Great news for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
There has been fantastic recent news from the sugar-filled world of the West End's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Late October saw the production report the highest weekly gross box office for a West End theatre of £1,062,606 as a new West End theatre record six months after its world premiere. Over the course of the nine show week almost 20,000 people saw the musical, with the figure also breaking the show’s own Drury Lane record set in August 2013. Since the box office opened in October 2012 the show has taken £21million in ticket sales, following the show's opening on 25 June 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWlNFLYr0IQ
Featuring stagecraft which is out of this world and an amusing tap routine, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years has been brought to life on stage by Sam Mendes as director.
The next spell of good news comes in the form of The Royal Variety Performance 2013, to be screened on ITV in December. The cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will perform at the prestigious event, joining Gary Barlow, Attraction (winners of Britain’s Got Talent), singer Olly Murs and Dame Edna Everage at the London Palladium.
A Channel 4 four part series about musicals in the West End will also feature Charlie and the Chocolate Factory mid November. The first hour-long episode in The Story of Musicals is dedicated entirely to the making of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, peeking behind the scenes at rehearsals, opening night and also including interviews with Sam Mendes, the creative team and cast members. In a turn away from high-profile broadcasts, the musical is also set to provide behind the scenes work placements as part of Warner Bros Creative Talent, a programme which supports the next generation of UK creative industries’ talent with scholarships attached to work placements and mentoring, apprenticeships and training course; maybe you can take your childhood wishes and even get a chance to eat the dishes?