29 April – 4 May
Ian Fleming wrote the children’s tale Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car in 1964, and just four years later the Sherman Brothers’ well-known musical version starring Dick Van Dyke was released by United Artists. In essence the story concerns widowed and impoverished inventor Caractacus Potts, who battles to prevent his wonderful car being stolen by the toy-loving Baron of Vulgaria, leader of a country where children are banned. In this touring stage version, directed by Thom Southerland, the car itself is undoubtedly the star, a magnificent creation of polished wood and shiny metal that floats and flies in spectacular fashion, bringing Act One to a rousing conclusion.
However, there does seem to be too long a wait before the car makes its first appearance, for Act One is overly crammed with events, some of which race by with bewildering rapidity. There is a great deal of knockabout fun, especially from the Vulgarian spies Boris (Adam Stafford) and Goran (Micheal Joseph), whose physical clowning is skilfully done, though their verbal silliness, delivered with cartoonish German accents, seems a little dated. They seem to have stepped out of a pantomime, with the aim surely to be child-friendly, but a little more sense of jeopardy would have been welcome.
In contrast to the broad-brush comedy of the villains, Ore Oduba gives a far more naturalistic portrayal of Caractacus. He is instantly likeable, and convincingly displays warm affection for his children, Jemima and Jeremy. His developing affection for Truly Scrumptious (Ellie Nunn) is touchingly conveyed, and his dancing skills are put to good use, particularly in a vigorous rendition of Me Old Bamboo. But Caractacus’ madcap eccentricity is somewhat underplayed in a restrained performance that is rather low-key set against the manic shenanigans going on around him.
Act Two features a standout comedic performance from Jenny Gayner as The Baroness, child phobic and spoilt by her hopelessly indulgent and occasionally flatulent husband, The Baron (Martin Callaghan). Gayner succeeds magnificently in creating a Baroness who is as sexy as she is silly. Her dance number, The Bombie Samba, while having no discernible connection to the plot, is a colourful highlight.
The character with the greatest potential to be scary is The Childcatcher (Charlie Brooks), wisely cast here as a female role, but though she is convincingly evil, her appearances are relatively brief. The children she has captured are swiftly rescued in a well-executed scene, where Caractacus and Truly Scrumptious pretend to be wind-up dolls in order to get inside The Baron’s castle.
As a jolly family musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang deserves its enduring popularity, though it is by no means the Sherman brothers’ best work. Other than the title song it lacks much in the way of memorable numbers, and the story has less substance than is found in their masterpiece, Mary Poppins. It does have that magical car, which in this production threatens to overshadow everything else for other special effects are far more modest. However there are some lively dance sequences and there is that catchy title song. Last night’s audience started clapping along to it when it was briefly referenced in the overture, and they clapped again and again when it was reprised at the end. ‘Oh, you Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you’ – indeed we do.
★★★☆☆ Mike Whitton, 30 April 2025
Photography credit: Paul Coltas
