Review | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – The Theatre Royal, Bath

Pop your goggles on and buckle your seatbelt – the world’s most famous flying car has alighted for the first time at Bath’s Theatre Royal and will be chugging, floating and swooping away all week.

Photo © Stewart McPherson

James Bond creator Ian Fleming wrote this much-loved fantasy for his son, but sadly did not live long enough to see it in print; however the 1968 film musical cemented it as a firm family favourite, and in 2002 it found a new home as an eye-popping stage musical.

The tale, it must be said, is beyond bonkers, juggling everything from the titular boaty-planey-car to sweets which accidentally play tunes, and from kidnapped outhouses to kingdoms terrified of children. It’s a surreal picaresque journey which hops restlessly between family drama, comedy, espionage, romance and menace; it’s never really sure what it’s trying to be, it just wants to entertain.

And in the perennially safe hands of Bath Light Operatic Group, it does that in style.

It’s a mammoth challenge for a musical society to stage such a technically daunting piece, but with the help of a professionally engineered Chitty and stunning fairytale sets from Scenic Projects, they have risen to it and brought the audience to their feet by curtain call.

Yes there were some technical problems on opening night, and pacing issues during some scene changes and comedy dialogue cause the momentum to dip, but these should be ironed out during the run; the show overcomes these on a wave of goodwill and nostalgia, appealing to children of all ages.

Director Matt Heaton wisely keeps the style and tone similar to the film, since that is what the audience is really there to see. Alison Price’s choreography and Matthew Finch’s musical direction are seamless throughout, once again belying the society’s “non-professional” status. The ensemble work with attack and energy.

It’s hard to deviate from the characters as they are presented in the film version. However Ed Corbishley tones down the quirky eccentricity of Caratacus Potts and focuses on the doting father aspect, bringing his superb tenor voice to the songs, including a moving “Hushabye Mountain”.

Lizzie Andrews gives us a no-nonsense Truly Scrumptious with crystal clear vocals, and Nancy Bower and Emlyn Pugh share great chemistry and appeal as the beleaguered children Jeremy and Jemima.

Meanwhile much scene-stealing is undertaken by Geoff White (again nicely underplaying the film version’s mugging and blustering) as Grandpa Potts, and by Richard Newman and Sophie Harris as the Baron and Baroness, whose Chu-Chi Face routine in particular is a real crowd pleaser.

And as the spidery Childcatcher, clad all in black like a nightmarish Dr Caligari, Alex Piper is a force of nature; this character definitely needs much more stage time than the show allows.

BLOG has once again brought the cream of local talent together to produce a toe-tapping extravaganza filled with colour, adventure, love and a little menace.

It will make you dream for your own flying car whisking you off to adventures in Vulgaria. Be careful what you wish for though – the Childcatcher awaits.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is showing at Theatre Royal Bath until 3rd October. Box office: 01225 448844.
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Reviewer: Steve Huggins