, even if the scale occasionally fell short of the vision. I especially enjoyed the grandparents’ “beds” mounted on lazy Susans—combined with their delightfully grim jokes that made it equal parts morbid and hilarious.

One of the more noticeable limitations was the use of pre-recorded tracks. While practical, this led to awkward pauses and dulled some transitions, leaving the cast waiting for cues that lacked momentum. That said, Rhonda Davidson-Irwin did an excellent job as Musical Director, especially managing the vocals of such a large and diverse ensemble. Speaking of, the ensemble worked tirelessly! Especially the thirty Oompa Loompas, donning the classic green wigs and white overalls (sans orange skin, thankfully). Costumes across the board were fun and full of personality, with Wonka’s vibrant look standing out as a highlight. The squirrel ballet was one of the cutest sequences, with the furry dancers attacking Veruca to giggles from all corners of the audience. And Violet’s blueberry transformation, complete with an inflatable suit, was a big hit!

All in all, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Redcliffe Musical Theatre was a sweet and spirited production, brimming with colour, character, and youthful joy. With a touch more technical polish and staging resources, it could have soared even higher. It’s no small thing to take on a show of this complexity, and it was clear that the cast and creative team poured everything they had into bringing it to life. And at the end of the day, that’s what makes theatre magical—a bit of sparkle, a lot of effort, and a whole lot of pure imagination.