A Guest Review by Karen Cannard, presenter at Suffolk Sound.
I have come to learn that Bury St Edmunds Operatic & Dramatic (BSEODS) always delivers a top performance and this season’s production of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is no exception.
I may not be a fan of this particular Roald Dahl story – sorry to those are. The unfortunate accidents of the ghastly children have never sat right with me even in my younger days. Wonka has always given me the creeps and I still haven’t worked out my feelings for the Oompa Loompas. Thank goodness for the sensibilities and kindness of young Charlie. Rooting for Charlie and his Grandpa Joe is what has always carried me through this eccentric tale.
The BSEODS performance was so good, it brought all those feelings back to the fore last night. Huge congratulations should particularly go to its cast of young performers at the centre of the story. Team Loompa was led by fantastic performances from Sophie Goodchild (Charlie), Phoebe Rogers (Veruca Salt), Callum Fisk (Mike Teavee), Leo von Nathusius (Augustus Gloop) and Mary Murray (Violet Beauregarde).
Steve Murray’s Willy Wonka kept this surreal character true to form and his rendition of Pure Imagination was beautiful. Nigel Witney’s Grandpa Joe delivered the perfect heart-warming support for Charlie. As for Mrs Green, the vegetable seller (played by aptly named Claire Greener), watch out for perfect wit that delivers much more than rotten cabbage leaves.
Props to the stage and design teams too, meeting the challenge of how to deliver the unfortunate accidents with clever use of costumes, props and video. It’s this attention to detail that you come to expect from BSEODS.
If there are still seats for Saturday’s final performances, I recommend trying to bag your own golden ticket. You certainly won’t be disappointed. Well done again to the cast and crew of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was brilliant.
The last few tickets are still available for the final performance, Saturday evening, 7:30pm, at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds – you can book tickets online here
SUFFOLK THEATRE 