Review: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Watermill Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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There are certain highlights of the calendar each summer that theatre lovers always look forward to. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's summer season and the London Palladium summer musical are two of them, but you need to venture slightly outside of London to find the third. The small but mighty Watermill Theatre in Newbury has proven to be consistently impressive with its ambitious and inventive stagings in recent years, so it feels fitting that this summer's musical offering focuses on an inventor with a new production of the much-loved family favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. This felt like a surprising and bold choice, even from the theatre that wowed audiences with Lord Of The Rings three years ago, but would this production manage to fly, or would it struggle to stay afloat?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang first came to life with Ian Fleming's novel, reaching new heights with the iconic 1968 movie that was always a regular staple in the All That Dazzles household when I was growing up. The stage adaptation debuted in 2002, last seen flying around theatres in the UK on a tour two years ago. The story sees inventor Caractacus Potts, his two children and their new friend Truly Scrumptious find themselves in an unexpected adventure when they attempt to save an old racecar from being destroyed. Taking flight in their new car, they race to save Grandpa, avoid being captured by the Childcatcher and stop the Vulgarians from getting their hands on their beloved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

There's something so delightful about watching a childhood favourite come to life on stage in front of you. It doesn't matter how old you are; that sense of childlike wonder is instantly restored, and I found myself with the biggest smile on my face the moment the show started. The bones are there in this story - the issue is what the Watermill is going to do to put their own stamp on it, so it is clear this is not the same production that has been a regular fixture at UK theatres over the last decade or so.

The answer to that is something the Watermill is becoming known for. Their recent summer musicals Lord Of The Rings and Jesus Christ Superstar each featured moments where the audience are moved outside of the theatre for part of the show to make full use of their beautiful garden space. This time around, the garden has become the funfair, and Potts instructs everyone to follow him. What follows is perhaps the most joyous 10 minutes of theatre you will ever see, with a dazzling and immersive production of ‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’, astonishing in its execution. It is this unique selling point that makes the Watermill's summer musical such a must-see each year, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is no exception.

If I'm honest, the action didn't always reach the same heights inside, with something seemingly lacking in comparison to their recent summer musicals. While I understand the difficulty of making a car fly in such an intimate space and would have been pretty shocked if they had pulled off that overly ambitious feat, I did get the sense that this wasn't quite as creative as I am used to from their high standard, though the reliance of imagination certainly worked for the production. I was left longing for something a bit more. That said, the action still ticked along in fine fashion, with Paul Hart's playful direction never losing its sense of whimsy and wonder.

Katie Lias’ set design does a solid job transforming the intimate space inside, with fun details to be found outside as well - it isn’t just the fun fair where the audience can roam, there are also a variety of lawn games and picture ops, once again demonstrating how fun a trip to the Watermill always is. Creative video design from Daniel Denton makes the space feel grander than it is, with Jai Morjaria’s lighting used to fantastic effect throughout. A strong use of choreography from Anjali Mehra lifted the performances, resulting in some spectacular sequences, including a suitably sweet rendition of ‘Toot Sweets’, though it is the performance of ‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’ that proves the undoubted standout, with Mehra’s choreography and Hart’s direction creating something truly magical.

This production did feel a bit rough around the edges at times, lacking a bit of polish I am used to seeing at the Watermill, with the sense that perhaps it could have used a bit more fine-tuning before this production could fully fly. Such is the nature of this wonderful theatre, however, that all of that added to its charm, with a dreaded press night show stop resulting in several of the most entertaining moments of the production, and demonstrating just how talented the cast are when thinking on their feet.

Talented isn’t a fitting enough word for the cast here. As always, the Watermill have hired some of the most sensational performers in the business in an actor-muso production that sees main characters don an instrument, and brilliantly incorporate it in the story (in another masterstroke of Hart’s direction). Christian Edwards charms as Caractacus Potts in a strong leading performance every bit as sweet as it is charismatic. From beautiful vocals on ‘Hushabye Mountain’ to a sickeningly adorable ‘You Two’, he is in fine form throughout. It is his interaction with the audience that sets his performance, with some hilarious off-the-cuff moments as the audience is moved to the outdoor setting.

Mark Curry is delightfully chaotic and comedic as Grandpa Potts, beautifully tapping into the eccentricity of the character and, at times, reminding me of his time as the wonderful Wizard in Wicked. Lydia Louise is perfectly lovely as Truly Scrumptious, ironically coming alive during her standout sequence, ‘Doll On A Music Box’. A group of talented children rotate the roles of the Potts children, Jemima and Jeremy, with Auora Breslin and Francis Adams delivering fine performances at the one I attended, more than holding their own against their adult counterparts.

Though Chitty Chitty Bang Bang boasts a consistently strong cast, it is the Vulgarians who steal the show - far more successfully than their attempts to steal Chitty itself. Samuel Morgan-Grahame is wonderfully over the top as Baron Bomburst, resulting in some of the more hilarious moments of this production, with Mairi Ikegami coming into her own in her late appearance as Baroness Bomburst. It is the double act of Boris and Goran that had me howling, however. Sam Pay and Alexander Zane prove to be a force to be reckoned with as the hapless duo, with perfect comic timing, as they ramp up the silly factor. It was their impromptu stand-up routine during the show stop that really demonstrated their strengths, with Zane in particular leaving me in hysterics with his faultless ability to adapt with the situation without breaking character even for a second. Perhaps I am missing the point of this show by rooting for the Vulgarians, but when they are all as sensational as this, it’s hard not to.

The level of care and creativity that goes into the Watermill Theatre’s summer musical never ceases to amaze me. It is no wonder that they have been voted theatre of the year on multiple occasions, and several of their recent productions have moved elsewhere. They have a certain irresistible quality to them, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is another fine example of that. Though it’s not perfect, and may not be quite up there with last year’s Jesus Christ Superstar, it proves to be the perfect remedy for a dreary world, filling an evening with childlike wonder and possibility. Though the car may not completely fly, it doesn’t stop this production from soaring to impressive heights in another reminder of the quality that can be found in the most surprising locations for theatres around the country.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang plays at the Watermill until 13th September. Tickets from https://www.watermill.org.uk/events/chitty

Photos by Pamela Raith