Writer: Caden Scott and Courtney Bassett
Director: Courtney Bassett
Fifteen years after the infamous factory tour that ruined their childhoods, four damaged adults share a flat and attempt to process the lingering fallout of their early fame. Opening with an eerie, distorted rendition of Pure Imagination over the roar of a chanting crowd, the tone is instantly set for a dark parody sequel.
We catch up with Mike (Chris Veteri), Augustus (Caden Scott), Veruca (Airlie Duff), and Violet (Alex Medland) as grown-ups whose lives remain deeply warped by trauma and the inability to step out of Wonka’s shadow. The writing shines with plenty of sharp throwbacks to the source material, including a nod to landlord Charlie’s (Rory Drinnan-Murray) complaints about his childhood diet of cabbage soup, which draws exasperated groans from the rest of the household.
The plot kicks into gear when Charlie announces their imminent eviction. Wonka is launching a second factory tour for five new winners, but this time it’s an online voting competition rather than golden tickets. When Charlie locks the quartet in the flat for “quiet contemplation time,” cabin fever sets in and the group dynamic spirals out of control. Noticing Charlie’s increasingly sinister behaviour, the flatmates realise he is sounding alarmingly like Wonka himself.
An energetic, wonderfully choreographed fight sequence ensues, sparked by Mike candidly admitting that Violet’s “blueberryification” experience was… erotic. The chaos culminates in a jaw-dropping finale when a dying Wonka is wheeled on stage in a hospital bed. Learning that Wonka can legally never die, meaning Charlie will never actually inherit the factory, Charlie pulls the plug on life support. In a final burst of surreal horror, the group discovers Wonka is made of pure chocolate, and they proceed to devour him.
Supported by strong, believable performances that make these grown-up iterations feel genuinely rooted in the original characters, Waiting for Wonka features clever writing and some slick staging. While it isn’t going to set the world alight, it is a thoroughly enjoyable, dark-edged comedy that is well worth a visit.
Runs until 16 August 2026 | Image: Graeme Rennie
