"We have to tell the story, it has to move people," says Douglas Hodge, the man set to bring Roald Dahl's famous chocolatier Willy Wonka to life on stage.
The four time Olivier-nominated actor/director will don Wonka's top hat for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical when it opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 25 June.
Speaking in an exclusive interview (above), Hodge reveals: "It doesn't matter how big the set is, or how florid the music is, if it doesn't touch people's hearts then I don't want to be in it."
The musical's director Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes also appears in the video, explaining why Hodge is the right actor to take on Wonka: "He has an Everyman quality to him but at the same time there's a real sense of mischief behind the eyes."
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will also star Nigel Planer as Grandpa Joe, Clive Carter as Mr Salt, Jasna Ivir as Mrs Gloop, Paul J Medford as Mr Beauregarde, Iris Roberts as Mrs Teavee and Myra Sands as Grandma Georgina.
Want to know more? Check out our other Charlie And The Chocolate Factory exclusive videos below:
HEADSHOTS: The cast so far...
