Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang is at the Lowry and it is a truly scrumptious offering.
I must have seen
Ian Fleming's 1968 film at least a dozen times. But this was my first time watching
Chitty on stage and I was looking forward to it.
Right from the
outset I knew I was in for a treat. The stage setting and visual effects were
ingenious. I loved how projection was used to give a sense of movement around
Chitty, the car. The special effects that made Chitty glide on water and fly in the air were
delightful. Stand out for me was the scene at the beach where the Vulgarian
ship is in hot pursuit and Chitty outsmarts it.
Jason Manford
excelled in the role of Caractacus Potts. I knew he was a brilliant comedian
from watching him on TV. But I had no idea he could sing so well and dance too. He
held his own against the professional dancers tapping to Me Ol’ Bamboo. And struck every single note throughout.
The same goes for
the rest of the cast too. It was joyous to hear familiar melodies sang to
perfection. Of note was Hushabye Mountain. A soft, gentle lullaby with no
gimmicks would have exposed any vocal shortcomings. There were none. J was
thrilled to bits because it happens to be his favourite. I sing it to
him most nights at bedtime.
Charlotte Wakefield
was outstanding. Her Doll on a Music Box was simply sensational. How she managed to
control those robotic arm and leg movements while singing at the same time is
beyond me.
My personal
favourites were the two bumbling Vulgarian spies, Goran and Boris. I enjoyed
their tongue-in-cheek humour and slightly grown-up jokes.
We had prepared J
for The Childcatcher, told him he was make-believe, just an actor playing a
part. It was J’s first time watching a nasty villain in action at close range.
I was surprised at how calm and collected he was all the way through the terrifying scene at
The Toymaker’s Shop. But he did say his favourite part was when The Childcatcher
sang with the rest of the cast at the curtain call. And here I was thinking
Chitty was the star of the show!
I could go on and
on about every cast member, every performance in every act. All I will say is
this.
You know when you’ve
watched a show and come out with a huge grin plastered on your face, your hands
sore for all the clapping. And you can’t get that tune out of your head a week
after you’ve heard it. That is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It was
faultless from start to finish. The acting was superlative, the comic timing
was spot on, the music was excellent. It was one of the best stage musicals I
have seen in a very long time.
If you love fantastic musical theatre,
make sure to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on stage. And take all the family along. They will love you for it.
Chitty is playing at The Lowry right into
the New Year, till 15 January. Check out the website for more details and to buy your tickets.
Disclosure: We were invited to attend a
press showing of Chitty in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own. All stage photos copyright The Lowry.
Oh it looks wonderful! I would absolutely love to go see this at the theatre!
ReplyDeleteI will highly recommend it! It is by far one of the best musicals I have seen. And that includes some West End productions.
DeleteWhat a fabulous musical, the sets look amazing. I'm sure we would love it x
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely certain you will, Cathy. xx
DeleteAhhhh an all time classic! it looks like a fab production and what a lovely thing to go and see over the festive period.
ReplyDeleteIt has such a feel-good factor about it! Definitely right for this time of year.
DeleteI remember seeing this show in the West End years ago. Would love to see it again, it was great then!
ReplyDeleteI never got round to seeing it in the West End. But can vouch for this being just as good :)
DeleteSounds great! I love the movie but I know it'll be fab at the theatre!
ReplyDeleteWe love the film too! We have it on DVD, so it was fab to watch familiar songs and scenes on stage.
DeleteI love musicals, I've never heard about this one, but it sounds really fun x
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly was a lot of fun! Can definitely recommend it.
DeleteI saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang a few years ago and loved it - would love to see Jason Manford in it
ReplyDeleteHe was brilliant, Kara! Especially loved his Hushabye Mountain. x
DeleteIt's always a risk bringing much loved films to the stage. I'm so glad it met your expectations.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds right up our street. What a great show, it sounds like real entertainment. I hope it comes to Nottingham
ReplyDeleteWe love the film and watch it a lot as a family. The performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang sounds equally as good :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks fantastic, I would love to go see that with or without the kids. Glad you liked the show.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great show. I use to love this as a child :)
ReplyDeleteOh this is fantastic! I used to love the movie.
ReplyDelete