BANG BANG!!!
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang we love you!!!!!!!!!!
In case you hadn’t guessed already – I went to see the stage show of the above name last night – and it was absolutely fantastic!!!!
To be honest I hardly ever go to West End show’s cos I don’t have the money to do so. It was nice when I was classed as a student as I got reduced price tickets – but it can be so damned expensive to go to these shows now, so I just tend not go. But last night was slightly different as I went with a group of people that had organised a coach trip from Tunbridge Wells right up to the Palladium, all for £30 (including a seat in the Royal Circle). I thought it was pretty good considering it would cost me nearly a tenner to get to London in the first place, so I thought it was a good price.
Anyway – back to the show – to be honest I was tad indifferent about the first 20 minutes of so. I guess when you know the film fairly well (which I do cos I think Dick Van Dyke is such an hilarious actor) the show has something to live up to which by its very nature can never be the same.
The first thing that really struck me was how great the design and staging of the whole show was. The lighting was fantastic – very evocative. I know from personal experience how tricky it can be to evoke different environments on a physically limited set and stage, and they had used some superb effects to simulate rain, wind, movement and water in sewers. The set and costume design was vibrant and exciting -–and the movement of props and set pieces was handled incredibly smoothly (as it is all controlled almost entirely by computer) so the show is incredibly slick.
Of course – the car, Chitty god bless her, really was the star of the show, and although I hate to harp on about just one aspect of the production, it really is deserving of all the praise.
I whole heartedly applaude the vision of the producers, and the designers, and construction workers who created this truly amazing theatrical masterpiece. I understand the theatre car weighs around three-quarters of a ton, and when you see this bloody thing rise up in the air, and move out right over the orchestra pit with 5 people on board – it really is something that has to be seen to be believed!!!!!!!!!!
I mean – we’re all used to seeing extraordinary things on TV and in films. But this is happening right before your eyes, and there’s something that little bit more special about it – cos you know that it is not a cheat (as such) – a car really is being lifted up in the air, and that’s no mean feat!
I really can’t describe how fantastic it was. I have to admit I was sad enough to buy the DVD of the Making of the Show – and right at the end the director says something very poignant about the “magic of the moment”. He said something like – the audience knows that the car is being “flown” by wires, or by a crane, or some such mechanism – but they won’t care about all that because the simple fact that it *IS* flying, is spectacle enough. I applaude that, (and did very loudly) because it’s sheer mechanical genius.
Also not only does the car fly – but it looks fantastic when it’s up in the air. Rows and row of little lights appear around the car to light it up (cos the stage goes completely black to hide the crane mechanism in the shadows) and it looks really shiny and sparkly and new, and, oh just bloody fantastic :-) (Note to myself, stop gushing about the show and the car)
Oh crikey, I’m getting all nostalgic about it already – mind you I’m not as bad as Gareth (one of my actory friends for those of you who don’t know) who’s been to see it 4 times since September!!!!!!
Anyway – if you get the chance to see the show – then do – I promise you, you won’t be disappointed by the end :-)
Swanny says …. Chiiiiiiildren, Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiildren, come out come out whereever you are – It’s your friendly Child Catcher here!!!!!!!!
posted by LAMPS at 23:23