Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Where do I start ? There was a buzz around the audience waiting for the show to start and they were not disappointed. The colourful sets and costumes were outstanding which really helped in making this show come to life. Add to this Chitty herself and we had a magical, spectacular production. From the overture to the end the orchestra sounded great and the chorus numbers were outstanding especially with the exciting choreography. The child ensemble had to wait until act 2 but it was worth the wait as they were in excellent voice.

Chitty was one of the stars of the show but there were some excellent performances all round. I was very impressed with Jeremy Potts (Harry) and Jemima Potts (Isabella). They were outstanding and displayed strong vocals and played their parts with great confidence. I understand (Theo) as Jeremy and (Martha) as Jemima gave equally outstanding performances. Caractacus Potts (Gary Howson-Smith) gave a good performance although occasionally I felt the character was a little too laid back. Grandpa Potts (Roger Maybury) gave a great performance with a good vocal. Truly Scrumptious (Ruth Blanchard) looked the part and her vocal and characterisation was strong. Lord Scrumtious (Scott Howson-Smith) played his part well. Baron Bomburst (Andrew Bailey) and Baroness Bomburst (Gemma Williams) gave strong quirky performances and complemented each other well. The spies of Boris (Sam Harrison) and Goran (Alicia Clarke) had very good comic characterisations and worked together well. Their accents were good and they had many funny moments especially when they came up the steps onto the stage in bathing suits, flippers, snorkel and goggles. The Childcatcher (William Clarke) gave a very sinister performance and he had great movement around the stage. Everyone played their parts well and contributed to the overall production.

Congratulations must go to the production team of Director Rob Bishop, Musical Director Simon Percy and Choreographer Kirsty Channon. It was a wonderful evenings entertainment and the audience certainly approved. Well done Curtain Up.

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