Willy Wonka pops up in Birmingham to hand out surprise golden tickets

Lucky shoppers in Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade were rewarded with a ‘golden ticket’ to some scrumdiddlyumptious musical entertainment at the weekend when Willy Wonka and his crew paid a visit to Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe.

Roald Dahl’s famous chocolatier extraordinaire (played by Robbie Love) was in Birmingham promoting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the Musical, which is coming to The Alexandra next month, presented by local theatre company, BMOS.

Robbie was joined by two young performers (James Cowley and Theo Traat) who are set to play Charlie Bucket in the show, and a number of other cast mates, including Grandpa Joe (Nick Owenford).

Willy Wonka entertained shoppers with much-loved numbers including Candy Man, Pure Imagination and I’ve Got A Golden Ticket, whilst surprising eight families with their own ‘golden tickets’ to see the show for free.

The delicious Broadway and West End musical is based on the famous novel by Roald Dahl and will be brought to life by Birmingham’s BMOS Musical Theatre Company from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 June at The Alexandra.

During the run, the show has teamed up with locally based charity Cure Leukaemia, to help raise awareness of the incredible work they are doing to help Leukaemia sufferers and their families.

The show will take audiences on a spectacular journey through the world of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory, encountering chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and of course, his army of Oompa Loompas.

Featuring a delectable mix of characters and a rich musical score, including well known songs from the 1971 film adaptation, this show is guaranteed to tickle the taste-buds of all generations, making it the sweetest choice of show for the whole family.