Controversial diabetes line removed from West End show

Hit West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has removed a line saying that “eating chocolate causes diabetes” after a mother campaigned for its change.

London resident Nathalie Bristow contacted its production company after taking her eight-year-old daughter Laura – who lives with Type 1 diabetes – to see the show.

Mrs Bristow said: “My family love the theatre, so were deeply upset and offended when we heard the line about how children will get diabetes if they eat too much chocolate. We nearly left.

“Thousands of people – including parents and children – see the show every day.  I would hate for others to feel upset too, or for this to have a damaging effect on the perception of Type 1 diabetes. The producers could not have been more helpful though – a big theatre listened to us and we made a difference.”

400,000 people in the UK live with type 1 diabetes – nearly 30,000 of which children. And 97 per cent of childhood diabetes is Type 1, which is not linked to lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.

Responding promptly to Mrs Bristow’s concerns, Producer Caro Newling said: “I am so sorry that it had such a negative effect. That was never the intention and it was meant to be entirely humorous.”

She added: “But why upset anyone when you don’t have to? As a result, we have amended the script to drop the reference to diabetes and have replaced it with an alternative comment.”

Spoken by Mrs Pratchett the sweet-seller, the new line went into the show last week and now goes “chocolate, chocolate, not one of your five a day”.

Michael Connellan, Senior Media Manager at type 1 diabetes charity JDRF, said: “It’s frustrating when differences between Type 1 and Type 2 are ignored in references to ‘diabetes’. Greater recognition of the differences between them is something that JDRF constantly strives for.

“It’s fantastic to see that people and establishments are beginning to recognise these issues, and thank you to Caro Newling. It is important that others continue to follow suit.”