The opening night of Peter Jorgensen’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on July 2nd, 2025 at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) was our first time attending TUTS, and we are still buzzing from the experience. The entire atmosphere in Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl is special. Before the show even starts, there is this incredible energy with everyone milling about, excited for the night to begin. We were a bit hungry and got hotdogs from the concession stand, which were delicious. They had a great selection of snacks, a bar, and even a spot for hot beverages. We ended up getting hot chocolates during intermission because it started to get a little chilly, which was the perfect treat.
The organizing team really thought of everything. There was a small shop for souvenirs, and you could even rent cushions for extra comfort on the seats. One of the most genius things they had were these little smiley-face bug repellent stickers. Being in a park in the summer, this was such a smart and thoughtful touch. Whoever came up with that deserves a raise!
When we were let into the main seating area, we were stunned by how massive it was. There were hundreds and hundreds of seats, but there was also a grassy hill where people with blankets could watch the show. The evening started with a traditional welcome from the Musqueam Nation, which was a beautiful and important way to get us started and situated.
We have loved the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since we were kids. We have read the book and seen both the Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp movies, but this musical version at TUTS is now our absolute favorite telling of the story, with the original movie as a very close second.
The cast was phenomenal, and the show really hinged on its Willy Wonka. Peter Ricardo as Wonka, was charming, flawless and owned the stage from the get go. He seemed like a completely natural fit for the role, bringing the perfect amount of zany energy without ever seeming like a caricature. His singing and voice control were incredible, and his versions of “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination” were so captivating we had to stop ourselves from singing along at the top of our lungs.
Charlie, played by the young actor, Henry Sudds, was unbelievably phenomenal. We definitely had a moment of wondering if he was actually singing live because it seemed impossible for someone so young to have such a powerful and controlled voice. He was easy to root for and was the true heart of the show.
Every single actor on this show deserves praise. The children especially were all fantastic. Augustus Gloop, played by Angus Silva, was so fun and playful. Veruca Salt, portrayed perfectly by Mana Nakamura, was delightfully annoying, and Mike Teavee, played by Callum Templeton, was equally so, which means the actors did their jobs brilliantly. All of their individual songs were highlights, but we especially loved Violet Beauregarde’s “Queen of Pop” number, performed with so much energy by Elle Hanson. That song was stuck in our head for days. All of the actors who played the parents were also amazing and brought so much talent and heart to their roles. The solo song for Charlie’s mom, sung so beautifully by Imelda Gaborno, gave us goosebumps. The entire supporting cast, like Richard Newman as Grandpa Joe, rounded out the world and made it complete.
Sean Bayntun’s music and Keri Minty’s choreography were fantastic. Sometimes it was a little hard to catch all the lyrics, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The big numbers like “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” were performed so well, and “The View From Here” at the end was so moving it made us tearful. And last but not the least, the Oompa Loompas were one of the best parts of the show. Every time one of the candidates messed up and the Oompas showed up, it was the most exciting thing. All of their musical numbers were absolute bangers, with incredible choreography that was so fun to watch. All the child actors in the show are incredibly talented and funny.
The production and costume design were some of the best parts of the whole night. The costumes were ripped straight from the pages of the book’s illustrations, and it completely sold the world of the story. The production design was so smart in how it handled the story’s big magical moments. When Mike Teavee gets zapped into tiny pieces, they show it by having multiple iPads, each with a part of his body on the screen, held by the Oompas who then dance around with the pieces. It was so clever and cool. For Violet’s inflation, the actress actually wore an inflatable costume that started getting bigger right in front of the audience. Then, in a quick switch, she was replaced by a giant round ball wearing her jumpsuit that the cast tossed around in a panic. It was so funny and dark and absolutely hilarious to see. Even tiny details, like Augustus Gloop’s golden ticket having a bite taken out of it, were just perfect.
If we had to find one tiny thing that did not work as well, it was the color of the set itself. It was painted in a sort of icy, grey-blue, which looked a little bleak for such a vibrant and wondrous story. The lighting, the music and the props did most of the heavy lifting to make it feel colourful. Once the sun went down though, the lights completely transformed the set and it looked fantastic.With the stage fully illuminated by the lights against the dark sky, the entire show became so much more immersive and exciting. That second act was a completely different level of amazing. This was the moment when we truly felt the magic and wonder of TUTS! Nevertheless, we do wish the physical set had been a bit more vibrant on its own.
We truly can’t pick a single favorite moment because the entire performance was lovely, wholesome, and memorable. It’s a show we will be talking about for a very long time. Roald Dahl’s stories lend themselves really well to musicals and it was delightful to watch this adaptation under the stars. We would highly recommend this show to everyone, whether you have seen the movies or not. It runs from June 27 to August 16, 2025, so grab your tickets here. As Wonka says, “No time to dally when wonders await!”
– Akash Seam & Adishi Gupta
– Photo Credit: Emily Cooper