Hit West End musical Charlie And The Chocolate Factory will be on the lookout for performers to take on the roles of its iconic Oompas-Loompas at the production’s first ever open auditions later this month.
Hopefuls who think they have what it takes to play Willy Wonka’s hard-working factory employees are invited to the Dominion Theatre, where the cast of another family musical, Elf, will have just begun previews, on 26 October.
Auditions for female performers, who must be between five foot one and five foot eight, will start the day off from 10:00, with male performers, whose height must be between five foot six and six foot, showcasing their skills in the afternoon from 14:00.
Auditionees are required to be technically strong dancers and highly skilled in a range of styles including ballet, street, hip-hop, disco and tap with “bags of personality”, and excellent facial and character skills. No previous chocolate-making experience is required (we don’t think).
On the day, attendees, who must be 18-years-old or older and have a playing age of between 18 and 30-years-old, are asked to bring tight-fitting dance clothes, ballet shoes, trainers, kneepads, and a CV and headshot stapled together.
Talking about the open auditions, the musical’s resident choreographer Chris Piper said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for performers to appear onstage as an Oompa-Loompa, one of Dahl’s most recognisable characters. We’re searching for dancers with exceptional technical and performance skills who can embody their cheeky personality and entertain our audiences night after night.”
The winner of two Olivier Awards, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory tells the much-loved story of Charlie Bucket, whose lucky golden ticket win gets him an invite to the literary world’s most famous confectionary factory.
Featuring a book by David Greig with music and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Sam Mendes’ musical has been delighting audiences in the West End since May 2013.
The performers chosen to portray the musical’s next Oompa-Loompas will become part of the show’s 2016/17 West End company. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is currently booking at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until June 2016, but the search for the new giant squirrel riders would suggest that the family-friendly hit will be with us for longer…