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There are more photos from this production below. Selecting any of the small thumbnail images will show a larger version of the picture in the main part of the page. »

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Mr.Ficklegruber

- National Tour. Directed by Mike Bradwell.

Not a hugely enjoyable production, this. I 'inherited' the part from a wonderful actor, David Hatton, who I'd worked with before on 'The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branstawm' in Nottingham. I did the best I could with it, but the producers had just not spent the money required to bring Roald Dahl's book to life. We had a strong cast but the sets were dismal, and it was sometimes quite heartbreaking to see the disappointment on the faces of the schoolchidren who made up the majority of our audiences when the wonderful Chocolate Factory turned out to be a couple of tatty pink plywood blocks and a length of brown silk for the chocolate river...

Mr Ficklegruber barely exists as a character (in the book he is referred to once as a rival confectioner to Mr.Wonka), but this adaptation of the book required a 'baddie' to tempt Charlie (Oliver Beamish) into stealing from Mr.Wonka, hence the character's inclusion.

Rumour had it that Roald Dahl did not approve, so when the show was later re-staged in the West End, Ficklegruber had all but vanished and I was not asked to return! For which I was grateful!

In the play, Mr. Ficklegruber turns out to be Charlie's Grandpa in disguise all along, testing Charlie's honesty (well, it could happen!) To make the 'unmasking' at the end more of a shock, it was decided to create a fictional actor to 'play' Ficklegruber so no connection would be made. Thus it was that Jon Glentoran played Grandpa Jo, and Mr Ficklegruber was played by the legendary Arnold Wedgeit. A fictional biography was created for Wedgeit, for inclusion in the programme. Highlights were:

He will be remembered as the voice of 'Barry the Dachsund in 'Ken's a Laff' on the Home Service. Films include 'The 3 Dimensions of Greta' and 'Whoops, Dentist'. Recent theatre includes 'Little Dorrit' for the RSC and 'Mr Wazza' in 'Raymond's Magic Cucumber'

Well, it made us laugh!

"Mr Ficklegruber, in the form of Arnold Wedgeit, is as demonic as any baddie who ever stalked the stage." (Yorkshire Evening Post)

"Jon Glentoran provided a cackling villain of the old school..."