Chitty revealed 🚗
Another review for you, plus deals from £15
Well, I may have got a little distracted from the newsletter due to today’s unexpected election announcement! But I’m excited to bring you a review for a classic family favourite today thanks to the team at the New Wimbledon Theatre.
AD - gifted. I received free tickets to this show, however my review remains completely impartial!
I’ve only ever seen the film version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and always remember it being a bit quirky to say the least! If anything the stage production takes that characteristic to a new level - there’s added songs that are perhaps not needed, and all the characters seem ten times bigger and sillier than I remember. Yes, it’s a bit outdated as a premise. Jokes don’t land as well as expected. And if you’re looking for nostalgia, some parts do lack the iconic pizzazz of the original motion picture - the Child Catcher’s cart for example is a bit of a disappointment for such a well-known, frightening moment. However visually there are many treats. I love the fairground ride costumes in the funfair scene, and Me Ol’ Bamboo suitably brings the house down with stunning choreography from Karen Bruce.
Adam Garcia has charm as the eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, although could give a bit more vocally. Charlie Brooks brings her villainous background to give a new angle to the role of the Child Catcher. Bibi Jay (standing in for Jenny Gayner as the Baroness) is really funny, although Adam Stafford (Boris) and Michael Joseph (Goran) take the crown for comedy with their truly bonkers Vulgarian double act! There’s certainly a lot more jokes for the adults than there are for the kids in this one…
Purists may be a tad disappointed, and there’s certain pieces of staging and direction that are a little clunky in its modernisation. But at the end of the day I sat there with a smile on my face throughout the evening, laughing along with the rest of them. And you can’t go wrong with such a fantastic flying car on display, which rightly gets its own bow at the end.
You can catch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Wimbledon until 26 May - there’s tickets from just £13. Then it continues to fly across the country until May 2025 on its UK tour.
Happy ticket-buying!
Rochelle 🎭🎫
Carrying the banner
In the news this week…
Nadia Fall announced as new artistic director of the Young Vic
Cast album for Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are released
I’m kind of a big deal
This week TodayTix has launched a Spring Theatre Sale with tickets from just £15. There’s some big names in here, and although not all of them have massive discounts on offer, there’s definitely the opportunity to save a few pounds on fees instead.
To highlight a few shows… the West End transfer of Next to Normal has £25 tickets in row B of the stalls on this deal. The Enormous Crocodile at Regent’s Park has some top seats for just £20 (and even more at £15). There’s still lots of £15 tickets for The Hills of California too. Dates are available throughout the next few months.
These kind of sales tend to last the week, sometimes two, but of course for the best choice of seats book sooner rather than later.
Hey big spender
Here’s your discounts, offers and cheap seats this week.
🚨 Free theatre klaxon! Sky Arts will be showing the My Favourite Things concert on Sunday 26 May at 6pm as part of a weekend of Rodgers and Hammerstein programming. WOS has put together a useful little guide.
🏃 New rush alert! You can now get £25 rush tickets for A View from the Bridge at Theatre Royal Haymarket through TodayTix.
There’s £15 tickets for Coram Boy in Manchester.
Get £15 tickets to The Colour of Dinosaurs at the Polka Theatre.
There’s £17.25 tickets for Slave Play.
Get £18 tickets to Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour in London.
There’s some great £20 tickets for the next Showstopper! on 10 June.
And there’s more good £20 tickets for The Glass Menagerie at Alexandra Palace.
It’s your very last chance to get £25 dancefloor tickets to Priscilla the Party before it closes this weekend!
There’s £25 tickets for Heathers.
Get £25 tickets for Babies.
And don’t forget these £29.50 best seats tickets for Life of Pi in Bath at tomorrow’s and Friday’s matinees. Use code TIGER2950.
Don’t throw away your shot
Competitions, on-sales and announcements.
The National is transferring three of its Death of England plays to Soho Place from July. Tickets are on sale now - if you’re feeling brave you can do all three in one day and save some money!
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World will transfer to The Other Palace. Tickets are on sale - your young Six fans will love this!
There’s going to be a new musical version of Coraline touring the UK in 2025. It will open at Leeds Playhouse before visiting Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Check the individual theatre sites for on-sale dates.
The Hampstead Theatre has announced its autumn/winter season - tickets for all shows are already on sale.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow has just extended its West End run to 16 Feb 2025. Tickets are on sale now, and you can watch their snazzy new trailer too.
And finally win tickets for Exciting Science in Croydon.
That’s all for this week. If you enjoyed the newsletter, please tell your friends. I’m also open to suggestions and requests for certain discounts, so do drop into my DMs. Right, time for an evening off to binge some Bridgerton at last! 🪭
