Is CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY headed for the West End? According to The Daily Mail, director Sam Mendes is readying the show for a 2013 West End bow at the London Palladium, pending negotiations with Warner Brothers.
In the Warner Bros film, based on Roald Dahl's book, eccentric candy manufacturer Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) has announced a contest in which five lucky winners of golden tickets hidden in Wonka Bars will be taken on a tour of the Wonka Factory. Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) finds the last golden ticket, and chooses to bring his Grandpa Joe (David Kelly) to the factory, while the other four spoilt children bring their parents. The golden ticket winners and company are taken on a magical tour of the factory, complete with yummy candy, edible grass, chocolate waterfalls and Oompa-Loompas. Charlie watches the other children abuse Willy Wonka's inventions, with unfortunate consequences for them, so that by the end of the tour, he's the only one left and is awarded the ultimate prize - keys to the Wonka Factory.
Work has already begun on the stage adaptation: Mark Thompson is designing the factory, and Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are writing the music. David Greig penned the libretto. Mendes plans to rehearse in the early months of 2013 and open in the spring.