Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
April 22, 2008
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Venue: Sunderland Empire
Date Reviewed: 21st April, 2008
Let me first declare that this is the fifth time I have seen this musical with four different actors playing Caractacus Potts. First it was Michael Ball in the original London Palladium cast, then Jason Donovan and Tim Flavin heading the first touring company, here at Sunderland in 2005. Now we have TV presenter Matt Baker (Blue Peter and Crufts) heading the cast, as the show makes it final appearance in England.
Baker makes a very credible Potts, having a very good singing voice and interacts with the children extremely well. A couple of back flips during the dance routines reminded us he used to be British gymnastics and sports acrobatics champion and is quite believable as the father of Jeremy and Jemima
The story remains very familiar to the audience and from the first view bars of the overture everyone is clapping along to the music. The stage version is as faithful to the film as it can be, with Potts buying the former racing car, which is now a rusted wreck, at the insistence of his children and returning it to its former glory. The only problem is the Vulgarians believe the car has special powers and want to steal it.
When out on a picnic the car is cut off by the tide and reveals it has the power to float on water and out race a Vulgarian battle ship that is firing missiles to sink it. When Grand Pa Potts is kidnapped the family race after him and end up driving off Beachy Head. It is at this point Chitty spreads her wings and gives the audience what it came for, one of the most spectacular stage illusions ever. When you see the full size car, wings outstretched turning and swooping across the stage you cannot fail to be impressed.
In Vulgaria Jeremy and Jemima are kidnapped by the child catcher as the Baroness has decreed there will be no children in the Country. But as in all good stories, good conquers evil and it is not too long before the family are reunited and the children of Vulgaria are freed from the castle sewers.
Luckily the show never reduces in to pantomime but there are plenty of comedy moments to keep a young audience entertained for two and a half hours.
Several of the leading cast members have played their roles in the London Production of the show : Nigel Garton who is excellent as Goran one of the Vulgarian spies, Wayne Sleep as the evil child catcher and Tony Adams (Adam Chance in Crossroads) who brings Grandpa Potts perfectly to life.
New cast members include Kim Ismay who is perfect as the over the top Baroness Bomburst but Edward Peel does not yet look comfortable in the role of the toy obsessed Baron Bomburst, which spoils the mapcap comedy between these two characters .
With Baker in the lead the show has a different feel as his North East accent matches that of the actors playing his children, which seems to localise the whole show.
The musical has changed, for the better, over the years and now we have the best flying sequences for Chitty. The awkward drop where the car was surrounded by sheets representing Beachy Head is gone and in its place we have Chitty driving along and then appearing to fall over the cliff before the wings appear and the car swoops towards the audience, pure magic.
This is a show for all the family and appears to have quickly settled in for a second long run in Sunderland, where it is appearing until June 7th.
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