It’s Thursday afternoon at Leeds Playhouse and a strange calm has settled over the building. Just 30 minutes earlier, 1000 children from primary schools across the city were whooping and hollering as the cast of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory took their bow. Now, with a matinee under their belt and an evening performance yet to come, the performers are taking it easy. In Gareth Snook’s dressing room, a day bed is calling him for a nap. But first, we’re going to talk about what it’s like to play one of the most iconic figures in children’s fiction: Willy Wonka.

Hanging motionless on a rail, yet somehow still full of life, is Snook’s costume: shiny orange waistcoat with coloured buttons, purple top hat and tails, vibrant patterned trousers and a green cravat. An outfit as multi-layered, off-kilter and ever-so-slightly unhinged as Wonka himself. ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ says Snook as we gaze appreciatively at the colourful concoction of materials. It certainly is; and what, you have to wonder, is it like to wear it?

^{Pictures: Johan Persson}

‘It’s absolutely fantastic,’ he says with a wide grin. ‘Once you get that costume on, it’s empowering. And the cane, of course, is like an extension of him, no question about it. Without it, I don’t think he’d know who he is; it gives him a lot of power. But I’ve always found it fascinating: why is he dressed like that? Why did Roald Dahl, who was writing in the 1960s, elect to dress him in a purple frockcoat like some kind of Edwardian throwback? It’s always puzzled me.’

Puzzled or not, Snook wears it well. On stage, he’s the epitome of maverick elegance, wit and charm as he shows his unsuspecting young guests around the factory. He’s also got his work cut out to win over an audience for whom, depending on your age, Willy Wonka is inextricably linked to someone else. Snook felt the same way until he dived into the role. 

^{Kayleen Nguema as Charlie}

‘I was a huge fan of Gene Wilder, obviously, and Johnny Depp in the more recent film,’ he says. ‘I didn’t read Dahl’s novel until I found out I was doing this show, but found it fascinating because I had a completely different impression after reading it compared to watching the films. But Wonka is the kind of character that, when an actor plays him, you have to make it your own. There’s no other way about it. And I’ve found that you never stop inventing him; he changes literally from performance to performance. I discover things and see new aspects of this mercurial character, this multi-faceted man.’

Packed with new songs played by a live orchestra, and with a book that stays true to the original storyline but places more emphasis on kindness, this musical version is very much a show of two halves. With a mother and grandparents as worn out as the furniture, young Charlie provides the enthusiastic buzz in act one. A palpable excitement mounts within the crowd as we get closer to them finding the golden ticket (Charlie is played by a boy or girl at alternate performances), but essentially it’s all very natural and normal.

Act two, on the other hand, is a riot of colour befitting Wonka and his costume. From a chocolate river to the great glass elevator, much of the incredible journey those children undertake is depicted by exciting video designs. All of which is timed perfectly to the action on stage, something that didn’t happen overnight.

‘We all worked really hard to get that right,’ says Snook. ‘We didn’t have any visuals during the rehearsal process because they were still being made. The video designers would send us excerpts or ideas of what it would be like, but we didn’t really know until we got into the technical rehearsals. There are some scenes when we can’t see a single thing that’s happening behind us, so it’s all done to musical cues. But I think it’s a genius idea, because Wonka’s world is fantastical anyway. There’s something about trying to create a real chocolate waterfall and river that’s just not Roald Dahl’s style. It’s a world that nobody has ever seen before, so I think the video idea works really well. Although it’s not a real waterfall, and we know that it’s animated, somehow you just go with it. It’s really clever.’

Despite loving the cheers and excitable applause dished out by the primary school kids earlier that day, Snook relishes the evening performances. Colour and spectacle aside, David Greig’s script is not without humour, some of which lands in little one’s laps, some of which flies a few inches above their heads. ‘With a matinee of school groups, you can’t hang around for your laughs,’ says Snook with a stage wisdom shaped by years of experience. ‘You’ve just got to keep going and understand it’s not going to happen. I think the best reactions come when there’s an equal mix of adults and children. You get awe from the kids and also good laughs from the grown-ups; they can see Wonka’s cheekiness.’

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory: The Musical, Edinburgh Playhouse, Wednesday 29 March–Saturday 15 April. Find full UK tour dates here.