‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ review
5 / 10
What world are we in? Who is this show for? These strike me as the central problems with this adaptation and production. There are 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more' references intended presumably to keep adult theatergoers interested. For example, Veruca proclaims to Russian Dad at one point, 'Buy me North Korea!' But the tonal handling of the surreal so essential to Dahl is neither consistent nor secure. If Charlie is meant to be the incorruptible anchor of our journey, what do we make of this exchange? Wonka to Charlie, 'Do you like seeing children maimed?' To which Charlie responds, 'No, but - I love seeing how chocolate is made.' It seems even Charlie has his price.
