‘SENSATIONAL, Spectacular Superlative’’ - Enough praise cannot be lavished upon StagedRight’s majestic production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Carlisle Sands Centre last weekend.

The Cumbria youth theatre team comprising of 80 youngsters reached for the skies by pulling off a trailblazing production of Sir Ian Fleming’s classic children’s book.

The hugely entertaining musical was a rip-roaring success and more than did justice to this masterful national treasure penned by the man who created James Bond. 

To take on such an ambitious project has responsibility when you see the illustrious names associated including Fleming, Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli, Roald Dahl and of course the incomparable Dick Van Dyke. 

But StagedRight more than did justice with a thunderous production that quickly got the audience on board and airborne. 

This was a charming rendition…with all the bells and whistles. 

The excellent live orchestra helping to smash out the old favourites sung superbly. There were laughs, there were boos and hisses sprinkled with pyrotechnics and a few live surprises.

To aficionados of this evergreen classic The 1910 vintage Chitty Chitty Bang Bang leaves Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 on terra firma.

Yes you could eject villians - but it couldn't fly! 

Needless to say none of the six originals from the 1968 movie made a fly-in appearance - the replica vintage car made several star turns (literally) in several curtain raising appearances. 

There were so many brilliant individual performances but the standout performer was the cast itself.

StagedRight's cast took off the beloved characters with aplomb...Caractacus Potts, Jemima and Jeremy, Truly Scrumptious, Grandpa, and the dastardly Baron Bomburst of Vulgaria. Not forgetting the doyen of panto villains The Childcatcher.

The doll on a music box scene was beautifully executed, the childcatcher waved away the jeers with his net. 

The two slapstick spies are worthy of a mention as they pulled off an hilarious cameo worthy of their rapturous applause at the end.  

All productions come in kit form and the team of 80 girls and boys and production staff turned this flying car musical into a polished, well oiled dream machine of a performance.       

The long standing ovation from a packed audience on Saturday night was testament to painstaking effort, attention to detail and labour of love by the entire StagedRight production. 

It was a thumping musical that eerily places last year's Phantom of the Opera in the shade. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was supported by sponsorship from Story Homes, Ast Signs, The Lanes Shopping Centre, Bourne Business  Centre, Premier Electrical and Liberty Workwear

StagedRight is Cumbria's award winning Youth Theatre and professional production company specialising in Musical Theatre for students aged 4-18.