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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Palace Theatre
April 27, 2010
The most famous car in musical history is back!
To celebrate the return of 2006's MEN Theatre Award winner for Best Family Entertainment, queues outside the Palace Theatre were entertained by The Adlington Morris Dancers echoing the morris dancing sequence in this high-flying production.
Indeed the audience merrily clapped along to the overture long before the curtain even rose on this feel-good musical with its enviable pedigree.
The 1968 glossy film version of Ian Fleming's book written for his son Casper, starred Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes and was adapted for the screen by Roald Dahl with jolly tunes composed by the Sherman Brothers.
However, it was 2002 before the stage version of this story of a magical car which could travel on land and sea as well as fly through the air, was launched.
Fleming's formula of writing about amazing cars, spies, bombs and a man searching for love was famously realised through his creation of James Bond.
The stage version of the film, adapted by Jeremy Sams and directed by Adrian Noble proved a phenomenal success, breaking all existing box-office records and becoming the longest running musical at the London Palladium.
A variety of star names have played the role of widowed inventor Caractacus Potts - who rebuilds Chitty's classy chassis - including Michael Ball and Gary Wilmot. This new pared down touring production, with a cast and crew of 100, including ten dogs, has been pruned down yet again by Noble.
Musical veteran Darren Bennett is a pleasant Caractacus with Mia Jenkins and Max Patrick Weitzman as his children; while Katie Ray is Truly Scrumptuous. Good as they are, Kim Ismay as the very wicked Baroness proves a scene-stealer.
A brand new car, built specially for this touring version, cost £750,000 to create and is in the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive prop ever.
Since it started touring, five years ago, audiences are still trying to work out how Chitty flies. So undoubtedly, judging by the cheers, this magical car remains the real star!
Reviewed: Wed, 28 April, 2010
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