Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Family-Friendly and Surreal

by Craig Williamson

HARKNESS HEIGHTS – One of the favorite books of my childhood was Roald Dahl’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I remember being angry when the movie version with Gene Wilder came out, because they changed things slightly, including having Charlie behave inappropriately and then get away with it.  I knew that the current production at the Denver Victorian, an adaptation of the book, couldn’t try to match the special effects of either film version, so I was curious how they would deal with the magical and surreal world Dahl created in his story. 

Happily, this production sticks pretty close to the plot from the book as I remember it, albeit simplified for the stage.  Dirt-poor Charlie Bucket and four other children find golden tickets in their chocolate bars, and win the opportunity to tour the factory where Willy Wonka makes his famous chocolate.  Charlie is the only reasonable child, with the other four representing the worst of what children can be – rude, disobedient, greedy, obnoxious, spoiled.  The characters are stereotypes, but not at all unfamiliar in today’s world.

Director Rita Broderick has pulled together a nice ensemble of young and adult actors to create Charlie’s world.  She’s taken a creative and low-budget approach to surrealism, not trying to be something that this production couldn’t be.  In some ways, this may capture Roald Dahl’s intent and attitude better than an expensive production with lots of special effects.  Broderick uses the small stage effectively, moving the characters on and off throughout the show, giving more of a sense of action and movement.  By staging much of what would have required special effects off stage, observed and commented on by the cast, this show relied upon and stimulated the imagination of those watching, which was refreshing.

The cast functions well as an ensemble, with the portrayals fairly balanced but not exceptional.  Austin Terrell is appropriately manic and outlandish as Willy Wonka, keeping his energy up for the entire show.  The five young actors playing the children all deliver competent performances, each with a clearly defined and separate personality.  Mateo Correa is endearing and polite as Charlie, sharing a sense of wonder at everything.  Julianna Pullis is spoiled rotten as Veruca Salt, and her temper tantrum is loud, obnoxious, screechy, unrestrained, and just about perfect.  Jordan Haleigh Morgan is brash and ill-mannered as Violet, showing talent with her chewing gum antics, but would have been more understandable if she could have spoken a bit more slowly.  As the gluttonous Augustus Gloop, Theo Kranidas is nicely disgusting, trying to eat anything he can get his hands on.  Donovan Fountain captures teenage attitude perfectly as Mike Teavee, ignoring the adults when possible and arguing about everything.

The rest of the adult actors fill their supporting roles nicely, blustering when each child (except Charlie, of course) falls victim to their own vices.  I particularly like Ellie Fotaki’s Jersey accent as Mrs. Beauregard, which heightens her panic as she watches her daughter transform into a blueberry.

The set, designed by James Holley and director Broderick, reinforces the overall low-tech surreal atmosphere of the production well.  There are fun and interesting colors, shapes, and devices scattered about, giving the space an otherworldly look.  The set also includes a nice contrast between the colorful factory and the drab and dismal Bucket home.  Ashley Cloutier’s costumes are appropriate, helping to define the backgrounds and economic stations of the characters.  Karalyn Star Pytel’s lighting is oddly effective – there were many different strange effects, which in another show would not have worked at all and would have really bothered me, but which fit with the surreal environment of Roald Dahl.   Trevor Rutkowski composed original incidental music, which meshes well with the storyline and adds a nice extra dimension.

One interesting thing that struck me about The Vic’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is that while it is family-friendly, and a great show for kids, it is not intended for very young children.  So it may struggle to find an audience, since shows for toddlers, even those shows with little or no substance, always seem to do better from the standpoint of ticket sales.  This is unfortunate, since kids from about age 6 up to about 13 and their families will enjoy this show, and will be better for the workout that their imaginations receive during the performance.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory runs through December 21 at the Denver Victorian Theatre, 4201 Hooker Street in Northwest Denver.  Performances are Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm.  Tickets are $22, discounted to $20 for students, seniors, and military, and $12 for children 12 and under.  Tickets are available by phone at (303) 433-4343 and through the website at www.denvervic.com.