Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the new musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be opening at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, previewing from the 18th May 2013 with the World Premiere opening Gala night on the 25th June 2013.
Currently there aren’t that many family oriented shows in London, so Charlie & the Chocolate Factory will be a welcome addition to the West End. Obviously the show it is replacing, Shrek, was geared to family audiences but it hasn’t fared as well as expected in the West End.
Matilda the musical, the other Roald Dahl adapted stage musical currently on in London has fared better and plays most nights to capacity audiences at the Cambridge theatre in London. So there are high hopes for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical.
The perennial family favourite is Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum theatre, which has now been running for over 13 years since October 1999, and is showing no signs of waning popularity as audiences continue to flock to the show.
Other recent shows in London, such as Top Hat and Singin’ in the Rain, whilst grabbing their fair share of family audiences are very much targeted at the older market but still appeal to people of all ages with their innocent story lines and catchy tunes.
More recent shows, such as The Bodyguard and the soon to open, The Book of Mormon are firmly aimed at the adult market.
Wicked is another family favourite that has been entertaining audiences at the Apollo Victoria theatre since 2006 and continues to defy gravity by flying high.
Other family shows, such as Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward theatre and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium did not enjoy such sustained success and longevity.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened at the London Palladium in April 2002 and closed 3 years and five months later in September 2005. Mary Poppins had an even shorter rein from opening at the Prince Edward theatre in December 2004, and closing just three years later in January 2008. Not bad runs, but difficult to maintain especially when such firm children’s favourites that pack the theatre out at weekends and school holidays but difficult to attract that midweek audience during term time. Mary Poppins even went as far as banning children under 3 and stating that it wasn’t suitable for under 7’s which led to confusion as to who the show was actually aimed at.
Disney’s first show in London, Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion theatre, didn’t rank with the same success as it’s later production of The Lion King. Beauty and the Beast opened in April 1997 and closed just over two and a half years later in December 1999.
The difficulty for all producers of family theatre shows is widening their audience appeal not just for children but to a much broader, mass appeal. Pricing is also tricky, as with many child friendly shows people often expect there to be half-price tickets, when commonly half-price tickets aren’t available in the London theatre. To get the best discount tickets it is often better to attend a preview or look to group rates. Call one of our friendly team of experts on 0871 976 976 7 for further details or to book your discount tickets.
But with shows such as Matilda the musical, The Lion King and Wicked proving that family friendly shows can attract a wide audience and still be hugely successful, it remains to be seen which category Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical falls in to?
Tickets for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are now on sale and booking through to the 30th November 2013.
