Theatre News

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory takes over £1m during half term week

The Roald Dahl musical has reported record takings at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Golden ticket: Douglas Hodge (Willy Wonka) and the company
Golden ticket: Douglas Hodge (Willy Wonka) and the company

Boosted by last week's half term holiday, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has reported a record weekly box office of over £1 million.

The show, running at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, performed nine shows during half term week, taking its overall sales to over £21 million.

According to press material, "Last week (Monday 28 October to Saturday 2 November 2013) Roald Dahl’s’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory broke the West End record for the highest reported weekly gross sales.

"Over the course of the nine show week almost 20,000 people saw the musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane achieving a record value of £1,062,606. This figure also breaks the show’s own Drury Lane record set in August 2013."

Figures are difficult to ratify and compare in the West End where, unlike Broadway, productions do not post weekly grosses.

Adapted from the much-loved children's novel by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has a book by David Greig and new songs from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, whose credits include the Tony Award-winning Hairspray. Set and costume design is by Mark Thompson with choreography by Peter Darling (Matilda, Billy Elliot).

The £10million production, which stars Douglas Hodge as maverick chocolatier Willy Wonka, premiered in June and is now booking until November 2014.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features in the first episode of a new four-part documentary series on Channel 4, The Sound of Musicals, which begins next week (12 November).

On 7 November Terry Wogan will host a special gala performance in aid of BBC Children in Need.