The UK touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the ultra modern Grand Canal Theatre is an amazing family experience – it is truly scrumptious and Chitty Chitty Wow Wow. The production has everything a family show requires – two wonderful children, lots and lots of colour, excellent costumes, exciting dancing, a boy meets girl story, lots of excellent cameo characters, several dogs and an amazing flying car.
During the day the theatre looks all reflective with glass and white girders in an almost deserted docklands setting of vacant office blocks. A bland urban designers dream.
Inside there are four levels with the stalls set on two levels and two thousand people and lost lots of them excited children, sets the scene.
The show zips along with inventive props, two comic baddies, colourful costumes and a cast full of attack and vigour to enthral an audience with memorable songs, like the catch title song, the gentle lullaby tones of Hushabye Mountain and heart-tugging solos like Lonely Lonely Man and great rousing routines with toot Sweets, Me Ol’ Bamboo and comedy routines like The Bombie Samba.
Elliot Allinson and Rachel Corrigan are the delightful Jeremy and Jemima Potts, the well-known Edward Peel plays the Baron with style as does Kim Ismay relish the role of Baroness. Darren Bennett is a fine Caractacus Potts and Katie Ray is a wonderful Truly Scrumptious. I loved John Griffiths as Grandpa and Dean Maynard as the dark and chilling Child Catcher.
After a standing ovation and wonderful finale the audience emerged into a wonderful setting of red lit up poles, green strip lighting, waterside cafés and bars and a most balmy evening to just savour the location and remember a glorious show.
Bryan Flynn’s production of the TV hit FAME The Musical opens at this venue on August 19th and runs until September 12th before a nationwide tour.
