Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Watermill Theatre: A Truly Scrumptious Triumph

★★★★★

Picture: Susannah van den Berg as the fearsome Child Catcher (Pamela Raith)

There is a particular pleasure in watching a much-loved film find new life on stage, and the Watermill Theatre’s summer production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang manages the trick with real affection.  Director Paul Hart has stayed faithful to the story we all know from the 1968 film, while threading in a handful of contemporary jokes and knowing asides that keep the grown-ups chuckling without ever talking over the children’s heads.  It is the Watermill’s signature actor-musician approach once again, with the classic Sherman brothers songs played live by a cast who sing, act and pick up an instrument as the moment demands.

The evening springs its first surprise when the action moves outdoors.  For the haircut-machine scene and “Me Ol’ Bamboo”, the whole audience is invited to troop out of the auditorium and into a fairground tent pitched in the theatre’s garden, taking our seats among the bunting for a sequence that fizzes with energy.  It is exactly the sort of inventive use of the whole site that has become a hallmark of the Watermill’s summer shows, and it works beautifully.

Two of my favourite numbers from the film, aside from the title song, are “Hushabye Mountain” and “The Roses of Success”, and I confess I arrived a little apprehensive that the show might not do them justice.  I need not have worried.  Christian Edwards, returning to the Watermill after last year’s superb Jesus Christ Superstar, delivers a tender, lovely “Hushabye Mountain” as Caractacus Potts.  Mark Curry’s Grandpa Potts then leads a rousing, foot-stomping “The Roses of Success” that had the auditorium grinning.

Picture: Mark Curry and ensemble sing about The Roses of Success (Pamela Raith)

The question everyone asks of a stage Chitty is the obvious one: how on earth do you make the car fly?  The answer, brilliantly and inventively staged, leans on that most theatrical of ingredients, a willing suspension of disbelief.  There are no film special effects here, and the production is all the better for it.  Edison the dog is a delight, and the invasion of the sweet factory by a pack of dogs is handled with real wit.

I am struggling to find fault.  A technical hitch did delay the start of the second half by around ten minutes, but it did nothing to dampen the evening, and a warm cheer went up around the theatre when the front-of-house manager stepped out to confirm the problem was solved.  The standing ovation at the close was thoroughly deserved.

There is a poignant note to this production for those of us at Kennet Radio.  The show is dedicated to the late Chris Boulton, the Greenham Trust Chief Executive and much-loved KR presenter, who died in January.  Through Greenham Trust, Chris helped the Watermill secure the funding that enabled six local primary schools to take part in workshops linked to the show, part of the wealth of local support that has put 26 children from across the area at the heart of the company.  It is a fitting tribute to a man who did so much for the arts in West Berkshire, and a reminder of how closely woven this theatre is into the community it serves.

We are fortunate indeed to have the Watermill on our doorstep.  This is a warm, funny and big-hearted summer show that sends you home humming, and one the whole family will love.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang continues at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, until 13 September. Box office: 01635 46044 or www.watermill.org.uk