‘Charlotte and the Chocolate Factory’: Roald Dahl’s classic story has been updated by theater that sparked outrage by changing the main character’s gender
- Two young actresses will play Charlie and will alternate with two boys in the role
A theater company has sparked outrage after casting girls to play lead roles in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The beloved story of a boy who discovers a golden ticket in a chocolate bar has been told in film and on stage countless times, but Playful Productions’ latest decision to cast girls in the role principal left some perplexed.
The producers have hired two young actresses to play Charlie, who will alternate with two boys in the role, as the production films in the UK.
The public said they were stunned by the exchange and wondered why it was necessary, The sun reports.
It comes after a backlash earlier this year to the proposed editing of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books to make them less “offensive” to modern sensibilities.
Roald Dahl’s children’s book tells the story of a little boy who wins a trip to a chocolate factory
Young actress Amelia Minto has been cast to play Charlie Bucket alongside three other children
Noah Walton is one of the boys who takes on the role of Charlie, who finds a golden ticket in a chocolate bar
Young actresses Amelia Minto and Jessie-Lou Harvie were cast as Charlie Bucket for the latest production and share the role with boys Isaac Sudgen and Noah Walton.
A theatergoer in Cardiff reportedly said he was ‘stunned’ that Charlie was ‘now a girl’.
And a source also told The Sun: “It just confuses audiences. The story is a classic and has nothing to do with the genre, so it just feels like a change for the sake of being woke up.
“Dahl’s stories and characters were great. Viewers don’t want or need them changed.
Whether or not to rewrite classic works has become a hot topic of debate in recent months, with criticism that the changes could restrict writers’ “freedom of expression”.
The beloved story of a boy who discovers a golden ticket in a chocolate bar has been told in film and on stage countless times.
Publisher Puffin announced in February that words such as “bold” should be removed from works like Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.
Characters such as Augustus Gloop were expected to be referred to only as “enormous” and Oompa Loompas made gender neutral.
But following criticism, including from the Queen who demanded not to restrict ‘freedom of speech’, the publisher made a huge U-turn, saying it had ‘listened to the debate’.
In recent months, publishers have removed words deemed offensive in books by late authors Dahl, Christie, Wodehouse and Fleming.
Playful Productions has been contacted for comment.
