Staff and students at Beeston Hall School are adding some authentic flavour to their production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - by making their own Wonka bars complete with golden tickets.

And audience members are in for a treat as the specially made bars will be handed to them as they take their seats, with those lucky enough to discover a glittering ticket inside will scoop a prize.

The all-school cast is being helped by Kinnerton Confectioners in Fakenham to produce their chocolate creations but the details of the prizes are being kept under wraps.

The popular children's classic by Roald Dahl follows title character Charlie Bucket who gets VIP access to a mysterious factory owned by eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, after finding a golden ticket in his favourite chocolate bar.

David Lloyd, head of drama at Beeston, said: 'We were bashing around lots of ideas about what we could do that was a bit of an extra mile and thought everyone who comes could get a chocolate bar and inside a few will be a golden ticket,' he added. 'People are quite excited.'

The young cast have been contributing their ideas for the chocolate bar and also been getting hands on as rehearsals get under way by helping to contribute to the script.

Mr Lloyd said: 'The children have been able to get creative themselves. In the last few drama lessons they have been writing their own crowd scenes to put in.

'They have also drawing the sets and I'm going to project them onto a screen [for the performance].

'They're pretty enthusiastic about it.'

Beeston's sports hall is set to be transformed into Wonka's weird and wonderful world for the March productions, which feature most of the school's 140 pupils.

Showgoers arriving for the performances will wander through a set of factory 'gates' to be greeted by the smell of melted chocolate pouring from fountains, while Oompa Loopmas hand out the specially made bars.

Mr Lloyd added: 'It's going to be a funny production and a bit of spectacle – something they have never seen at Beeston before.'

The performances are being held on March 23 and 24 from 7pm. For tickets call the school on 01263 837324.