Step into a world of pure imagination as a children’s classic comes to the stage.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be inviting those with a golden ticket to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for 11 nights.

The fantastical musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, made its debut on the West End stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2013 and is now heading out on tour across the country.

The show was nominated for seven Olivier Awards, winning two, and has also been performed on Broadway.

The story of the whimsical confectionary maker and his mysterious chocolate factory has captured the hearts of families for generations.

First introduced in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel, the eccentric characters and their antics inside the factory came to life on screen just a few years after the book was published.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, was released in 1971 and featured songs such as Pure Imagination, the Candy Man and I’ve Got a Golden Ticket - all of which are also included in the touring production.

In 2005, a second screen adaptation of the story starring Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter and Christopher Lee was also released.

The musical features original music from multi award-winning composers and lyricists Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, best known for their work on shows such as Hairspray and Mary Poppins Returns.

This latest touring production also stars Gareth Snook, who has appeared in must-see musicals Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, as the weird and wonderful Willy Wonka.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be at the Marlowe Theatre from Wednesday, May 24 to Saturday, June 3.

You can book tickets online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.