The Portobello Youth Theatre is made up of schoolchildren aged 8-13 and it’s great that a youth theatre is allowed the chance to get Fringe theatre experience. The effort from all the performers is not to be doubted.The production vaguely follows the plot of the flawed 1971 film version of Roald Dahl’s classic book and suffers from the same weakness of far too much emphasis on Willy Wonka’s wackiness in contrast to the more interesting story of Charlie’s plucking from poverty. We follow the action as Willy Wonka is wacky around his factory.A script demanding ambitious staging is translated into running at breakneck speed in and out of curtains, where lines are mumbled at even greater haste as to achieve a maximum escape velocity back off the stage. The action and dialogue is thus hard to follow. Characters are stereotypes and the music is played haltingly on the electric piano setting of the keyboard. Sometimes it is hard to make out the words in the songs. No attempt is made to address the audience on either side of the thrust stage. Most of the acting is done towards the performers’ feet. All the children seem to enjoy their time on stage and it looks like they have put hard work into it.Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will appeal to parents and friends, who will enjoy the children they have come to see setting out on a journey into theatre. If you sit in the front row, you’ll get given some sweets.
