Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Pelican Productions’ staging of children’s favourite “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” offers not only thrilling spectacle, but also a lot of genuine heart. It is a testament to the high quality of the amateur dramatics talent pool in Adelaide, that their work here can proudly stand shoulder to shoulder with most professional productions mounted today.  

One is immediately taken aback by the visual splendour of the proceedings, the projected backdrops that serve as scenery resemble the pages of a children’s storybook come to life, and some are enhanced further by the use of limited animation. The costumes are all strikingly colourful and fittingly, the various props are so impressively intricate (most notably “four fendered friend” Chitty herself) that they emerge as something akin to characters in themselves, provoking applause from the audience whenever they make an entrance. The sometimes dizzyingly nimble dance choreography is the icing on a very rich cake.

That said, the human element is no less impressive. Jason Bensen has “gosh golly gee-whiz” enthusiasm to spare as eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts, but also projects a heartfelt paternal devotion in his (sometimes bungling) attempts to be a good single father which is deeply poignant. Finnegan Green and Zara Blight are endearingly cute, without being cloying, as his precociously imaginative offspring. Caitlin Mortimer-Royle plays Potts’ somewhat idealised love interest with an earthy sensibility that makes her seem relatable to mere mortals, rather than some remote celestial dreamgirl. Max Rayner emerges as a scene stealing delight in the role of the dotty, forgetful but nonetheless adventurous Granpa. This entire family unit have a solid chemistry in their interactions with each other.

Fittingly, for a show derived from an Ian Fleming tale, the villains – played by Daniel Barnett, Emily Wood, Nicholas Winter, Billie Turner and Joel Castrechini – ham it up like they walked off the set of a 70s James Bond film, complete with hysterically over the top pseudo-Germanic accents. A very large chorus acquit themselves well, contributing just enough flair to make the backgrounds come alive, but without distracting from the main story unfolding in the foreground. Some of the cast will be played by different actors on alternate nights, one hopes that they are equally as accomplished as the opening night ensemble.

There were some slight hiccups with the sound mix early on in the proceedings, but hopefully these can be chalked up to first night jitters. For the most part, musical directors Rosie Hosking and Martin Cheney do justice to The Sherman Brothers’ irrepressibly catchy score with suitably energetic arrangements, buoyed by orchestra and vocalists at the top of their game.

No, the only flaws of this production relate to the source material itself. Those cynical adults who dismissed the 60s film as being aggressively sentimental and bombastic are very unlikely to change their minds upon seeing this earnest and unironic stage treatment of the material. Still, children with a taste for adventure, or adults willing to check their cynicism at the door and just roll with the sugar coated craziness of it all, are likely to have a blast with this first rate piece of family entertainment.

Benjamin Orchard

Photographer: Oliver Toth