Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a whimsical, family-friendly musical that tells the story of an eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts, who restores a magical car that can fly and float. Alongside his children and the lovable Truly Scrumptious, they embark on a daring adventure to rescue a kidnapped child from the clutches of the villainous Baron Bomburst. Filled with catchy songs, spectacular set designs, and a heartwarming tale of imagination and family, the show delivers a fun-filled, nostalgic experience for audiences of all ages.
This current touring production of the musical is full of fun and exceptional moments of humour played out brilliantly by Adam Stafford and Michael Joseph as Boris and Goran respectively, the two spies sent out to find the flying car by the Baron. Every moment they are on stage the audience are in fits of laughter. There was something so refreshing about their performances as they held every moment perfectly, offered us plenty of camp fun and all-round good entertainment. Coupled with Martin Callaghan and Jenny Gayner as the Baron and Baroness, these four characters very much elevated the show into an extremely fun night out.
Playing the role of Caractacus Potts during this stint of the tour is Ore Oduba, recognisable from his time on Strictly Come Dancing, and his musical theatre roles on shows such as the Rocky Horror Show and Pretty Woman. Oduba is a very confident performer, however I felt like the energy was slightly lacking in his performance with more of a calm feel to the role. Maybe it was a directorial choice to play Potts this way but being totally honest I found it a little lacklustre on the evening and wanted a bit more oomph!. Playing alongside Oduba as Truly Scrumptious is Ellie Nunn who provided very strong vocals throughout, especially during one of my favourite parts of the show, ‘Doll on a Music Box’ where the movement and poise was fantastic.
Giving us his best Lionel Jeffries was Liam Fox playing Grandpa Potts who brought a familiar feel to this character from the 1968 film. His performance was quite nostalgic with so many of the catchy numbers such as ‘Posh’ and ‘The Roses of Success’ being favourites with the audience. Charlie Brooks excelled as The Childcatcher with her sinister portrayal of this character guaranteed to make quite a few children hide behind their chair!
Musical Director Jessica Viner lead her orchestra superbly on the evening providing that very familiar soundtrack to much applause. As soon as the overture starts, its apparent from the reaction around me that this show still has a big following, with people clapping along to the titular song. Of course, the star of the show is Chitty herself, a car so recognisable and able to delight young and old with its magical powers. Each moment the car appeared on stage it filled the auditorium with wonder and that’s what makes this show a ‘fantasmigorical’ family favourite!
This show was reviewed on the 4th March 2025 at the Birmingham Hippodrome where it runs until the 9th March 2025. Tickets available here: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Birmingham Hippodrome
Full touring dates can be found here: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the Musical | UK Tour 2024
Review written by Emma Rowley
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Photo credit : Paul Coltas
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