Ian Fleming's motorised creation came careering into the Bristol Hippodrome and proved itself as much of a hit as lovers of his book, or the 1968 film - could have hoped.
 | | The evil Child-Catcher is here! |
An enthusiastic audience - whipped up to a frenzy by the sight of Chitty itself standing outside in all its glory as they entered the building - was in the mood for a good night out - and at no point was it disappointed. From the first bars of the title tune overture, conducted with gusto by Greg Arrowsmith, to the final encores and the standing ovation, the audience was completely gripped by the sheer spectacle and warmth of the show. For anyone not familiar with the story, it centres on the eccentric Potts family - inventor father Caractacus (Gary Wilmot), slightly dotty Grandpa (Gregor Fisher) and motherless twins Jeremy and Jemima. This poor, but happy group find their life changing when the children decide to adopt a dilapidated former racing car which they have fallen in love with - and the beautiful daughter of the local sweet factory owner, Truly Scrumptious enters their lives. All manner of adventures then ensue, with flaky inventions going wrong, foreign spies trying to steal the car, kidnapping, mad-as-hatter aristocrats and of course an evil Child-Catcher. And along the way there are some great performances, colourful and inventive sets, creative special effects, a pack of dogs and a plethora of wonderful musical numbers - and of course the amazing Chitty. Spies like these The whole ensemble feel of the show, and its large cast of 70, makes it difficult to pull out key performances - though my mother was particularly taken by the Vulgarian spies Boris and Goran (played with great humour by Jaymz Denning and Cornelius Clarke), and my son was very impressed, and slightly jealous, of young Jeremy and Jemima (Arthur Byrne and Dominique Skinner on the night we attended). Gary Wilmot was warm and endearing, Gregor Fisher displayed just the right amount of eccentricity and the Baron and Baroness (David Henry and Louise Plowright) played off each other perfectly.
 | | Mistaken identity for Grandpa Potts |
I must admit to a little apprehension about the Child-Catcher, a character I was terrified of as a child watching the film, and to be honest, still find unbearably creepy. And Kevin Kennedy, in wonderfully scary make-up and costume, complete with sinister voice, did a very good job - though if I was nit-picking (which I guess I am) I'd say he needed to be slightly more cajoling and persuasive in trying to lure the children to him than he appeared. But the real star of the show was of course the car - a really magical creation that attracted both applause and a stunned silence from an awed audience. Gary Wilmot told the BBC that he has seen grown men moved to tears when they see Chitty fly on stage - and I have to admit to a small lump in my own throat when it took to the air. "More than spectacular.." - definitely! | 
