Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin

From the moment the orchestra struck up the opening overture – variations on the theme of the

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

anthem – this spectacular production had the audience eating out of the palm of its hands.

Parents with packs of children and adult couples eager to recapture their youth clapped in time and cheered and booed the baddies throughout the two-hour, 20-minute show.

The ovation at the end was like nothing you would see outside of the commercial theatre setting, perhaps because this stage version of Ian Fleming’s book is a thrilling reminder of how commercial theatre can challenge the increasingly effects-driven world of film.

Real people singing and dancing! A car actually flying! Now that’s 3D! Jeremy Sams’s adaptation opens slowly, assuming a familiarity with the original story that is maintained throughout the script and seems a little paint-by-musical-numbers at times, particularly in the weaker second act.

However once the Potts family are fully immersed in the candy-striped world of the Scrumptious Sweet Factory, all reservations go out the window as director Adrian Noble builds the special effects slowly for a spectacular finale before the interval.

The musical score by the Schuman Brothers provides some memorable numbers. Toot Sweets and Me O’l Bamboo are the best of them, and David Morgan exploits these iconic songs with a brilliant whirl of choreographed movement. Anthony Ward’s costumes add significantly to the visual spectacle in these numbers in particular, using subtly different patterns and colour schemes to suggest the mesmerising spin of a kaleidoscope. Ward is also responsible for the impressive set design, which uses perspective both to add depth and a topsy-turvy sensibility to the world of adventure.

Performances by the large ensemble were uniformly excellent. Darren Bennett’s Caractacus Potts maintained his charming spirit, despite problems with his microphone on opening night, while the Potts children (Mia Jenkins and Max Patrick Weitzman) nearly stole the show with their vocal skills and stamina. But it is Chitty Chitty himself, the true hero of this surreal adventure story for children, flying through the night sky in the grand finale, who will stay longest in the audience’s imagination.

Runs until August 14th