CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Announces 6-Month Extension

The UK's The Guardian reports that Sam Mendes' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opened Tuesday, June 26th on London's West End, will add six months to its run. According to the report, an extra half a million tickets were, in a pre-planned move, put on sale Wednesday morning. The production is now set to continue until May 31, 2014.

The show has received a mixed bag of reviews by London theater critics. The Guardian's Michael Billington described it as "a lavish bonanza of a musical [that doesn't let] us forget that Dahl's book is a morality play in which vice is punished and virtue gets its edible reward". On the other side of the fence, Theatsdesk.com's Sam Marlowe griped that the show was, "as bland and sugary as cheap confectionery", while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts described Act One "as slow as cold treacle".

Douglas Hodge takes on the lead role of Willy Wonka in the brand-new production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. Directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes, the story includes music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics byScott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), with a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet).

The cast also includes Nigel Planer as Grandpa Joe, Clive Carteras Mr Salt, Jasna Ivir as Mrs Gloop, Paul J Medford as Mr Beauregarde, Iris Roberts as Mrs Teavee and Myra Sands as Grandma Georgina.

Photo Credit: Dan Wooller/Rex