Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Ore Oduba: Review

Many a theatregoer will be wishing they had a flying car to outsmart Manchester’s road works and changes, but that’s another story.

Suffice to say, whether you are 8 or 80 there is nothing like a flying car to set the imagination soaring.

Ian Fleming’s classic children’s story about the eccentric Caractacus Potts and his fantastical inventions continues to enchant.

Most will be familiar with the musical version from the 1968 film starring Dick Van Dyke as Potts and Sally Ann Howes as sweet factory heiress, Truly Scrumptious.

Here Ore Oduba and Ellie Nunn make for a charming pair as they step into those famous roles. Oduba brings a genuine warmth to the character and his Strictly champion skills shine in the toy box scene.

Nunn gives Scrumptious an update, swapping long lacey gowns for practical jodhpurs. This is a no-nonsense woman with a generous spirit, who can turn her hand at anything. It’s easy to see why the family enjoy having her around.

The quality of the child actors is a real strength of this production, both the central characters and the ensemble. In this tour the roles of Jeremy and Jemima Potts are shared by Charlie Banks, Melody Caruana, Gracie Cochrane, Isla Ithier, Charlie McGuire, Lara Simon, Huxley Syers and Roshan Thomson. On Tuesday we saw Charlie Banks and Lara Simon. Their energy was infectious, making us believe we are on this fantasy journey with them.

The musical is a real family show and director Thom Southerland brings the childlike qualities in all the characters to the fore. Even the sinister Child Catcher becomes more theatrical than sinister. Charlie Brooks plays the part with a camp confidence, almost as if she enjoys the game of dressing up as a cat and sniffing out children with her curly trumpet more than their final capture in her fake ice-cream van.

Liam Fox (Dan Spencer in Emmerdale) gets star billing on the poster too. As Grandpa Potts, his is a smaller role but nonetheless memorable. His relative youth for the part gives him an energy that brings out the humour. His Grandpa retells his tall tales with a twinkling sense of fun and a knowingness that moves away from the film portrayal of an elderly relative with dementia.

The Sherman Brothers’ popular music and lyrics are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Everyone knows the title track, but in case you are thinking this is a one-hit wonder there are several instantly recognisable tunes including Toot Sweets, Truly Scrumptious and the beautiful lullaby, Hushaby Mountain.

Morgan Large’s set and costume design has a pantomime feel in its vibrancy and humour including entertaining turns like the fairground dresses and definite wow moments with the car. For those who have seen previous productions the magical car doesn’t come out over the stalls, but the flying effects are still enough to make your inner-child soar and want to sing – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 11-16 March before continuing on tour.