Review: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Göteborgsoperan

This year marks 60 years since Roald Dahl's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published, and it is fitting that the Gothenburg Opera celebrates it with the Swedish premiere of the musical, which was first staged in 2013 at the Theater Royal Drury Lane in London. Many have probably seen Tim Burton's film version that came out in 2005 where Jonny Depp played the eccentric and colorful chocolate manufacturer Willy Wonka, but already in 1971 the first film version came out with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. Here at the Gothenburg Opera, Ola Salo plays Willy Wonka, a role that fits him like a glove. He really is Willy Wonka! The plot is well known but musically it doesn't have that many songs which are wellknow and is not often played in musical concerts, but it is easy to enjoy the music during the performance.

Charlie grows up in poor conditions and lives with his mother and grandparents. Charlie collects trash and creates new uses for it. One day they hear that Willy Wonka is organizing a competition where five children can find a golden ticket in one of Wonka's chocolate cakes and the prize is a trip to the chocolate factory. Charlie becomes one of the lucky children, but the guided tour in the chocolate factory does not turn out quite as the children imagined. If you don't follow the rules that Wonka sets up, strange things can happen...

Charlie is played alternately by two boys and two girls and in the day performance played the fantastic Edith Lyttkens. With charm, energy, acting talent and an assured voice, she captivated the audience from the start and has by far the biggest role as Charlie is on stage next all the time. Wonka stays pretty much in the background in the first act, it is only in the last number that he makes his grand entrance when the children and an adult come for their guided tour. The first act is a little more gray and gloomy in its appearance, but in the second act it becomes a wonderful splendor of color with the chocolate factory's fantastic scenography and lighting. Now Wonka's staff Oompa-Loompies also make an entrance dressed in polka-dot striped costumes and offer a classic large-scale entertaining tap dance number. Here, the large ensemble gets to show what they're up to. Inside the factory, the imagination is unleashed to the full and anything can happen and is there.

It is in the grandiose numbers that the musical is outstanding on Gothenburg Opera's big stage. The stage is luxuriously large for being a musical stage and with the entire Gothenburg Opera orchestra it is powerful and impressive. In the big ensemble numbers, the audience is completely fullfilled by the musical and every second is enjoyed.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is carefully worked with and professional in every detail. Parts have been updated to reflect the present, for example, Mike Teavee, one of the winners of the gold lottery ticket, is constantly glued to his mobile phone. The translation by Erik Fägerborn feels modern and fun.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an entertaining family musical that starts a little dark and ends cheerfully and colorfully. Once again, Gothenburg Opera has shown that musicals definitely belong in opera houses. It is well worth traveling to Gothenburg if you do not already live here.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory runs until April 12, 2025 - don't miss it!

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