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ACT I
The story opens with the garage owner, Coggins, relating to the Potts twins, Jeremy and Jemima, the story of a fabulous racing car that swept all before it. But, at the British Grand Prix, the dastardly Vulgarian racing team sabotaged the car, causing it to crash, so that they could win the race (Prologue). Now the car is a pitiful wreck in Coggins' garage, and he will soon be forced to sell it. The very beautiful Truly Scrumptious arrives on her motorcyle and sidecar. She gives the children a ride home in order to remonstrate with their father that they were not in school. They arrive as the childrens father, Caractacus Potts, is preparing dinner. Truly is annoyed when caratacus does not seem concerned that his children were not in school, but her curiosity is aroused by the many strange inventions in his workshop. He demonstrates to her his sweet making machine but becomes annoyed when she presumes to give him advice about why his candy canes have holes. They quarrel and she leaves angrily. The children tell their father about the car and beg him to pay the 40 shillings that Coggins is asking to buy it. Caractus promises to buy the car, and as he sends his children to bed he agrees with them that Miss Scrumptious was very beautiful but insists he has no need of anyone else since he has You Two. Grandpa joins in the sentiment (Them Three), then rushes after Caractacus when he has an idea on how to raise the money to buy the car.
The next day, Caractacus takes the twins to the Scrumptious sweet factory to try to sell his accidental invention. The holes in his candy canes make them into whistles, he has invented Toot Sweets! He is refused an appointment with Lord Scrumptious, the factory owner, but then Truly arrives and it transpires that she is the daughter of His Lordship. Despite their previous argument, she arranges for Caractacus to get his interview and, after much hard work, it appears he is about to get his deal when the factory is suddenly flooded with dogs that have been attracted by the whistles and he is thrown out.
Elsewhere two Vulgarian spies, Boris and Goran, are planning to obtain the car for their master, Baron Bomburst, who is convinced it has secret mechanisms that will allow him to build a new unbeatable car. But they know that Coggins will not sell the car to two Vulgarians so they resolve to learn to Act English.
Caractacus puts the twins to bed, singing them a lullaby (Hushabye Mountain), before leaving for the fairground in a last attempt to raise money from another of his inventions, a hair cutting machine. Arriving at the funfair (Come to the Fair), Caractacus sets up his machine and soon attracts his first customer. But the machine runs out of control, leaving the customer completely bald and forcing Caractacus to flee his wrath and hide amongst a folk-dancing troop (Me Ol' Bamboo). But the day is saved when a stranger finds him and asks to buy his machine. Caractacus agrees for 40 shillings! He has the money to buy the car.
Back home, Caractacus is not seen seen for days as he works on the car, leaving Grandpa to look after the twins and regale them with stories of his travels (POSH). Truly arrives with a picnic basket just as Caractacus is ready to reveal the results of his efforts. The tent inside which he has been woking is raised and reveals a magnificent motor car. He tries to start the engine, but soon learns it will not do so unless he says please! He invites Truly and the children to join him for a trip in the restored vehicle which he christens Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after the noise it makes. They enjoy a picnic at the seaside, where the children declare that Truly is genuinely Truly Scrumptious. But then a thunderstorm breaks and as they try to leave they discover that they have been cut off by the incoming tide. The children appeal to the car for help and, miraculously, a great airbag inflates transforming the car into a hovercraft to skim over the water. Suddenly they come under fire from a distant ship, it is the Vulgarians who are closing on them and ordering them to give up the car. But the remarkable car speeds away and carries them to safety (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [nautical reprise]).
But before they get home, a Vulgarian airship arrives and, mistaking Grandpa for Caractacus, kidnaps him by carrying him away inside his outdoor privy. The picnickers arrive just in time to witness the abduction and give chase to get Grandpa back. At beachy head, Caractacus sees the cliff edge too late and the car plunges over. It seems they are all doomed, but as plunge toward destruction the car unfolds a set of wings and Chitty Takes Flight, continuing the pursuit.
ACT II
Grandpa, still in his privy, is desposited in Vulgaria where he is welcomed by the Baron and the waiting crowd (The Vulgarian National Anthem). He tries to explain the mistake but back-tracks and pretends to be Caractacus when he realises he will be killed otherwise. A group of other previously kidnapped inventors are brought out to assist him in the project of rebuilding the Baron's car into an unbeatable race. They have already tried and failed but now find renewed confidence in declaring that "from the ashes of disaster bloom The Roses of Success.
Caractacus, Truly and the twins have arrived in Vulgaria, hiding the hidden the car and venturing into the town to search for Grandpa. There they encounter the Toymaker, who warns them to get the children into hiding since all children are forbidden in Vulgaria because the Baroness hates them. He takes them into his toyshop to hide as the childcatcher arrives in the square looking for Kiddy-Widdy-Winkies. The Toymaker agrees to help Caractacus get into the castle to rescue Grandpa and leads him into the sewers to meet some of the Town's children who are in hiding there. While they are gone, the childcatcher tricks his way into the toyshop. Truly delays him to let the children escape but he soon captures them and carries them off in his caged van. Truly takes the bad news to Caractacus, who enlists the aid of the sewer children when he convinces them that a little bit of Teamwork can bring them success.
In the castle, the Baron and Baroness are preparing for the Baron's birthday party and sharing an intimate moment together (Chu-Chi Face). The Baron is eager to learn what is to be the theme for this year's birthday bash, and the Baroness finally reveals it is to be 'Brazilian' (The Bombie Samba"). The Baron is also impatient for his presents, especially when the Baroness tells him the toymaker has a special surprise. He sends for the toymaker who brings in two large boxes. Opening one, he reveals a life-sized doll upon a musical box, and in the other a life-sized marionette. When he winds up their keys, they each seem to come to life singing beautifully (Doll on a Music Box / Truly Scrumptious [reprise]). But it is all a ruse. The two dolls are Truly and Caractacus and they help to overpower the Baron and Baroness as the sewer children burst into the castle.
Meanwhile the twins are forlornly locked away in the dungeons and praying for help (Us Two/Chitty Prayer). Caractacus and Truly eventually locate them but find themselves trapped as the childcatcher comes after them. Caractacus finally confesses his love for Truly and asks her to marry him if they ever get out alive. She agrees, although she does not think they will escape! Then they hear Grandpa singing, the twins run to him, but it's the childcatcher in disguise. It seems he has won. But just then Chitty bursts through the wall with the real Grandpa behind the wheel and pins the childcatcher helpless.
Everyone celebrates as the day is won (Teamwork [reprise]. The anti-children act is repealed and the Baron and Baroness are expelled from Vulgaria. The visitors climb back into the war which now sprouts helicopter blades from the tips of its wings and the Vulgarian people wave and cheer as Chitty Flies Home [finale].
The story of this sumptuous stage production will be well remembered by most of us from the 1968 Dick Van Dyke movie version, and although this version has added one or two additional songs and some updated gags, it remains remarkably true to that version and retains much of its magic and originality. It is, in effect, a modern(ish) fairy tale that appeals enormously to the many children in the audience, whilst calling upon the adults to suspend their disbelief, release their inner-child and wallow in the sheer joy and spectacle. With weird foreigners, charming children, eccentric sceintists, comic-book baddies, and the 'Little and Large' of international espionage, all of whom break into song and dance at the drop of a hat, this is hardly a thinking man's production. What it is is very much a family show - a toe-tapping, hand-clapping, booing (the childcatcher) and cheering (Chitty) version of the classic family film which, provided you view it that light, provides a memorable and truly rewarding experience.
The sets and costumes are, for a touring production, quite remarkable, with a bewildering number of scene changes, elaborate back-drops, and clever and intricate mechanical devices (like the breakfast, sweet-making and hair-cutting machines). Most elaborate of all however was Chitty herself. Having reportedly set a record for the most expensive stage prop of around £750,000 she brought a spontaneous ovation from the audience the first time she was revealed and wowed them whenever she took flight. In fact she reached such a steep angle in some of the flying sequences that one had to wonder how the passengers were kept from falling out! The small army of dogs that scamper onto the stage and mob Lord Scrumptious in the first act add another level of charm to the proceedings.
The impressively large cast (around 70 including alternate child groups) certainly enter the spirit of the thing with some sparkling dance routines and toe-tapping big production numbers. True, some of the numbers are lightweight (the new additions in particular were not in my mind up to the overall standard), but overall they are for the most part bouncy and musical with a real feel-good factor. A sprinkling of slower ballads provide a refreshing change of pace as well as giving the lead performers an opportunity to really display their vocal talents.
Leading the cast on the night were undertudies Geoffrey Abbott as Caractacus Potts (standing in for former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy [Curly Watts]), and Maria Ward as Truly (standing in for Rachel Stanley) - who both took their opportunities with some aplomb. Of course in Geoffrey's case it is inevitable that some comparison must be drawn with Dick Van Dyke's memorable and iconic performance in the movie version, an extremely hard act to follow, but he did so extremely well. He lacks the sheer magnetic personality of Van Dyke, but he has his own quieter brand of charm that one increasingly warms to over the course of the evening as well as a fabulous singing voice, put to particular effect in "Hushabye Mountain". Maria's singing voice was also truly scrumptious as was her acting ability and her rendition of "Doll on a music box" was for me one of the musical highlights - one of the few disappointments of the show was that her delightful voice was not used more. Ken Morley (formerly Coronation Street's Reg Holdsworth) was in his element giving a classic perfomance as the mad, bad Baron, equally matched by Kim Ismay as the Baroness in some wonderfully comic sequences. Christopher Timothy, meanwhile (James Herriott in TV's "All Creatures Great and Small), was cringemakingly evil as the oily and unctious childcatcher. Threatening to steal the show, however, was ten year old Lydia Bradd whose expressive and animated performance as Jemima was quite remarkable from one so young.
A fantasmagorical epic of a musical. Great performances, lively music and stunning visuals make this a treat for all the family.