There were so many unexpected things to enjoy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; the incredible energy, the sheer scale of the singing and dancing, the stunning choreography, the voices that soared to the rafters, the chutzpah, and the flying car…. to name but a few.
Throw in the vein of humour running through it and the surprising realisation that all the songs and music were hidden away in the melodic recess of your brain, and it was certainly far more accessible and immediate than we’d envisaged.
Because while we are all familiar with the famous and lauded 1968 film version, anyone who hadn’t seen it in the West End was rewarded with a brilliant night out last night as the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tour opened at New Theatre Oxford, where it’s playing all week.
The sets were fabulous, from Brazilian fiestas to the magical sweet factory and a full fairground – nothing was scrimped on here – the colourful surroundings fleshed out by the larger-than-life characters.
Sadly the lead Adam Garcia, who plays Caractacus Potts, was indisposed, but Callum Train stepped ably into his eccentric shoes taking us on the roller-coaster ride of a story-line, the madcap inventor hellbent on rescuing his children and father from the clutches of the evil Childcatcher.
Cue drag queen extraordinaire THE VIVIENNE who played The Childcatcher with such chilling menace, simultaneously fabulous and creepy as hell, that they made our skin crawl, offset by the warm-hearted Truly Scrumptious (Ellie Nunn) who’s singing stopped us in our tracks.
As for the flying car it was absolutely incredible, fully twisting without getting tangled and utterly realistic so that no one could work out how they pulled it off.
Throw in some bawdy jokes that went way above any children’s heads, the antics of hopeless henchmen Goran (Michael Joseph) and Boris (Adam Stafford), the gleeful and hilarious Baron (Martin Callaghan), and the charming theatricality of The Toymaker (John Macaulay) and we were in for a thrilling ride.
Which meant that long after we’d stood up and clapped through the encore, the sings were still playing through our heads on the drive home.
So yes, it’s a family-friendly extravaganza of a show that can be enjoyed by any age group, as evidenced by the standing ovation.
Bea Payne
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is at New Theatre Oxford until Sunday October 6. Book here https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/chitty-chitty-bang-bang/new-theatre-oxford/
