Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Celebrates Book's 50th Anniversary In Stunning Display

Posted on 8 April 2014

The West End's Olivier-nominated production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has created a full, 3D replica of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory made entirely out of biscuits. The chocolatey chocolate factory was created in honor of Roald Dahl's book upon which the musical was based and stands in the display window of Waterstones flagship shop in Piccadilly.

The edible chocolate biscuit Willy Wonka factory replica is 6m x 1.7m, was designed in the image of the stage production's set design, designed and created by Biscuiteers. It was unveiled by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cast Charlie and Willy Wonka today (April 8).

With over 300 hours of work to design, bake, build and finally decorate, the installation was lovingly created with painstaking attention to detail. Passersby can peer into the windows of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory to see Augustus Gloop being sucked in to the chocolate river in the chocolate room, Violet Beauregarde blowing up into a blueberry in the inventing room, Veruca Salt being thrown down the rubbish chute in the nut room and Mike Teavee being shrunk in the television room. In all, it took Biscuiteers over 100kg biscuit dough, and 200kg of Tate & Lyle sugar. It will remain on display at Waterstones Piccadilly for four weeks. Smaller, 60 x 60cm displays can be seen in other Waterstones locations including Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Greenwich, Chiswick, King's Road, Richmond, Hampstead, and Kensington.

Later this month, the Piccadilly Waterstones will hold a reading of Roald Dahl's original story with members of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory West End production cast in the children's section.

2014 marks the fifty year anniversary of Roald Dahl's much-loved story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The story of Charlie Buck, five Golden Tickets, the mysterious Willy Wonka, and of course the devilish Oompa-Loompas has been embedded in our culture and become a quintessential book for children generation after generation. The story has been adapted twice to the silver screen, as an opera, and then in 2013 as the massively successful hit West End musical that continues to play sell-out performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The original book alone has sold well over 20 million copies worldwide and can be found in 55 languages.

The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory West End musical production has broken West End records since it first opened in June 2013. It has been seen by over half a million people and is booking until 30 May 2015. It is directed by Sam Mendes and features incredible stage and costume design and craft by Mark Thompson, music by Mark Shaiman, music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Nominated for seven Olivier Awards, the production and its many fans will hear the results of these nominations at a ceremony at the Royal Opera House on 13 April.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is taking bookings through to 30 May 2015. Book your Charlie and the Chocolate tickets now to see this wonderful stage production!

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