YOU’LL BELIEVE A CAR CAN FLY…
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Venue MK
until Saturday 23rd May
A beautiful and captivating production with performances ready for the West End – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang proves once again that Dreams n Wishes really are one of the region’s best and brightest local theatre companies.
Taking on a show that means so much to so many people is a challenging ask – such memorable characters, so many iconic songs, and the small matter of making a car FLY on stage. The team at Dreams n Wishes delivered on all counts, producing a show that had the audience captivated.
The production itself was first class – using stage props, scenery, costumes and cars from the original show meant that the audience were treated to spellbinding scenes normally restricted to larger stages. As magical as the staging was though, it was the performances of the Dreams n Wishes cast that were the star of the show. It’s no exaggeration to say that some of the performances were West End ready – some serious talent – especially in some of the younger cast. James Down takes on the role of eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts and brings the perfect blend of warmth and comic timing to one of my favourite roles in musical theatre. His rendition of Hushaby Mountain brought a tear to my eye – which turned into more of a weep when Coren Yates made her unexpected and very moving entrance as Mrs Potts. A real stand out moment.
Olivia Taylor-Allkins and Charlotte Amies were on as Jeremy and Jemima – and brought real energy and excitement to the roles. The chemistry between them and Ashley Allsopp as Truly Scrumptious was…well…truly scrumptious.
Listen to Steven Gordon-Wilson catch up with Caractacus, Jeremy and Jemima on Showtime
With such a large cast supporting our four heroes, it’s impossible to pick out favourites – but there was most certainly not a bad performance amongst them! My (notoriously hard to please) 16 year old son was on his feet applauding at the end of the show – and my younger son is still laughing recalling his favourites – the hapless spies Boris and Goran (played by Michael Hutchinson and Stephen Johnson.)
The performance was extraordinary – and if you’re looking for a joyful night out at the theatre that you’ll remember for a long time, then you need to get your tickets for this show whilst you still can, before it closes on Saturday 23rd May. It’s a professional quality show at a fraction of the cost of other tickets – you won’t want to miss out.
This is local theatre done exceptionally well. For me, it was an example of why supporting local theatre is so important for the local and regional cultural scene – and I can’t wait to see their next production.
5 *
Tickets: www.dreamsnwishes.co.uk
