REVIEW: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

📍  The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR

🗓 Tuesday 6th May 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

FANTASTIC FEEL-GOOD FAMILY FUN

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG has flown into Theatre Royal Plymouth on the final stop of its tour, and is already delighting audiences. Based on the iconic 1968 movie starring Dick Van Dyke, the musical is pure escapism and is filled with lots of laughs, great performances, and of course a fantasmagorical car.

As soon as the orchestra launch into the overture a wave of excited nostalgia flew across the auditorium creating a joyous atmosphere. If I'm completely honest I felt the opening 10 minutes or so were a bit slow, however they fulfilled a necessary function. After this there was a shift and things seemed to step up a gear.

The cast here are extremely strong, with not one weak link amongst them. The standout performance for me came from Ellie Nunn who was sensational as Truly Scrumptious. Her vocals had a wonderful purity about them and her divine interpretation of Lovely, Lonely Man was beautifully captivating.

Ore Oduba was perfectly competent as Caractacus Potts and Melody Caruana and Huxley Syers performed with great professionalism and maturity as Jemima and Jeremy, two characters who in the film are quite irritating at times but here are hugely likable and endearing.

Charlie Brooks is always fantastic on the stage and she was delightfully devilish as The Childcatcher, with Liam Fox bringing all the glorious eccentricities you could wish for to Grandpa Potts whilst also displaying extremely strong vocals.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is chaotically comical and whilst the central characters hold the piece firmly in reality, the Vulgarians are insanely absurd and thrilling. Adam Stafford and Michael Joseph are fantastically farcical as the bumbling villians Boris and Goran, somewhat blurring the lines between musical theatre and panto but never fully crossing it. I liked how they were a little bit naughty and their comedy could be appreciated by kids and adults alike.

Jenny Gayner as the Baroness was wonderfully whimsical, and alongside Martin Callaghan as the Baron created a fantastic double act. Both were completely engaging and with Gayner's outstanding vocals and Callaghan's ability to really work an audience, they are a match made in heaven.

The ensemble here are strong and they perform the glorious choreography with sublime presision. They were all individually impressive but I have to give special mentions to Theo UK Rose and Bibi Jay who just drew me to them whenever they were on stage.

This show is visually spectacular. The colourful stage and impressive set pieces all added to the magic, although I'd have liked the lighting design to have been more imaginative. Unfortunately this felt a bit lacklustre.

The star of the show is quite righty Chitty herself and when she flies the magic and wonder is immense.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is the perfect example of a screen to stage adaptation done right. All the wonderful Sherman Brothers songs are here and the story is not messed around with too much, making for nothing more than joyeous escapism. I could watch this production again and again.

The show is playing all week at Theatre Royal Plymouth and avaliability is extremely limited. Click here to book the last remaining tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.  

My ticket for this performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was gifted by Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given. 

FULL CAST LIST:

Ore Oduba as Caractacus Potts; Ellie Nunn as Truly Scrumptious; Melody Caruana as Jemima Potts; Huxley Syers as Jeremy Potts; Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts; Martin Callaghan as Baron; Jenny Gayner as Baroness; Adam Stafford as Boris; Michael Joseph as Goran; Charlie Brooks as The Childcatcher; John Macaulay as The Toymaker; Hadrian Delacey as Lord Scrumptious / Announcer

Ensemble: Charlie Bishop; Ruaraidh Blackwood; Belle Kizzy Green; Kirsty Ingram; Bibi Jay; Theo UK Rose; Emma Jane Smith; Callum Train

Swings: Tia Gyngell; Joe Press; Molly Rees Howe; Luke Woollaston

Plus children from Italia Conti Associates

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 40 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Suitable for all ages