Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Milton Keynes Theatre, 4th - 14th May 2016

Ian Flemming's Chitty Citty Bang Bang has to be one of the most loved musicals of all time and it has landed at Milton Keynes Theatre!

There is only one word which fits this utterly brilliant show...FANTASMAGORICAL!

Despite having a hoard of stars in this production, it's Chitty that steals the limelight.

When the dilapidated famous old racing car, Chitty emerges from the inventors garage all gleaming and new, the audience broke into spontaneous applause - it was truly a childhood memory moment for us all...and the children in the audience loved her too!

Lee Mead is a wonderful Caractacus Potts, playing the broken hearted eccentric inventor well.

His scenes with his on stage children Jeremy (Henry Kent) and Jemima (Lucy Sherman) were wonderful, very touching and Mead's vocal talent is undeniable.

Both Potts children were fantastic, totally charming in all of their scenes.  I loved the wonderful Truly Scrumptious song with Carrie Hope Fletcher as Truly.  Carrie gave a lovely, sweet and innocent performance, she was enchanting.

The child catcher, Matt Gillett was eerie (as he should be) I was always scared as a child when he appeared!

The Baron "Bomby" and his wife the Baroness played by Shaun Williamson and Michelle Collins both of Easters fame, were fantastic and as eccentric as you would expect.  They both gave great performances with Williamson showing his inner child and Collins her sultry child hating characters to a T.



Andy Hockley as Grandpa Potts was brilliant as were the Vulgarian spies Boris (Sam Harrison) and Goran (Scott Paige).  They were hysterical and had the audience eating out of the palms of their hands.

The set is simple but so clever, it gives space for Chitty to spread her wings and fly across the stage.  With the clever usage of video projection behind her you would believe it was real - sheer theatre magic!

The choreography by Stephen Mear was fabulous, especially the "Me Ol' Bamboo" number and "Doll on a Music box", all accompanied by the extremely talented live band.

All in all, this is a truly scrumptious production and I couldn't help myself singing along to the title song "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" at the end!

A wonderful night at the theatre that simply cannot be missed.

Enjoy!

Lily B X