Chitty Chitty Bang Bang review

“Truly special”

Watermill Theatre, Newbury

Christian Edwards and Lydia Louise in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. Photo: Pamela Raith

Inventive revival of the well-loved musical is a truly scrumptious triumph

Do you want to know a secret? Down at a 200-seat theatre in Newbury there is one of the greatest shows ‘out of town’. Never mind the overpriced, over-egged and underwhelming musicals that litter the West End – this is something truly special, truly scrumptious. It’s the Dick Van Dyke movie musical based on the children’s story by Ian Fleming, now enthralling audiences with infectious energy and embraceable charm.

The story of struggling single parent and inventor Caractacus Potts and his two children, who restore a former racing car to a condition that goes far beyond roadworthiness is a transport of delight, suffused with the anarchic spirit of Roald Dahl (who co-wrote the screenplay) and Fleming’s obsession with cars.

Propelled by one of the liveliest scores ever written by the Sherman brothers, it is an unadulterated joy from start to finish. Paul Hart directs with an inventiveness bordering on the supernatural, keeping his large cast weaving and flowing across the small stage with speed and humour.
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And what a cast. Christian Edwards is a cherishable Caractacus, a loving father and an ever-optimistic inventor, frayed but undaunted – his rendition of Hushabye Mountain prompted tears; in her professional debut, Lydia Louise is a glorious Truly Scrumptious, her initial haughty disapproval gradually melting like ice cream in the sun as she falls for Caractacus and the kids.

As the Vulgarian villains Baron Bomburst and his wife, Samuel Morgan-Grahame and Mairi Ikegami display a juvenile malevolence that punctures the pomposity of every dictator, alive or dead. They are matched in humour by the double act of Vulgarian spies Boris and Goran (Sam Pay and Alexander Zane), who have a great time attempting to imitate English mannerisms and phrases in a comedy extension of Robert Shaw’s agent in From Russia with Love.

Anjali Mehra’s choreography is a miracle of movement in a small space, with up to a dozen dancers careering around the stage with an inventiveness that defies belief. Many of them double as musicians and the rapid costume changes are conducted at warp speed, as are the infinite number of props and Heath Robinson devices devised by Caractacus, which bubble and hiss and steam. At one point, the entire audience decamps to a circus marquee on the lawn outside for a spectacular rendition of Me ‘Ol Bamboo.

Back inside, Chitty is revealed, and through the magic of analogue theatre – a team of puppeteers manhandling the vehicle, designed by Marc Parrett – it floats and flies with Potts and his extended family as they go on a mission to Vulgaria to rescue Grandpa Potts (Mark Curry) and the kids hiding from the Childcatcher (Susannah van den Berg).

To say that there isn’t a dull moment is the understatement of the decade. Everything about this production is designed to excite, exhilarate, amuse and make the heart swell.

It fizzes with energy and passion, humanity and tenderness – the fantastical props and stage designs by Katie Lias and Parrett, including a Wallace & Gromit breakfast-making machine and puppet dogs bounding across the stage; the spectacular dance numbers, particularly The Roses of Success and The Bombie Samba; and an absurdly talented cast, not least the children (Auora Breslin and Francis Adams on opening night). It’s only June, but I think I may have just seen the show of the year.

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