Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the musical will open at the London Palladium in April, in a new production adapted from the film by Jeremy Sams and directed by Adrian Noble, the artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show is being designed by Anthony Ward, with lighting by multiple Olivier-award winner Mark Henderson - a nominee for this year's lighting Olivier.
With the show set to fill every inch of the Palladium stage - and beyond, with a sequence involving Chitty flying out and over the heads of the audience being planned - Henderson has specified a versatile rig based around 24 Vari*Lite VL2202 spotlights, 14 Martin PAL1200 framing spotlights, 22 MAC 500 spotlights, five High End Cyberlights, 81 MAC 600 washlights and 50 High End Studiobeam washlights. Control for the automated lighting will be from a Wholehog II console, programmed by Stuart Porter.
The moving lights will be supported by a conventional rig including over 200 ETC Source Fours, 130 Par 64s, L&E Ministrips and colour changers from Wybron (CXI colour mixers) and Rainbow (6" and 8" scrollers), all controlled by a Strand 500-series console. White Light is also supplying an assortment of effects, including High End Dataflash strobes, GAM FilmFX effects projectors, six 24" wind machines, smoke machines, dry ice machines and low smoke machines. Making it all work will be a team led by production electrician Fraser Hall.
With a cast led by Michael Ball, newcomer Emma Williams, Anton Rodgers, Brian Blessed and Rocky Horror Show creator Richard O'Brien - and a technical team led by production manager Richard Bullimore - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang promises to be one of the main shows of the year. The show's fit-up has already started; previews begin on March 19th with the show scheduled to open on April 4th.
A full review of the show will appear in the May issue of Lighting&Sound International.
(Ruth Rossington)
