Joburg Ballet Launches a World First Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Ballet Production

Joburg Ballet just conceived a full-length ballet production based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, running at the Joburg Theatre from 4 to 14 October 2024. This must-see production is conceived in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company and will be the first classically based full-length ballet created for Joburg Ballet. Here’s all you need to know.

Joburg Ballet's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Choreographer, Mario Gaglione

Behind the making of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ballet

Joburg Ballet choreographer Mario Gaglione conceived the work in classical ballet style with an original music score composed by Mark Cheyne and Andrew Botha as design consultant.

“Creating and choreographing this ballet feels like finding my own golden ticket, a rare chance to share something magical!” explains Gaglione. “I hope it becomes a golden moment for every child – and grown-up! – in the audience, filling them with joy and wonder they’ll never forget.”

Gaglione has already made his mark as an imaginative and inventive choreographer in the local arts scene. And it was an incredible feat to breathe balletic life into Roald Dahl’s iconic story of Charlie’s adventures in Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory.

A special new musical score

In his search for music for the ballet, Mario Gaglione turned to award-winning composer and musical director Mark Cheyne to create an original score which will be performed live by the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

“The story is iconic and universally loved by so many people,” says composer Mark Cheyne. “Since this is a direct adaption of the famous book by Roald Dahl, all the music is entirely original, orchestrated in the style of a traditional ballet. Fantasy is an integral part of traditional ballet, and this a ‘fantastical’ story, with larger-than-life characters and a plot full of marvels, mystery, magic and, of course, copious amounts of chocolate.”

The company’s finest talent takes centre stage

In the leading roles of Willy Wonka and the characters in the story, audiences can look forward to performances by company principals Revil Yon and Monike Cristina. Further shows are headlined by Ruan Galdino and Tammy Higgins, Ivan Domiciano and Ryoko Yagyu and Bruno Miranda and Cristina Nakos.

The role of Charlie will be danced by Jayden Samuels, previously a student of the Joburg Ballet School and now at the National School of the Arts.

Joburg Ballet also collaborated with the WGRUV Dance Company, the Joburg Ballet Academy and the Joburg Ballet School to feature a select group of dances for this production.