The production of the musical will transfer from the Curve Leicester to London from the 4th June until the 18th September 2027.
It has been announced that Michael Ball (Hairspray, Les Misérables) will star as Willy Wonka in the new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which will begin performances at the London Coliseum next June. Further casting for the London run has yet to be announced.
Directed by Nikolai Foster, the musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved classic story will first open at the Leicester Curve this festive season.
As well as the much-loved songs Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and I’ve Got a Golden Ticket from the classic 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the musical includes the musical’s original score by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and book by David Greig.
Join Charlie Bucket on the adventure of a lifetime when he finds a golden ticket and discovers a world of wonder behind closed doors. Step through the factory gates into a spectacular world where chocolate rivers flow, Oompa-Loompas sing, inventions defy imagination and every room holds a delicious surprise. Alongside Grandpa Joe, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee, Charlie discovers that nothing is quite as it seems inside Wonka’s extraordinary factory.
Set to officially open at the London Coliseum on the 20th June 2027, this production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features choreography by Ebony Molina (Avenue Q, Shaftesbury Theatre; Just for One Day, Old Vic), set design by Leslie Travers (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse; Road, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester), costume design by Katrina Lindsey (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre and Broadway for which she won an Olivier Award for Best Costume Design, The Motive and the Cue, Noel Coward Theatre/National Theatre) and lighting design by Ben Cracknell (Kinky Boots, London Coliseum; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, London Palladium).
The creative team also includes: sound design by Adam Fisher (Sunset Boulevard, Adelphi Theatre & Broadway; Into the Woods, The Bridge Theatre), video design by George Reeve (Maybe Happy Ending, Broadway for which he won the Tony Award for Best Set Design; Hercules, Theatre Royal Drury Lane), wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates (High Society, Barbican; Paddington The Musical, Savoy Theatre), illusion design by Chris Fisher (Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre; Back To The Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre/North American Tour/Tokyo/ Sydney/Royal Caribbean Cruises), puppet design by Rachael Canning (The Wizard of Oz, Curve, London Palladium and UK tour), prop supervision by Marcus Hall Props (13 Going On 30, World Premiere), musical supervision by Stephen Brooker (Sunset Boulevard, Curve and National tour), orchestration adaptations by George Dyer (Kinky Boots, Curve, UK, Ireland and Europe tours and London Coliseum), musical direction by Isaac McCullough (Mary Poppins, UK and International tour), casting by Olivia Laydon (The Sound of Music, Curve) for Jill Green Casting, associate direction by Jordan Isaac (Kinky Boots, Curve, UK, Ireland, Europe tours and London Coliseum), associate sound design by Ollie Durrant (Kinky Boots, London Coliseum) and associate choreography by Dale White (Bank of David The Musical, Curve and Lowry).
Tickets are on sale Tuesday 29 September. Sign up at charliethemusical.com for access to an exclusive priority booking window.