Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
A fun filled evening of nostalgia as Chitty flies in to the New Wimbledon Theatre to rapturous applause. This childhood classic based on Ian Fleming’s children's book sees Jeremy and Jemima (Roshan Thomson and Gracie Cochrane) desperately trying to save a classic and award winning racing car from the scrap heap. Caractacus Potts (Adam Garcia) a quirky inventor who is forever inventing gadgets that never quite function properly, turns his hands to mechanics to get the car up and running again. He manages to transform the car and we join the evil Baron and Baroness on their quest to capture the car and the children as all the antics unfold.
Adam Garcia makes for a great leading man and it’s good to see that he is easing in to his new casting bracket very well. He works really well with leading lady Ellie Nunn as Truly Scrumptious; it’s a delight watching them guide us through the story as the chemistry between the two grows.
Jeremy and Jemima (Roshan Thomson and Gracie Cochrane) steal the show without a doubt. The energy, conviction and naivety of this double act, wins the hearts of the audience immediately. Liam Fox plays Grandpa Potts, regimented and repetitive; Fox brings a nice cheekiness to this character. Martin Callaghan makes for a pompous, spoilt and arrogant Baron playing opposite Bibi Jay who is covering for the role of Baroness. Larger than life with lots of sexual innuendo’s you learn to love to hate the crude, but fun duo.
No children’s story would be complete without the baddie and Charlie Brooks is on hand to play the iconic panto-esque child catcher. Known for her TV work, Brooks has a catalogue of bad girl characters to her name so on paper this role is right up her street; although it did work, I think the role could have been a bit more menacing and scarier if they’d have stuck to previous choices.
Adam Stafford and Michael Joseph were perfectly cast as Boris and Goran. We follow the pair who, under the Barons orders, must capture the car and bring it to Vulgaria. They are very funny and provide some light relief in the show. You can hear the children belly laughing as the pair are definitely firm favourites with the audience.
Last but by no means least, a special mention to the fabulous ensemble as they interlink the scenes with Karen Bruce’s stunning choreography and bring tons of energy to the table, one highlight being ‘Me Ole Bamboo’.
I thought the show stealer would be the iconic car, but it was a little underwhelming, the producers definitely played it safe here.
Be sure to check out this classically British musical which provides fun for the entire family.
This show was reviewed on the 21st May 2024 at the New Wimbledon Theatre where it runs until the 26th May 2024. Tickets available here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/chitty-chitty-bang-bang/new-wimbledon-theatre/calendar/2024-05-21
AD/Gifted
Photo credit: Paul Coltas
Check out other reviews from Curtain Call Reviews and get in touch to have our reviewers head to your show.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.