Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Musical delayed until next Autumn

It was hoped that the new Sam Mendes musical of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory would begin previews at the London Palladium next spring, but it has now been put back until Autumn 2013.

Under the direction of Mendes and with songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (the team behind Hairspray)  using a libretto by David Greig (the man behind the National Theatre of Scotland's fantastical version of Peter Pan) the new musical is eagerly anticipated.  Designer Mark Thompson has already begun preliminary work on how The Chocolate Factory will look and Peter Darling will choreograph.

It will follow in the very successful footsteps of  Roald Dahl's Matilda which is going great guns at the Cambridge and due to open on Broadway next year.