Four-Fendered Family Friend Flies into Adelaide

Ian Fleming’s wonderful family tale Chitty Chitty Bang Bang couldn’t be further removed from his famous James Bond series, except perhaps for the fact that very imaginative and fantastically equipped motor vehicles feature in each. Now the stage musical version of the classic story about the Potts family and a flying car is about to touch down in Adelaide for an April school holiday season, courtesy of Pelican Productions.

Audiences are in for plenty of singing, dancing and flights of fancy as one hundred and twenty of Adelaide’s most talented actors aged seven years upwards bring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to life. Amongst them is Finnegan Green, a top one hundred finalist from The Voice Kids, who is reprising his lead role as Jeremy Potts. He first took the role in a recent professional production that toured Australia.

I asked Finnegan what he learned about Jeremy Potts when he first played him and how he’ll use that knowledge in Pelican Productions' version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

‘The main thing I learnt when I first played Jeremy Potts in the professional show in Adelaide was how to maintain the enthusiasm of his character throughout the show,’ Finnegan said. ‘Even though this time it's the same script it actually feels quite different because I'm playing opposite different people. They bring something new and different and so it means I do as well.’

When I asked Finnegan if his experience with The Voice Kids had added new dimensions to his performance of the role he said, ‘The Voice experience was an awesome and really action-packed week with quite a lot of pressure at times. When I finally got to the stage and sang with the amazing band in front of the judges it was all worth it. What I bring from that to my role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is that hard work really pays off in the learning stages so that when you get to the shows you can really relax and enjoy yourself.’

Finnegan Green shares the role of Jeremy Potts with two other fine young actors, Joshua Spiniello who has played both the Artful Dodger and young Peter Allen, as well as Flynn Miller, who has played many lead roles in other Pelican Productions' shows.

Like Finnegan Green, many of the show’s young performers have Chitty Chitty Bang Bang experience already, having performed in the children's ensemble of the professional production in 2013. 

In fact, the young cast has many professional credits. Angus Birdseye and Jason Bensen share the role of Caractacus Potts, the eccentric inventor and father to Jeremy and Jemima.  Angus made his professional debut playing Kurt in The Sound of Music at the Festival Centre in 2001. Zara Blight, who shares the role of Jemima made her professional debut with Windmill Theatre Company's Girl Asleep.

Pelican Productions’ Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the Australian non-professional premiere of the show and the company is clearly proud to be entrusted with the classic musical.

Pelican’s Jen Frith and Kylie Green were keen to add more about the cast.

‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a musical that requires actors with a vast age range, which makes it a unique show in itself,’ said Jen Frith. ‘Our production has actors from the age of seven years old all the way through to Grandpa Potts, played by iconic Adelaide actor Max Rayner. Max has devoted much of his life to theatre and has directed, choreographed or acted in ninety shows in Adelaide.  His first role was in 1978 in the Met's production of Viva Mexico.’

‘While many of our performers have had professional experiences, our casting process for the show did not take this into consideration,’ said Kylie Green. ‘In the lead roles we cast excellent singers as well as natural, engaging actors. Truly Scrumptious will be played by Rebecca Taylor and Caitlin Mortimer-Royle, both as first time leading ladies. We were incredibly impressed with their genuineness and natural interpretation of the character. We were looking for someone who would bring their own interpretation to the role, who would not be influenced by such a well-known character.’

The cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang also includes three children's ensembles, with twenty four young singers and dancers in each, along with a young adult ensemble.

Despite all the aforementioned talent, one very old and very important cast member is likely to steal the show from the young human performers. In this production Chitty is to be played by a genuine 1923 Model T Ford.

Scott Green explained to me how Chitty’s role was…er…cast.

‘I have been involved with Pelican Productions since their first show, as my wife is one of the directors and Phil McLaughlin has been involved for two years since his daughter Erin started with Pelican Productions,’ he said.  ‘This project is the biggest yet with lots of sets and of course a car that flies! We debated whether to build a car from scratch and in the end decided to use a body from the 1920's era. We found a partly restored 1923 Model T Ford for sale in Geelong. The owner had been restoring it over a forty-year period but had decided he wouldn't finish it and was happy for it to be transformed into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.’

The company engaged a mechanical engineer to examine the technicalities of lifting the vehicle and at last the 1923 Model T Ford was transformed into the magical flying car we all know and love.

Scott Green is obviously enormously proud of the achievement with the car. ‘The highlight for Phil and I,’ he said, ‘was working from the simplicity of the Model T where the body is only held in by six bolts, to a far more complicated vehicle with retractable wings, an air power hovercraft with a real personality of its own.’

You’d be potty to miss the fantastic flying adventures of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It’s a show for all the family and a highlight of Adelaide’s April school holiday period.

Lesley Reed

WHEN: April 19-26.

WHERE: Scott Theatre, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide.

BOOKINGS: trybooking.com.au

TICKETS: Adults $40, Concession $32, Children $25.

Images: Finnegan Green who shares the role of Jeremy Potts and Zara Blight who shares the role of Jemima.

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