Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

It's rare to find a touring musical that doesn't feel second-rate in some way or other.

Scaled-down sets and less starry performers are the norm, which is why Cats - an ensemble show that travels light - is such a perennial favourite.

It took several decades to get Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on the stage - mechanical flying car and all - so it's perhaps unsurprising that the creative team haven't allowed a second-rate version to tarnish the reputation of their fine four-fendered friend.

OK, so we have Joe McFadden rather than Michael Ball, but the Scottish actor gives a sweet Hushabye Mountain and the chemistry between his Caractacus and Marissa Dunlop's Truly Scrumptious is spot on.

Gregor Fisher's Grandpa Potts is about a far away from Rab C as you can get, Nigel Garton's Child Catcher is seriously scary as opposed to camp, and a large cast of local children shine in surprisingly demanding roles.

Only the most stubborn curmudgeon could fail to delight in the visual spectacle of this production, directed by Adrian Noble and designed by Anthony Ward. When Chitty takes off, the gasps and spontaneous applause are well earned.

If ensemble numbers such as Me Ol' Bamboo aren't quite as tight or joyful as they could be, the show's galloping pace and a series of genuine thrills compensate. A surprising song-and-dance highlight is The Roses of Success, an anthem about perseverance performed by a team of decrepit Vulgarian inventors.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang features wonderful sets and fabulous costumes, but underneath the shiny wrapping paper there's a thrilling family adventure story, too. The moustaches, maps and eagle motifs may reference a very specific time and place, but the idea of a population of child-averse adults who want all the toys for themselves works on many levels.

Reviewed January 2006 at Edinburgh Playhouse.