Presented by: Northern Light Theatre Company
Reviewed: 24 April 2026
Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, came to life on Friday night at The Shedley Theatre in a flurry of colour, wonder, and fun that would make Dahl himself smile. With a talented cast and wonderful sets, Northern Light Theatre Company’s faithful imagining had the audience captivated and enthralled.
Northern Light Theatre Company has gone from strength to strength with their stage musical offerings in recent years, and this latest show continues the momentum.
Most of us would think of the classic 1971 film adaptation as the benchmark for renditions of this story. Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Willy Wonka in the 2005 film remake was good, but it’s Gene Wilder’s unhinged characterisation of the Chocolate Wizard 55 years ago who most of us go to in our minds when we think of Wonka.
Then there’s David McGillivray’s portrayal, which I’m pleased to say, holds its own when compared with the best. McGillivray is fun, quirky, and precise, although I would have liked to have seen his Wonka a little more disturbing when appropriate. He sounds great, and knows how to work a crowd, but part of Wilder’s brilliance was that at times we weren’t sure if he was evil or not, and we didn’t quite feel that with McGillivray (he’s just too loveable, dammit!). His subtle yet impactful expressions and timing gave us a Wonka who was as entertaining as we needed him to be, but I wish he could have scared us some.
But, what about the Oompa Loompas? Well, they were fun, and silly, and these roles gave each cast member the opportunity to enjoy the zaniness. Again, I think there was room here for some more derangement. We need to be able to love the Oompa Loompas, but we should find ourselves wary of them at times too.
Perhaps relatively new director Kristian Latella didn’t feel quite comfortable exploring the potentially darker elements of the tale, however his vision was well conceived and executed. Latella has a bright future in the director’s chair, and I’m eager to see what he gives us next.
Nemanja Illic as Charlie was a joy to watch. I don’t believe I’ve witnessed him perform before, but after this performance I’m sure we’ll see much more of him. With embodiment and craftsmanship well beyond his years, it’s easy to see how he landed this lead role.
The supporting cast excelled as well, with the standouts being Josh Curtis as Augustus Gloop and Claire Birbeck as Mrs Tee Vee. They provided humour in each of their scenes, without overshadowing their counterparts.
Some parts of the sets were brilliant, while others felt a little lacking. But when considered in the context of a low-budget local production versus big-budget Hollywood movie productions, it ticked the boxes.
As expected, Ann Humphries’ costumes came close to stealing the show. Nothing felt half-done, and each character was precisely characterised by their costume. The orchestra was tight, the lighting was impressive, but the audio (as seems to be the case way too often recently in amateur theatre) let the cast down too often, though it did improve in the second act.
Parents, take your kids to see this. And if you don’t like musicals, too bad—your kids are gonna love it!
Reviewed by Doug Phillips
Venue: The Shedley Theatre
Season: Until 9th May
Duration: 2.5 hours (including intermission)
Tickets: $24 – $40 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://nltc.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/157958
