Kings Theatre Portsmouth – until 19th April 2026
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
5*****
Portsmouth Theatres are back with another astounding production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
This well renowned musical has hit Kings Theatre with as much of a bang as the name suggests! Beautifully crafted, much like Chitty, this production is a tour de force!!
We follow the beloved story of Caractacus Potts (Paul Clements) and his children Jeremy and Jemima (Daniel Deboo and Logan Briant) as they meet Truly Scrumptious (Stephanie Aves) go on an adventure to save Grandpa Potts (Peter Colley) from the clutches of the Baron and Baroness Bomburst (John Bettesworth and Andre Jordan). Along the way, we meet The Toymaker (Shaun Williamson) and Boris and Goran (Curtis Mclennen and Ben Irish) who integrally hide children from the hands of The Childcatcher (Matt Gibbens) and detect the fantasmogorical car from afar, respectively.
This was a truly superb performance. There was no a single step wrong, nor was there any aspect to detract the audience from the magic happening on stage. Directed and cast by Jack Edwards, he has made some incredible choices that bring this show to life. Paul Clements was the perfect Caractacus, with vocals excelling and dancing in perfect time-‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’ was a triumph as he perfectly danced with precision and comedic genius. Stephanie Aves as Truly Scrumptious is the essence of the original Truly (Sally Ann Howes) with such grace and expertise and vocally she was encapsulating. ‘Doll on a Music Box’ is one of my favourite songs from the show and Aves performed with clarity and integrity. Ben Irish as Goran the spy, was standout! He had wit, perfect comedic timing and really personified the character in such a way that I couldn’t help but smile! The whole cast was fantastic, but Shaun Williamson deserves a special mention. He was presented with a dressing room named after him, as well as being a patron! The outstanding part of his performance was, as it transpired, he learnt the role a day earlier and stepped in last minute-making his rendition as the Toymaker and Lord Scrumptious extra delicious!
I was completely in awe at every moment of this show, I couldn’t help but wiggle in my seat, laugh, cry and amaze at the fabulous Chitty and her adventure! If you love the old classics, ‘Toot Sweet’ ‘Hushabye Mountain’ and ‘Grow the Roses’ to name a few, this is certainly one to watch. This easily could have been a West End production and I am eager to see what delights we will be seeing next!