AT first, it seemed the church amateurs had bitten off more than they could chew with a musical production of Roald Dahl's scrumdiddleeumcious story.
Misbehaving props, necessary prompts, unnecessary scene changes, faltering sound and some weak a
dult performances threatened to turn the show sour. But instead it seemed to spur the young stars to success.
Three boys – impoverished Charlie Bucket, US gadget whizzkid Mike Teevee and greedy German Augustus Gloop – join two spoiled girls, brattish Veruca Salt (Rebecca Welch) and gum-chewing Violet Beauregard (Chloe Hanson) – on a trip around Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
Only Mike was played by a boy, Luke Spink, while Darcey Sutcliffe engagingly portrayed Charlie, whose humble life is transformed with financial riches.
But the scene stealers were Grace Alsancak as Augustus Gloop and his Teutonic terror of a mother, played by Wilma Paton. Grace coped admirably with body pad-ding and mastering a German accent before meeting a sticky end with the three other spoiled youngsters at the factory of Willy Wonka (Graham Alsancak).
The show runs tonight and tomorrow and each evening one lucky ticket holder will win a prize courtesy of Elland's very own candyman, Joseph Dobson.
