Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a stage adaptation of the classic 1964 novel by Roald Dahl. Charlie Bucket is a poor, kind-hearted boy who finds a Golden Ticket, giving him a chance to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. He goes on the tour with four other children – each spoiled or selfish in their own way. Inside the factory, they see amazing machines, unusual sweets, and the workers, the Oompa-Loompas. As the tour continues, the other kids’ flaws get them into trouble (and in the musical, killed), while Charlie stays careful. By the end, Wonka reveals that the visit was a test, and he chooses Charlie to inherit the factory because of his honesty and good character, and invites his family to stay with him.
The cast was so much fun to work with. I went into the show already knowing a few friends, which helped, but everyone else was incredibly welcoming from day one. Rehearsals never felt like a chore – it was easy to enjoy myself, even during the long runs and tech days.
A few days before our premiere, though, things got stressful. Michael, who played Willy Wonka, got sick and couldn’t sing. In the end, he needed a vocal cover (Corentin) for the first three shows (out of five). So Michael acted the role on stage while Corentin sang from the side. It sounds like it would be distracting, but they worked surprisingly well together. After the dress rehearsal, it stopped feeling strange to talk to someone who was lip-syncing because Corentin matched Michael’s timing so closely. It became our new normal almost immediately.
Most of the shows went really well – except the second night, which definitely had the most hiccups. During the scene where Charlie finds the Golden Ticket, Areti (Mrs. Bucket) was supposed to come onstage and deliver a really important line that moves the plot forward… and she didn’t come out. I waited a few seconds in case she was just late, but when it was clear she wasn’t coming, I had to improvise the rest of the scene so it would still make sense without her line. Apparently it came across as completely seamless to the audience, which I’m very proud of.
Another little improv moment happened on opening night during curtain call. In the encore, Willy Wonka is supposed to sing one of his numbers again. But as we lined up, I realized Michael didn’t have a mic (since he couldn’t sing) and Corentin had already left his stand mic at the apron. To avoid an awkward silence, I just stepped in and sang Wonka’s part instead. This ended up causing the director to ask me to sing with willy wonka for the rest of the nights in harmony.
The fourth night was my favorite. It was Michael’s first night actually singing, and there was this noticeable energy in the air. Everyone felt it. I honestly got a bit teary hearing him sing his first number for real after everything that had happened earlier in the week.
All in all, it was a great show. It wasn’t a huge budget production, and we definitely had our bumps along the way, but that almost made it better. It felt alive. I’m really grateful I got to be Charlie and share that experience with such a supportive cast.
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