Charlie Heads to Melbourne

Australian cast of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Photo Brian Geach

Just 3 Weeks Until Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Opens in Melbourne

Five New Charlies Announced

PLUS! …. WIN TIX! Win a double pass to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Tuesday 13th August, 7pm, at Melbourne’ Her Majesty’s Theatre. Send in your name and number to with the subject title ‘Charlie in Melbourne’. Winners drawn at random. Competition closes August 2.

Following a hugely successful debut season in Sydney, the spectacular new musical Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will open to Melbourne audiences from Friday 9th August this year, playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

The Melbourne season will see five new talented boys share the title role of Charlie Bucket: Benjamin Belsey (10 years of age, from Point Cook), Elijah Slavinskis (10, Ashburton), Edgar Stirling (10, St Kilda), Lenny Thomas (12, Bonbeach) and Lachlan Young (13, Camberwell).

(L-R): Lachlan Young, Benjamin Belsey, Elijah Slavinskis, Lenny Thomas & Edgar Stirling. Photo Jeff Busby

The producers are thrilled with their brilliant child cast. “We have found five gloriously talented local boys to perform opposite the rest of the fantastic cast in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” they said. “The world fell in love with Roald Dahl’s bewitching tale when the book was released, then filmgoers adored the 1971 film with Gene Wilder. Now this fabulous cast will enchant Melbourne audiences with the story once again on stage.”

Charlie Bucket lives with his mother and his four grandparents in a little wooden house near a great town and is the final child in the tale to find a Golden Ticket.

Willy Wonka, the most amazing, fantastic, extraordinary chocolate maker the world has ever seen, is played by Paul Slade Smith, who has been nominated as Best Actor in a Musical at this year’s Helpmann Awards. Slade Smith was part of the original Broadway cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, appearing as Grandpa George, then appeared in the Broadway revival of My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center. Previously he performed in Finding Neverland on Broadway and took over the roles of Charles Frohman and Captain Hook from Kelsey Grammer. He has also appeared in Wicked as Doctor Dillamond and The Phantom of the Opera.

Ninety-and-a-half-year-old Grandpa Joe, an enthusiastic storyteller and eternal optimist, will be played by Australian show business royalty Tony Sheldon, also Helpmann Award nominated for this role. Sheldon is best known for playing the role of Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert for over 2,000 performances in Australia, New Zealand, London, Toronto and on Broadway, winning the Theatre World Award and nominations for the Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Drama League Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award. In the role of Mrs Bucket, a kind, caring mother and a woman of few words, will be Lucy Maunder, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical at the Helpmann Awards. Most recently Lucy played songwriter Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and prior to that starred in Matilda: The Musical and for the Gordon Frost Organisation, as Lara in Dr Zhivagoand Rizzo in Grease.

Jake Fehily and Octavia Barron Martin play Augustus Gloop and Mrs Gloop, Karina Russell and Stephen Andersonare Veruca Salt and Mr Salt, Jayme-Lee Hanekom plays Violet Beauregard with Madison McKoy as Mr Beauregard, and Harrison Riley and Jayde Westaby are Mike Teavee and his mother Mrs Teavee.

Completing the wonderfully talented cast are Johanna Allen, Sheridan Anderson, Hayden Baum, Kanen Breen, Bayley Edmends, Bronte Florian, Todd Goddard, Madison Green, David Hammond, Sasha Lian-Diniz, Aaron Lynch, Jordan Malone, Kassie Martin, Phoenix Mendoza, Joseph Naim, Adam Noviello, Glen Oliver, Danielle O’Malley, Jackson Reedman, Emma Russell, Taylor Scanlan and Thalia Smith.

“A chocolate box of tricks and special effects” – Stage Whispers

“The Oompa Loompas are done brilliantly” – The Australian

Step inside a world of pure imagination. Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film including “Pure Imagination”, “The Candy Man” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”, alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of Hairspray.

Now it’s Melbourne’s turn to experience the wonders of Wonka like never before – get ready for the Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, the great glass elevator and more, more, more at this everlasting showstopper!