Charlie & The Chocolate Factory First Two Previews Cancelled

The first preview of the new musical Charlie & the Chocolate Factory was due on this Friday 17th May, but the first two shows have now been cancelled due to "delivery problems with piece of stage engineering".

The shows will be replaced with an additional preview on May 22nd  at 7:30 pm which will now be the first preview performance. Another extra performance will be scheduled "during a forthcoming holiday period". Customers who had booked for the previews are being contacted and their visit being rescheduled.

The show  promises "ingenious stagecraft" with plans for a chocolate river (a central feature of the factory which washes Augustus Gloop away in the Roald Dahl book) having to be abandoned. I has also been reported that the set is so big that the weight hanging above the stage requires the structure to have steel reinforcements.

In a statement the producers blamed “unforeseen problems in the delivery of a piece of stage engineering by a contractor”, which caused delays to the schedule”.

Show spokesman Ryan Petersen said: “The whole production team is frustrated by this unforeseen delay in what has otherwise been a very smooth and exciting rehearsal period. We are sorry to inconvenience people who have booked for these first previews but are putting on an extra performance next Wednesday evening which will become our first public preview.”