Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Watermill Theatre – review

This ambitious musical extravaganza is the latest offering from the Watermill, and follows a stream of increasingly successful shows from the theatre, including last summer’s award-winning Jesus Christ Superstar and the phenomenal Lord of the Rings: a Musical Tale.

They’ve recreated Middle-earth before, but how will they stage a flying car? The Watermill shows it is up for the challenge and succeeds admirably. The production, directed by artistic director Paul Hart, is a confident re-interpretation of the classic tale (originally penned by Bond creator Ian Fleming) of a lovable inventor and his two children struggling to get by, an affluent and successful young woman, and a sprightly automobile with a dodgy engine and magical powers.

For those who are familiar with the original motion picture, there is much to nostalgically indulge upon, not least the musical numbers, which by-and-large appear as you will fondly remember, including “Hushabye Mountain”, “Truly Scrumptious” and the eponymous “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, alongside a few new additions. Less fondly remembered is the Childcatcher (here played by Susannah van den Berg), who remains present within the story – surely one of the most harrowing movie memories for a generation’s worth of children?! Thankfully, van den Berg is less threatening than the original motion picture portrayal, but the foretelling of her onstage arrival still gives me shivers.

Christian Edwards, as the charismatic Caractacus Potts, delivers a warm and engaging performance in the central role, supported by an impressive and energetic Jemima and Jeremy (Auora Breslin and Francis Adams on press night), with a more reserved Grandpa Potts (Mark Curry) at their side. Lydia Louise brings her mellifluous tones to the role of Truly Scrumptious and gives a stunning performance when her character masquerades as a mechanical toy in “Doll in a Music Box”.

The ensemble brings an energy to dance numbers (choreographed by Anjali Mehra) and plays various instruments throughout, demonstrating the excellent actor-musicianship skills audiences have come to love and expect from the Watermill. Most notably successful, though, are the comedic elements. Waves of laughter echo around the auditorium almost constantly while comedy duo Goran (Alexander Zane) and Boris (Sam Pay) are onstage. Spies, sent from the fictional Vulgaria by the despotic Baron Bomburst (Samuel Morgan-Grahame) to commandeer Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for his own, they offer the perfect amount of slapstick and improvisation alongside the razor-sharp script (adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams, licensed script adaptation by Ray Roderick).

Boosting the oxytocin levels further is a captivating portrayal of Baroness Bomburst (Mairi Ikegami). Alongside Morgan-Grahame’s Baron, they deftly tread a line between the highly comic and the edge of danger. We laugh at their flaws and foibles, but there is depth to both characterisations, as hints of their tyrannical tendencies burst through. All at once, they show us how this quite ridiculous couple could hold power over the oppressed people of Vulgaria. It doesn’t take too much imagination (helped with an occasional hint in the script) to draw parallels with certain current political situations.

The design and props teams have certainly had fun; Marc Parrett’s various dog puppets are loveable and inventive, and the construction of the car itself is hugely innovative: it at once looks sturdy and is easily lifted and manipulated by just a couple of actors, one on each side. Inflatables emerge from beneath it one moment, wings appear the next. Various other props, and ingenious means of portraying their movement, are met with joyful admiration by the audience, and the set design (Katie Lias) aptly conjures up the atmosphere of a cozy yet haphazard inventor’s house, nooks and crannies crammed with cogs, coils and knick-knacks. Costumes (also by Lias) work well, with the bright and bold of the Baron and Baroness contrasting with the rustic simplicity of the downtrodden Vulgarians and economically modest Potts family.

As with other recent summer musical productions from this regional hotbed, a portion of the show is staged outdoors in the idyllic riverside surroundings. Following in the footsteps of Caractacus, patrons travel outside to a large white marquee for the funfair scenes. Audience interaction and some joyfully raucous Morris-style dancing make the relatively short sojourn outdoors a pleasing interlude. If anything, a slightly elongated time in the outdoor setting would be welcome – blink and you’re back inside before you know it.

That said, it’s an unashamedly exuberant theatrical experience. If you’re looking for a summer show to celebrate family, adventure and creativity, this is the one for you. A riotous celebration of joy and laughter from start to finish.