Four Australian Children Win Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge

Four Australian children have been chosen as the lucky Golden Ticket winners of the Roald Dahl Imaginormous Challenge.

The theatrical performance prize was awarded to Taylor Harding, 11 years old, from Loftus, NSW. Taylor receives a one-on-one coaching session with the Resident Director of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, an afternoon workshop with the cast who will bring Taylor's story to life on stage, and four tickets to the show with a backstage tour.

Roxanne Brotherton, 12 years old, from Western Australia was the recipient of the Penguin Random House Book prize. Roxanne will be flown to Sydney to participate in a workshop with representatives from Penguin Random House, where her story idea will be transformed into a book. Working with an editor and illustrator, Roxanne will see her story come alive and have the chance to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the musical for herself.

As the winner of the Roving Reporter prize Eleni Chapman, 9 years old, from Western Australia will get to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the new musical live on stage before working with a Daily Telegraph journalist to review it for the newspaper. Eleni's review and photo will appear in The Daily Telegraph's bumper Sunday holiday guide.

Finally, Mitchell Zulberti, 8 years old, from Western Australia claimed the Minecraft prize, awarding him with a 1-day experience at the Microsoft Flagship Store. Mitchell will be flown to Sydney, work with a prominent YouTuber to build his world in Minecraft and will leave with a bumper prize pack including a Minecraft Xbox and loads of Minecraft merchandise.

The four winners were chosen from over 2,800 entries across Australia after the Roald Dahl Story Company, the Gordon Frost Organisation, Penguin Random House Australia, Minecraft Education, Just Kidding Magazine, The Daily Telegraph and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures in conjunction with Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions launched Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge in January.

The creative writing competition, which was open to children across Australia aged 5-12, aimed to highlight the transformative power and endless possibilities of imagination and creativity. Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge asked entrants to share their most wonderful, brilliant, imaginative story ideas in just 100 words or less. Unlike many other creative writing challenges, grammar and spelling were not assessed, the only judging criterion, in true Wonka style, was 'pure imagination.'

Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge is all about inspiring imaginative story ideas in children 5 to 12 years of age and marks a major investment from the Roald Dahl Story Company in the future of children's imaginations here in Australia.

The cast and crew of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory look forward to welcoming the winners to Sydney's Capitol Theatre, and working with Taylor Harding on workshopping his story on stage.

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film including "Pure Imagination", "The Candy Man" and "I've Got a Golden Ticket", alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of Hairspray.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is perhaps Roald Dahl's best-known story and has proved to be one of the most enduring children's books of all time. The story of Charlie Bucket, the five Golden Tickets, the Oompa-Loompas and the amazing Willy Wonka has become firmly embedded in our culture since it was first published in 1964. Conservative estimates suggest the original book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide; it is now available in 61 languages.

Get in fast to see the Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, the great glass elevator and more, more, more at this everlasting showstopper!