Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - What WE Say...

There are two things that come to mind when you say the words “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang;” one is that mean old Child Catcher and the other is an extremely clever and pretty flying car.  Before the curtain has even gone up at The Bristol Hippodrome, we’re on the edge of our seats as the voice of the naughty man himself lavishes threats upon us if we fail to abide by the house rules. 

“It’s the man,” gasps my three year old. 

The theme tune starts and every single person in the full auditorium claps along joyfully.  On stage, the two very cute Potts children (tonight wonderfully played by Samantha Allison and Matthew Farmer) imagine that they can fly in the wreck of a car that their father, Caractacus Potts (Darren Bennett), can’t yet afford to buy them.  Don’t worry, he’ll find the money.

“Cars don’t fly, do they Mummy?”  Well, let’s see, shall we?

We all know the plot of Chitty and the show remains faithful to the film that each of us has enjoyed many times over.  There were some well-thought out additions in the form of two daft spies from the land of Vulgaria, located somewhere south east of Germany, and the wicked yet playful rulers of that land, the Baron and Baroness Bomburst (Edward Peel and Barbara Rafferty).  These characters supply much of the adult humour:

“Can I speak English and still be vulgar?” asks the camp and Hitleresque ‘Goran’ (Nigel Garton).

“No, that would make you American!” retorts his butch counterpart, ‘Boris’ (Richard Ashton).

The Baroness hates children, really loathes them; after all, a child would destroy the co-dependent mother/child relationship she has with her infantile husband, who just adores toys and simply has to have them:

“I should never have allowed toys into the marriage,” she laments to a roar from the grown-ups in the audience.

And for all children, big and small, what a treat Chitty is.  It’s jam-packed with sing-a-long songs, some I recognise from the film and some new ones, written especially for this theatre production.  The cast of dancers is sublime in beautiful and colourful costumes: Me Ol’ Bamboo is absolutely delightful, complete with acrobatics and sparks of fire, while Toot Sweet makes you want to get up and dance on the ultra-impressive set: a set that is ever-changing and stunningly designed throughout. 

Truly Scrumptious (Katie Ray) truly is scrumptious.  But, then again, she knows that: “So I’ve been told.” Her voice is so sweet next to the clear diction of her new beau, Caractacus.  If I have any qualms about Chitty, it’s that I sometimes couldn’t make out the dialogue but it didn’t seem to matter much as this is more a visual spectacle than anything else. 

The Child Catcher is, erm, very menacing but really quite handsome (or is that just me?), in his skin tight black trousers, tail-jacket and top hat: a formidable costume and, yes, he’s as mean as can be.  I feel the two children next to me shrink in his presence, while I sit slightly more upright and inch forward to get a better look.

This show is vibrant and fun with its excellent score, tight orchestra, sound acting, perfect choreography, fabulous set, to-die-for costumes and even a pack of excited dogs!  And the star is ….

Well, it has to be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang herself – resplendent when she floats and awe-inspiring when she flies.  Yes, she really does fly and very impressively so.

The verdict of the family?  The twelve year old loved the car, the three year old liked to watch the children singing and me … I think you can guess.

Website: www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - What THEY Say...

The most fantasmagorical stage musical in the history of everything, hits the road in top gear in a brand new high flying tour. With a cast orchestra and crew of 100 (including ten dogs), sensational sets and stunning special effects, this action-packed adventure is the story of the magical car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, and his two children Jeremy and Jemima, alongside Truly Scrumptious and Grandpa Potts, all try and outwit the dastardly Baron and the famously evil Childcatcher.

Bursting with magical songs including Truly Scrumptious, Toot Sweets, Hushabye Mountain and the Oscar nominated title song, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the production has been nominated for three Olivier Awards, won Best Musical in the 2002 Variety Awards, been nominated for five Tony Awards on Broadway and won the coveted Manchester Evening New Theatre Award for Best Family Show in 2006.

This ravishing award-winning show is guaranteed to be the most exciting theatrical event of the year.

Website: www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk