Get ready for a world of pure imagination. A spectacular new production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory arrives at the London Coliseum for a strictly limited summer season in 2027, with the one and only Michael Ball stepping into the velvet coat and top hat as Willy Wonka. Directed by Nikolai Foster, it brings Dahl’s deliciously dark fairy tale to London’s largest stage with a score by Hairspray’s Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and a book by David Greig.
The story is as irresistible as ever. Charlie Bucket is a good-hearted boy from a poor family who dreams of more than the cabbage soup on the table at home. When the mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka hides five golden tickets inside his chocolate bars, offering the finders a tour of his secret factory, the whole world goes wild. Against all odds Charlie finds the last ticket, and alongside four rather less deserving children he steps through the factory gates into a dazzling, dangerous wonderland of edible gardens, mischievous Oompa-Loompas and marvels beyond imagining.
A Sweet New Production
This is a brand-new staging built for the scale and grandeur of the London Coliseum, pairing Shaiman and Wittman’s witty, tuneful original score with the timeless songs from the 1971 film, among them “Pure Imagination”, “The Candy Man” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”. With set design by Leslie Travers, costumes by Katrina Lindsey, illusions by Chris Fisher and puppetry by Rachael Canning, Wonka’s factory is conjured in all its colour and invention, the kind of big-hearted, big-budget spectacle a summer in the West End is made for.
At its centre is Michael Ball, one of Britain’s most cherished stage performers and a two-time Olivier Award winner, whose warmth and showmanship make him an inspired fit for Wonka. Further casting, including the young performers sharing the role of Charlie, will be announced closer to opening.
Why It’s Worth the Watch
Here is why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the hottest family tickets of 2027:
- A genuine star turn. Michael Ball as Willy Wonka is a piece of casting made in chocolate-heaven - a beloved leading man relishing one of the great eccentric roles.
- Songs old and new. The score blends the film’s singalong classics with Shaiman and Wittman’s sharp, funny original numbers, so there is something for everyone.
- Spectacle on a grand scale. Staged at the vast London Coliseum, this is a production with the room and the ambition to make Wonka’s factory truly jaw-dropping.
- A strictly limited season. It plays just fourteen weeks over summer 2027, so this is a short window to catch a golden-ticket event.
