Lift Off With Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Some of the young cast. Photo (c) Simon Coates Photography.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Albany Theatre, Coventry, until 6 May 2023.

Review by Alison Manning.

If you need a burst of joyful energy, get yourself down to the Albany theatre to see Coventry Youth Operetta Group (YOG) perform Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, on till Saturday 6 May. This is a show packed full of lively performers (literally, 73 of them in total!) all brimming with an enthusiasm as magical as the flying car of the title.

The sheer coordination involved in organising so large a cast of children and young people through singing, dancing, dodging round the orchestra pit and, even, bravely, explosive jump-inducing pyrotechnic flares, as well as a few large props, such as the eponymous car, is frankly astounding and the resulting show a delight.

To many the story, based on the book by Ian Fleming, later made into a famous 1968 film, probably needs little introduction. For the few unfamiliar with it, it tells the tale of inventor Caractacus Potts, his two delightful children, their new friend Truly Scrumptious and the magical former racing car he restores, which soon becomes the target of Vulgarian spies.

Members of Coventry Youth Operatic Group. Photo (c) Simon Coates Photography.

Jessie Wilson and Martin Foley, as Truly Scrumptious and Caractacus Potts, show themselves to be seasoned performers, and are particularly impressive in the clockwork toy scene. Theo Oliver and Elise Harris also shine in their great comedic roles of Baron and Baroness, interacting well with each other, Vulgarian accents and all. The pair that steal the show, however, are the youngest principal performers James Cowley and Delilah Bradley, both aged just 10, who play Caractacus’s children Jeremy and Jemima Potts and win the audience over with their sheer cuteness. Delilah in particular throws her all into her acting and impressive singing, with her obvious delight in performing being apparent in the finale.

The car itself is also impressive, more than just a shiny large prop, but an integral presence, central to the plot and really bringing the story to life as we see the Potts family and Truly climb onboard and set off for a seaside picnic. The lighting is powerful too in adding to the changing atmosphere of sunny sequences, thunderstorms and magical dramatic flying scenes.

At times there were slight timing issues, particularly when waiting for a certain car to be ready, but these are forgivable, especially on opening night and pale into insignificance by the sheer enthusiasm of the performers who are clearly having fun. The whole cast pulls together to put on an impressive, enjoyable performance, proving indeed, as the line from the song goes, that ‘team work can make a dream work’ and that children are indeed powerful.

You can catch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Albany Theatre on Thursday 4 May, Friday 5 May and Saturday 6 May at 7.30pm, and there is also a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. We are hoping to bring you photos from the show soon.

Tickets can be booked on the Albany Theatre’s website: https://www.albanytheatre.co.uk/shows/yog-chitty-chitty-bang-bang/