Michael Ball to star in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Michael Ball OBE will star as Willy Wonka in a new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the London Coliseum, with the limited run scheduled from 4 June 2027 until 18 September 2027.

A new music video featuring Ball performing Pure Imagination has also been released, while tickets for the London production went on sale on 29 September 2026.

Michael Ball takes on Willy Wonka at the London Coliseum

BroadwayWorld reported on 29 September that Ball will lead the musical as Willy Wonka for its limited London Coliseum engagement. The announcement places the performer at the centre of a production based on Roald Dahl's story and the Warner Bros. 1971 film.

The engagement has a defined run, beginning on 4 June 2027 and continuing until 18 September 2027. Tickets went on sale on 29 September 2026, the same date as the report announcing the new music video featuring Ball. The production joins a crowded run of London theatre announcements for 2027.

No further casting has been announced in the details released, putting the focus firmly on Ball's involvement as Wonka and the creative team behind the musical itself. His casting is accompanied by a performance of one of the best-known songs associated with the story, Pure Imagination.

The new production is being produced by ROYO, Fiery Angel, Gavin Kalin Productions and Curve. It will arrive amid churn for West End musicals, with Beetlejuice closing early at the Prince Edward Theatre. It brings Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the London Coliseum with Ball in the central role for a run lasting from early June into September 2027.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory returns with its established score

The musical adaptation has an original score by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The book is by David Greig. Alongside that original material, the stage musical also features songs from the classic film written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

Those film songs include Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket. Pure Imagination is the song chosen for the newly released music video featuring Ball, providing an early look at his musical interpretation of material closely associated with Willy Wonka.

The story centres on Charlie Bucket, who finds a golden ticket and discovers the world hidden behind closed doors. The familiar group of characters named in the production's story includes Grandpa Joe, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee.

The production therefore combines the stage musical's original score and book with songs carried over from the 1971 film. Ball's performance of Pure Imagination in the new video highlights that connection between the musical adaptation and the film music included in the show.

Production detail	Information
Run begins	4 June 2027
Run ends	18 September 2027
Venue	London Coliseum
Original score	Marc Shaiman
Lyrics	Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Book	David Greig
Classic film songs	Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Producers	ROYO, Fiery Angel, Gavin Kalin Productions and Curve

What the new Michael Ball video shows

The newly released video features Ball performing Pure Imagination, one of the songs from the classic film that is also included in the musical. Its release gives audiences a direct musical introduction to Ball's Willy Wonka before the London Coliseum run begins in June 2027.

Pure Imagination sits alongside The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket among the songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley featured in the stage musical. The rest of the musical's score is by Marc Shaiman, with Shaiman and Scott Wittman credited for the lyrics.

The video is the clearest new element accompanying the casting announcement, showing Ball performing material tied directly to the character he will play on stage. BroadwayWorld described it as a new music video featuring Ball performing the song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Ball's role is currently the only casting detailed in the announcement. The production information instead sets out the venue, dates, producers and established creative credits while introducing Ball's interpretation of Willy Wonka through the Pure Imagination performance.

Who is behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

The new London production brings together four producing names: ROYO, Fiery Angel, Gavin Kalin Productions and Curve. The creative foundations of the musical remain the work of Shaiman, Wittman and Greig, alongside the film songs by Bricusse and Newley.

Shaiman is responsible for the original score, while the lyrics are credited jointly to Shaiman and Wittman. Greig wrote the book for the musical adaptation. The production draws its story from Roald Dahl's work and from the Warner Bros. 1971 film.

That combination gives the musical two connected strands of material: its original stage score and the songs retained from the film. Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket are all part of that film-song element, with the first now used to introduce Ball's involvement through the new video.

The story itself follows Charlie Bucket after he finds a golden ticket. His journey leads to the world behind closed doors and involves Grandpa Joe as well as fellow ticket holders Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teavee.

When Michael Ball's London Coliseum run begins

Ball's limited engagement begins on 4 June 2027 and runs until 18 September 2027. Those dates establish a summer 2027 London run for the production at the London Coliseum.

Tickets went on sale on 29 September 2026. The announcement did not add further casting beyond Ball, keeping attention on his role as Wonka, the production's creative credits and the newly issued Pure Imagination video.

With the music video now released and tickets on sale, the next fixed milestone is the start of the London Coliseum engagement on 4 June 2027, when Ball is due to begin his limited run as Willy Wonka, in a West End season already reshaped by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child returning as a single play.

Frequently asked questions

When is Michael Ball starring as Willy Wonka?

Michael Ball will play Willy Wonka at the London Coliseum from 4 June 2027 until 18 September 2027. The engagement is described as a limited run. Tickets went on sale on 29 September 2026, alongside news of a newly released video featuring Ball performing Pure Imagination from the musical.

What is the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory video?

The new music video features Michael Ball performing Pure Imagination, one of the songs from the classic film that is also included in the stage musical. Ball will star as Willy Wonka in the London Coliseum production, which is scheduled to run from 4 June until 18 September 2027.

Who created the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has an original score by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by David Greig. It also includes Pure Imagination, The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket from the classic film, written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.