Review: The Whimsical THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY by HJP is a Sweet Treat for the Whole Family

On July 22, Hi Jakarta Production (HJP) returned to the stage with THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, this time taking place at Ciputra Artpreneur Theater. The musical, inspired by Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, brings a big cast of HJP students alongside professional performers.

The show is directed by Maruf Andi and choreographed by Gabriela Frederika. The live music is directed by Erico Felix. HJP founder Riri Kumalasari served as the executive producer.

THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY tells the story of Charlie (Calvin Lie), a kind and thoughtful boy who comes from a poor family, where his four grandparents had to share a bed. Despite their harsh living conditions, the family tries to cheer Charlie up by buying him chocolate from Wonka’s, the biggest and most popular chocolatier around.
 

When Willy Wonka (Achmad Fadlan), the elusive owner of the chocolate factory, announces a world wide lottery for a visit to his never-before-seen factory, the world goes into a frenzy. By a turn of fate, Charlie finds one of the golden tickets and wins the visit, accompanied by Grandpa Joe (Benedict Herdianus).

There, he meets the four other children and their guardians: the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Farrell Keon), accompanied by the jovial Mrs. Gloop (Sabrina Odelia Lie); the competitive social media star Violet Beauregarde (Shanessa Elshaday) and her manager/father Mr. Beauregarde (Andika Aryaputra); the spoiled princess Veruca Salt (Nirvanada Narwastuwasti) and Mr. Salt (Brayden Elgin), who always fulfills her daughter’s every whim; and the technology-obsessed Mike Teavee (Ryan Datulong) alongside the worrywart Mrs. Teavee (Stefany Chandra).

As the story goes, the children go through different rooms in the facility, tended by the adorable Oompa Loompas (played by younger HJP students). They are eventually eliminated one-by-one through a series of accidents they brought on their own. By the end, only Charlie remains. By the virtue of his agreeableness and creativity, Wonka chooses Charlie as his successor. Charlie then prepares to run the factory with Wonka’s guidance and the help of his family: Mr. Bucket (Kelvin Effendi), Mrs. Buckett (Felicia Chandra), Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine (Quinsha Athaya), Grandpa George (Calvin Rusli), and Grandma Georgina (Delaney Dominique).

Just like the book that inspired it, CHOCOLATE FACTORY is a fun and magical affair for the whole family. The main cast all brought solid performances, with Calvin Lie’s Charlie as the stand-out. As a main character, he’s dripping with charm, helped with the strong and well-executed British accent. In fact, all the cast had great pronunciation and delivery, which helped make the show more immersive.

All the other children (and their parents) also brought great energy to the show, each with a distinctive personality shown not only through both dialogue and body language. Meanwhile, the Oompa Loompas are very adorable with their pink jumpsuits; the children and toddlers adorably dance and waddle their way through the stage, making for some squee-inducing moments.
Achmad Fadlan as Willy Wonka is also a capable leading man, full of charisma and just a touch of weirdness and sassiness the role requires of him. Altogether, the cast’s interaction is really the heart of the production.

The production design also helps in conveying the wonders of Wonka’s factory. The main set piece is a big background of the factory, peppered with different colored strings of light; in the center stage, additional set pieces come in and out to set the stage for the different bizarre rooms and chambers inside the factory. Everything is boldly colored and slightly exaggerated, making for a lively wonderland.

THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is a greatly entertaining show that also brings some wholesome messages for audience members of all ages. The slight changes from the original story work for the better in making it more accessible to modern theatergoers. It is a sweet spectacle that will leave you sated and satisfied, just like a good bar of chocolate.
 

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