In the fictional world of Roald Dahl, what could be better than winning a golden ticket and getting the chance to look inside Willy Wonka’s top-secret factory?
Sadly, living in the real world, we don’t have this opportunity, but second best is taking a look behind the scenes of new West End musical Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
Photographer Helen Maybanks won a metaphorical golden ticket to go backstage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where its many rooms were filled, not with mouth-watering sweets, but cast members getting ready for the evening’s performance.
From Wonka’s wacky wardrobe to hats belonging to squirrel-riding Oompa-Loompas, the pictures above allow us a sneaky peek into what happens every night before the cast, which includes Olivier Award winner Douglas Hodge as the eccentric confectioner, takes to the stage in Sam Mendes’ much talked about production.