It's essentially an old story about an old car, but will it be a banger or a write-off? The Manchester audience are about to find out as this classic tale by James Bond creator Ian Fleming hits the stage.
The show opens at an Edwardian-era Grand Prix - the X pronounced in the English rather than the French way...
Jeremy and Jemima, the children of eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, played endearingly and expressively by TV's Strictly Come Dancing's Ore Oduba, are on a mission to rescue an old car destined for the scrap heap, but first they need to find the funds.
The enterprising Caractacus first tries to sell a hard candy whistle to wealthy sweet factory owner Lord Scrumptious, but sadly, the only attention it attracts is from the local dogs.
Next he tries a hair cutting machine that turns his customer bald, and finally he joins a song and dance troupe, using tips from his performances to finance the vehicle.
The fantastical story then, literally, takes off, as the restored car hovers high above the stage, to the delight of its occupants - Potts, Jeremy and Jemima, and Truly, Lord Scrumptious' comely daughter.
But not everyone is happy at their success and with the help of two spies, Goran and Boris, Baron Bomburst and his vulpine wife plot to steal Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, named for the unusual sounds made by its engine.
The Laurel and Hardy-esque spy pair, played by Michael Joseph (Goran) and Adam Stafford (Boris) are the undoubted stars of the night, Joseph showcasing his extraordinary verbal dexterity and impeccable comic timing and Stafford providing the perfect foil as his older, more irritable counterpart.
Meeting Grandpa Potts, the Baron and Baroness at first mistakenly assume him to be the inventor, much to the old army colonel's befuddlement. TV's Emmerdale 's Liam Fox's ditzy delivery is another highlight as he recounts stories of his days in the jungle: "Did I tell you about the time I shot a hippo in my underpants? The hippo did look a bit silly in them, but then so do I..."
Once they have got their mitts on the real inventor, the childcatcher is employed to make the children, forbidden in the Baron's fictional country of Vulgaria, disappear.
Charlie Brooks, of TV's EastEnders fame, is darkly brilliant in the role, her sinister aura providing a nice contrast to the jolliness of the rest of the show.
The lascivious baroness does not like children and would rather seduce her portly husband in as vulgar a way as possible. Jenny Gayner is hilariously bawdy in the role and Martin Callaghan as the baron has more than a whiff of one of Matt Lucas' characters in TV's Little Britain - no bad thing at all.
Costumes are vibrantly coloured and the score is, well, truly scrumptious, full of all the great numbers the crowd have been waiting for, from the aforementioned song itself to Me Ol' Bamboo, Toot Sweets and the eponymous Chitty title track.
All the roles are played extremely well and the visual effects are entrancing. The plot may be a little hard to keep up with at times but it's so joyful, you won't care.
There's glorious colour, laughter galore and an irresistibly catchy score. Kids and adults alike will love it.
There's a touching tribute too at the end of the show to drag queen The Vivienne, who was originally cast as the Childcatcher and sadly passed away earlier this year.
I think it's safe to say that she would have approved of this production. It's wonderfully silly, it's escapist - it's everything a musical should be.
