Review | Not the most pretty Chitty and certainly not a shi**y Chitty, just a bitty Chitty… but Elaine C Smith is magnificent
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Edinburgh Playhouse ⭐️⭐️⭐️
If the conversation in the Dress Circle pre show was of having nightmares about the Child Catcher, it was of the original, the terrifying Robert Helpmann in the 1968 blockbuster movie adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The reminiscing was that of parents recalling their own early memories of Ian Fleming’s family favourite. Consequently, the big question on everyone’s mind was, ‘What would Scotland’s National Treasure, Elaine C Smith, bring to the role?’ Chilling, insidious threat, the answer.
The Child Catcher aside, the tale of the phantasmagorical flying racing car has charmed and thrilled generations in equal measure with its cast of nutty characters and epic sense of adventure.
For those yet to see it, the tale revolves around young Jeremy and Jemima Potts and their inventor father Caractacus, potty Grandpa. When they meet Truly Scrumptious, daughter of the local sweetie maker, all four are soon caught up in a wicked plot by the comically evil Baron and Baroness, rulers of Vulgaria. They have sent agents to steal the plans of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in order to build the ultimate racing car in a bid to make Vulgaria great again. And so the Potts find themselves trapped in a childless realm, desperately trying to escape the attentions of the dreaded Child Catcher.
It’s a great adventure, a huge romp, but with a first act running time of 80 minutes and a second act duration of 60 minutes it’s certainly a long one. Overly so. That said, on the surface it does what it says on the tin and proves a bright, colourful evening of laughs, music and magical wonder that manages to keep kids and adults alike occupied throughout.
Performed within a ‘copper’ fender-themed picture frame set, Morgan Large’s stage design is simple. Sparsely dressed, a never ending flow of boxes and bits are ferried on and off stage by the hard-working ensemble, creating required settings – it’s an effective but time consuming device for changing scenes but often results in a surplus of bodies that overwhelm the action going on around them.
That action is delivered by a 11-strong principal cast led by Adam Garcia as Caractacus Potts. If Garcia does a workmanlike job, Ellie Nunn positively glows as Truly Scrumptious, her warm, vivacious performance is commanding when required, tender when called to be and proves the turn of the show. Nunn’s charismatic stage presence is matched by the show-stealing antics of Vulgaria’s hapless spies, Boris and Goran. Adam Stafford and Michael Joseph ensure they milk their every line for all it’s worth and are sure-fire hits with the audience. Needless to say, they have all the best one-liners and are another highlight of the production.
Less successful is the inclusion of a puppet dog complete with puppeteer, a current fad in musical theatre that just adds to the clutter on stage. As the flatulent ‘understudy’ Barron, Hadrian Delacey relishes his every moment of cheeky outrage to great comic effect, while Bibi Jay’s ‘understudy’ Baroness hams it up shamelessly.
Frenetic it may be, but there’s a perfunctory feel to much of Thom Souterland’s direction and Karen Bruce’s choreography and at times the lack of an eye for detail niggles; Grandpa’s cludgie is uninspired, a picnic hamper is reduced to a school lunch box that somehow still feeds four and the mismatched uniforms of the Vulgarian guard, jar. Thankfully the true star of the show lives up to expectations, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is spectacular – you will believe a car can fly, just not out over the auditorium, anymore. It’s a magical, twinkling coup de theatre that draws gasps and wows of awe.
Likewise, with an eerie reverb on her vocal, Elaine C Smith is magnificent and suitably chilling as The Child Catcher, sniffing out the kiddies with her grotesque ‘nose trumpet’. Smith casts a sinister shadow over each scene she appears in without being too scary and is duly rewarded at the Curtain by a reception that begins as heavy booing before erupting into cheers and applause for the local hero.
The nine-piece orchestra, under the baton of Jessica Viner, certainly works for its money with no less than 29 mostly memorable musical numbers to get through and, of course, the title song is a showstopper and quickly has the audience clapping along. However, compared with previous touring productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, while this one might not be the most pretty Chitty, it’s certainly not a sh**y Chitty, just a bitty Chitty.
Runs at Edinburgh Playhouse until 1 June. Tickets here. Tour dates and tickets here.