Tim: 0:30
Hello and welc Get ready now. Get ready now. Hello and welcome to Musical Lyrical Lingo. We're your hosts, Tim and LJ.
LJ: 0:50
Today and every week we will be discussing musicals and specifically what they taught us. What's that sigh
Tim: 0:58
for? Because that's about the third time we've recorded our intro mucking about in your Third
LJ: 1:05
time? You're such
Tim: 1:06
an exaggerator. Pushing your chair in at night, knocking the table. You're getting worse. Do you know we're getting worse? Like, I, I Listen back to the episodes, right? And it is hilarious because clearly, like, I forget what we talk about. But also we are, in some of the episodes we come across, like, literally a married couple, like bickering and arguing and like jibing each other and it's getting more and more vicious as the podcast goes on. But you know what,
LJ: 1:41
this is I think what Caitlyn kept talking about, she was like he's too and too polite, that's not how yous really are with each other and I think as the podcast has gone on like... Those sort of falseness that we were trying to be like False. I've never been false. No, not false. Like as in we were trying to be, let's just make sure we sound really clear and now we're just like, we're still doing this'cause we're having loads of fun. Please
Tim: 2:04
stop pushing your chair in and table. Yeah, no, but let, I think it was the end of the Woods episode I listened to recently and it was like, oh God, we just sound like we're. Booker and I'll, um. It was
LJ: 2:15
because you were arguing with me in that one. We argue all the time. No, I know, but you were like, oh, Milky White. And I was like, I just said Milky White.
Tim: 2:23
I'm so sorry. Like, seriously.
LJ: 2:27
But you know what? We do love each other. Over 30 years and we're still, we're still here.
Tim: 2:32
And we've never really changed. We were like this in school. Exactly. Yeah, no, I'm just, I just listened to it and went. was like oh my goodness the listeners are going to be like seriously folks can we cut the domestic guy like funny really funny all good i hope the listeners have come back after that epic um epic long episode last
LJ: 2:55
week oh but how funny was it though it
Tim: 2:59
was
LJ: 2:59
so good we enjoyed it anyway hope he's all enjoyed it too
Tim: 3:03
Yeah, on to this week. Maybe not so much of a highlight. See,
LJ: 3:08
this is where you are going to really differ. Today.
Tim: 3:11
I can't hide it today. No. I can't even put a front on. And do you know
LJ: 3:16
what? Secretly, whenever we were like, when we were deciding that this is the one we were going to do, and you came back and you were like, Oh, I'm not a fan. And I was like, well, screw you. Because you are. Well, I am a fan, but I was just like... I was like, so I forgot,
Tim: 3:32
listeners, I forgot what, what musical we were doing next. Right. So I, I text, uh, LJ and I was like, what's the next musical? And you replied with this musical. And I was like, Where the flip has she pulled that one from? Because on the exhaust like, the never ending list of musicals we have, that one isn't even on it, so you have slippery titted this one in, and I did. And I did. I'm just gonna put it out there, I'm not happy about it.
LJ: 4:07
I know, and do you know what, it was kind of a bit random, but I
Tim: 4:10
really Random is the word. I know,
LJ: 4:12
but I really felt like I was You needed to do it. I felt like I needed to do it, I felt like I was being called.
Tim: 4:19
Well that's a bit selfish, I hope you really enjoy this week's episode, Lauren. Um, what is it?
LJ: 4:25
Oh, you, pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you.
Tim: 4:31
Or, as I call it Shitty Shitty Bang Bang. Yeah,
LJ: 4:37
that's how we used to sing
Tim: 4:38
it. Because that's what it is.
LJ: 4:40
It's not, you are giving this a bad rap. It's awful. It is not awful! Oh, it's just the film. How, like, you have a screw loose.
Tim: 4:51
I don't, I
LJ: 4:52
don't. Why can you like Oklahoma over Shitty Shitty Bang Bang?
Tim: 4:55
Because... It's because Oklahoma has an element of class to it. This revolves around a flying car and it thinks just because it has a flying car front and centre it can get away with the rest being tripe.
LJ: 5:11
I really don't think the rest is tripe but I look forward to it. Oh my gosh,
Tim: 5:18
yes. Okay, do you have background, or do I?
LJ: 5:22
Um, I have a little bit of background, but you probably have more because your wonderful book has lots of pages. Yeah, and
Tim: 5:28
that's the other thing that really annoyed me. When we came to do Into the Woods, an absolute, like, goat of a musical. Yeah. It had a page, not even a page. Um, into the woods when I looked in my book and don't get me wrong, I adore my book like it is wonderful. I think it is the best book. I own to be honest with you, but it has dedicated not one page, but two pages to this absolute turd of a musical. You are
LJ: 6:01
wild.
Tim: 6:03
Anyway, so my book tells me that this is a film musical based on a story by Ian Fleming, which is interesting. Yeah. He was the creator of James Bond. Mm hmm. Clearly his work got better after having written Chitty Chitty. Oh my. Um, and then, sorry, it was adapted, again this blew my mind, it was then adapted from Ian Fleming's book. Mm hmm. By the master of kids books, Roald Dahl. I know. So Roald Dahl wrote the film script of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Yeah. Wow. Like... I know. I, I, that doesn't compare to for me and then it included songs by Disney songwriters, Richard and Robert Sherman. They are wonderful. Like, I just don't, like it, none of this fits for me. Like I was like, are you sure you're getting the facts right? Lovely book. Um, and it's. I know it is an all time children's favourite, it's just not one of my favourites. The film was released, yeah there was a film of it too, it was Pants, yeah on the 16th of December 1968. I'm gonna get
LJ: 7:10
such hate. I think you might, though I might be the odd one. And then...
Tim: 7:14
By 1969, the film was the 10th most popular at the U. S. box office. Then, in the intervening years, Chitty has established itself as a classic through the endless, and I think this is one of the reasons I maybe don't like it, the endless television repeats. Okay. Like, every holiday season, it's on the bloomin TV. Yeah. Anyway, then, this is a podcast about musicals. So in 2002, a stage version was created and adapted by Jeremy, um, Sam's. Yeah. Directed by Adrian Noble and musical staging was by Gillian Lynn, the, the, the famous Gillian Lynn. Dame? Yes. Dame Lynn. God rest her soul. Uh, The Flying Car Chitty. Used in this production, remains the most expensive prop ever made in British theatre history. And I
LJ: 8:13
think at the time, in 2002, it was the most expensive theatrical piece. Yeah. Like the
Tim: 8:21
whole musical. Yeah, and don't get me wrong, I have seen it in the theatre. I actually think I've seen it in the Palladium, which I'll talk to you about in a minute. Um, like it is, it is wow, like it is great to see a flying car, like it is really cool and the flying car comes out over the audience and all the rest of it and whoop dee doo, that's brilliant, but that's literally the highlight of the show. For me, do you know what I mean? The rest is, I can't give it to you. I roll. Um, you, you roll your eyes at me every other sentence, to be honest with you. So nothing new there. Um, the stage show was a, I mean, shocker, the stage show was a hit at the box office, taking 70 million pounds over three and a half years. And it became, it became the longest running show, um, ever at the London Palladium. Yeah, because... Now I don't know, does it still hold that
LJ: 9:08
record? I think it does, because the Palladium... It doesn't do long performances. Yeah. Usually it is like a three month, because right now, isn't Wizard of Oz ending?
Tim: 9:18
Yeah, and then it's doing a UK tour, and it is coming to Belfast, so we'll have to go and see it. I've seen that. Mm hmm. It'll be better than Chitty. I think Chitty's coming too. I won't be going. Um, however, well done the Americans. It wasn't as popular with Broadway audiences when it moved to Broadway in 2005, and it had quite a short run. Mm hmm. No. You can come after me, listeners who don't agree with me, however, I'm not the only one that had issues with Chitty. Even though Chitty's title song was nominated for an Academy Award. How that song was ever nominated for an Academy Award, I don't understand. A review in Times Magazine in 1986 described the score as having All the rich melodic variety of an automobile horn. That is harsh. Isn't that a brilliant review though? That is harsh. Isn't that mental? Then the New York Times. Don't you worry, I've done my research. I've got this all. I went searching to see if my opinions were, were unique, but no. My opinion is shared by the New York Times, who described the film's songs as possessing something of the joys of singing together on a team bus on the way to a game. Hehe, aren't those two brilliant, um, reviews, oh. Well done to the reviewers, because they're quite scathing, aren't they? They, yeah,
LJ: 10:53
they are.
Tim: 10:55
Listen, that's me. I've got it off my system. I've made my feelings felt. I'm now going to be a little bit more level from here on in. Apologies to the listeners who disagree with me, but I felt I needed to err it. Yeah. To be able to move on.
LJ: 11:10
Okay. Well done you. Thank you. Well done you. Now I think it's important to say that there are two versions of this. There, there is the 1968 film and then there's the 2002 musical, as you've already said. And they are very different. Yeah. So the 1968 film, um, the pretty much, Similar, like down on his luck, inventor Karatikos, what a name, uh, Potts, he's widowed and then he meets Trudy Scrumptious, um, and he has like twins, Jeremy and Jemima, and, um, they fall in love with Trudy Scrumptious. They're at the beach one day and he's telling a story and all of a sudden they are in Bulgaria. I
Tim: 11:51
mean, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, I rest my case.
LJ: 11:54
What a plot. In Bulgaria. Um, in a land which bans children and there's the child catcher. Okay, yeah. Carry on. Yeah, it's a bit, it's
Tim: 12:06
a bit, perhaps. The story is just. Bunker, like how anybody can follow this storyline is beyond me.
LJ: 12:14
Okay, but whenever they put it in on the stage, the story makes much more sense. It starts with spies from, it starts with, sorry, um, how the car, Chitty, um, was a race car and was lost then and then Bulgarians are spies and they're trying to find it and then Kratikis turns it into his machine and then they So it's not a story and not a dream situation. Okay. Yeah. It does make more sense whenever it's on stage.
Tim: 12:47
Yeah, but it gives it a bit more credibility, I suppose. Yeah, it does.
LJ: 12:51
Yeah. It does. A
Tim: 12:53
bit. A small,
LJ: 12:54
tiny bit. I agree with you that the film is probably, you know, especially for us, even though we weren't alive in 1968, it was probably that film that. Maybe our parents grew up
Tim: 13:06
watching? Yeah, I mean, I don't think I've watched it a huge number of times. But it's always on TV. Yeah, because I think I agreed the first time I watched it, I won't be watching this again. Even at the tender age of three or something, I don't know. You were
LJ: 13:18
like, no, not for me. Done with
Tim: 13:21
Caradocus and his rusty hair. But I can't
LJ: 13:24
think why you don't like the songs. Like, I, like, Those brothers were again so talented. Like, Mary Poppins, whoa.
Tim: 13:33
I just think they're a bit repetitive for me. Like, they're all repetitive. So like, Hey, ho, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you. Sounds the same from the start of the song to the very end, right? Grow the roses, grow the roses, grow the roses of success. And it just goes like that for the rest of the song. Grow the roses. Do you know what I mean? Okay. Me old bamboo, ba ba da ba da ba da ba da ba ba, ba ba da ba The whole time, d'you know what I mean? It's just a bit Okay, you don't have any definition. It's too repetitive for me, as a song, d'you know what I mean? I like there to be a bit, a bit of a, a journey in a song. Yeah, there was five Who am I? Who am I? I sometimes hear myself talking and go, who do you think
LJ: 14:24
you are? There's five new songs put into the musical, and one was like this, like, it just, for me, doesn't really feel like it fits in, but it's pretty cool. It's like a Like a calypso type song for the baron and the baroness. Like after you're my little coochie face. Oh
Tim: 14:39
really? Like an extra one? Because coochie face is painful enough. Um, and then there's the Hushabye Mountain, which would put you to sleep. I know it is a lullaby, a sign to his child, but literally, I mean, I think there's only two verses. I only need to hear the first verse and I'm, I'm gone. But the
LJ: 14:57
song, like, U2's a lovely song. I got you.
Tim: 15:02
Yeah, okay. The only song I think I really like is Posh. Because it's got a bit of character to it. It's a wee bit more... That's the grandpa sings that. P O S H P O S H PUSH
LJ: 15:21
Yeah. That's a bit repetitive.
Tim: 15:23
Yeah, true. Listen, take the positive and you get it. Okay. For this episode. And what about truly scrumptious? Boring. Truly scrumptious. Too sweet. What, what, what drivel.
LJ: 15:42
Or, how can you know?
Tim: 15:46
No, don't, don't, don't. We'll get to that with regards to my link. Or my memories of this.
LJ: 15:53
Okay. Okay. How did the musical teach
Tim: 15:57
you anything? Um, apart from my hall asleep Yeah. How much I did tester. Um, I did, yeah. I mean, we all know that we've, in previous episodes, we've realized that me and cars don't go together. Yeah. That's another reason why I just don't get it. Um, it's in Shitty, Shitty, Bang, Bang. It says, our five, four fended friend, or sorry, our fine four fendered friend. You're not singing the right words. Well, no, because who does sing the right words to any of these songs in Shitty, Shitty, Bang, Bang? Like it is the perfect musical to make up the lyrics, right? Every single lyric. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Like every single lyric
LJ: 16:33
we were really rude whenever we were doing little snippets and we used to sing, Oh, you shitty, shitty
Tim: 16:38
gang bang. Yeah, we did. Um, Yeah. So I didn't know that what a, a fender was four fender. Yeah. What a, what is a for, I mean, it's, it's repeated multiple times in this song. Um, am I writing saying like a fender is a part of the motorcar that frames the wheel well? Yeah. And like, is it like almost like a wheel guard?
LJ: 17:03
I thought it meant like it was a rear drive
Tim: 17:06
car. I don't know, you see, I don't understand this musical. Told you we shouldn't do it. No, we shouldn't do it. And, uh, also, uh, phantasmagorical machine. I just thought that was a made up word. Well, I thought it was a made up word too. That's why I put it in my musical lyrical lingos. But no, it is not a made up word. Can you use that in Scrabble? Yeah, I mean, that is my word of the week. Word of the week? Yeah. Uh, it means to have an appearance of an optical illusion. Phantasmagorical. I need to write that down. Or phantasmagoric. Mmm! Yeah. Also, uh, I mean it uses big words as well. That's the other thing for like a kid's show. It uses really big... Like, over the top words, which I don't Yeah,
LJ: 17:57
okay, I don't think yeah, it's not necessary.
Tim: 17:59
Yeah, it's, uh, in a la one of the lines it says you're more You're more than spectacular to use the vernacular ular. Yes. I didn't know what vernacular meant. It's just a common speech variety. Like choice. Your choice of words. Yeah. Opposed to the a standard language. Yeah. Again, to me
LJ: 18:18
that's, that's the first time I'd heard about and, but I knew that because of,
Tim: 18:21
yeah. So that's Chitty. Mm-hmm. do you have any for
LJ: 18:26
Chitty? No. Yeah. No, that was, I had all of them too. Um, And then I moved on to toot, sweet.
Tim: 18:33
Toot, sweet. We've got the same one because I've just seen your notebook.
LJ: 18:37
Morsel. Yeah,
Tim: 18:38
so a mouthful of, a mouthful full of cheer. A seat, a sweet without peer. I mean, this is just ridiculous. A musical morsel supreme. What's a morsel? Like a
LJ: 18:51
small little... Mouthful. Mouthful
Tim: 18:53
of food. That's about as much as I can stomach for this show.
LJ: 19:01
Okay, I like chit sweets. Toot. Sweet. Toot. Sweet. Because it reminds me of those chit sweets that you would have got, you know, you always beg like your parents for whenever you were in the
Tim: 19:12
chemist. Those stupid like whistly things that you, there was a wee thing on the bottom that you went up and down and it's like. Yep, yep, that's it. Yeah, I didn't like them either. Sweet. God, I'm so negative. You just
LJ: 19:25
really don't like this musical, that's okay. Um, what about Old Bamboo, the Old Bamboo? Yeah, what have you got?
Tim: 19:32
Uh, just the quarterstaff. Yeah, so, like, there's a whole verse in Old Bamboo about different sticks. Yeah. Because obviously, bamboo stick. Yeah, mm hmm. I mean, I get it. So one of the sticks that they say, they sing about, and the merry men of Robin Hood, they used a quarterstaff.
LJ: 19:50
Yeah, and it was a weapon. It was, yeah. That was, would have been used, like, quite
Tim: 19:55
violently. Yeah, or, or European pole weapon. European pole. Some might say. Which was prominent in England during the early modern period. Six to nine feet long, sometimes with a metal tip.
LJ: 20:13
I mean, There's a lot of learning in
Tim: 20:17
this musical. You gotta give me credit, right? I know. As much as I hate it, I went away and did my research. Go you. You gotta appreciate how, how painful this process was for me this week. Well, well done. Thank you. Um, also, uh, another walking stick they were talking about, um. They sing, a gentleman's got a walking stick, a seaman's got a gaff, G A F F, and it was a stick with a hook or a barbed spear for landing large fish that seaman would have used. Yeah. Very good. I mean, interesting. Now, here's where I'm going to be a wee bitch. I do apologize. Okay, go for it. Did you get confused by any of the lyrics? Shut up. I know Bambi, I'm just checking in with you cause I know it's a difficulty. So one of the lyrics says, on Spanish planes, P L A I N S, inside their canes they hide their ruddy swords. Were you okay with that? Did you get the right plane? Were we on an aeroplane?
LJ: 21:22
Well, the spelling means it's not an aeroplane.
Tim: 21:27
You got that this time, did you? Because you certainly didn't get it in My Fair Lady or... Oklahoma. Oklahoma. Just checking. By the time you got to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang... The planes were clearing your head, right?
LJ: 21:42
Can I just say I've never really noticed that haaaa!
Tim: 21:48
At a certain point, you just turned your ear off to that word. That's it. Yeah, fair enough. I mean, it just causes
LJ: 21:55
confusion, right? It does, yeah. It's just very confusing. I'm a
Tim: 21:58
really horrible person for doing that. I'm so sorry. Moving on. Do you have any others for amplification? No, there was nothing
LJ: 22:05
else in Obam... Um, I learned how to spell posh.
Tim: 22:12
P o s h p o s h p o s h. Posh. Yeah. What about Grow the Roses? Um, which I used to like for small, I small amount of time and then grew to not like it it anymore. I was gonna
LJ: 22:24
say like, it's not, it's a good song.
Tim: 22:27
It's, it's posh and Grow The Roses are the best two songs in the whole show. Um.
LJ: 22:33
No, I don't have
Tim: 22:34
anything else. So, um, for anybody that doesn't know, um, the musical, don't bother going to find out about it because it's a waste of your time. Aww. I'm only joking. You do go watch it and see what you think. You can come back at me. Um, I'm not backing down, no. It, it is sung by scientists. Yes. In Bulgaria. Is it? Bulgaria. In Bulgaria. Yeah. Yeah. Vulgar. Um. And so therefore there's loads of inventors that are mentioned. So they sing about disaster didn't stymie Louis Pasteur, who was the French chemist, microbiologist, renowned for discoveries, uh, of principles of vaccine, vaccinations, and his remarkable breakthroughs into causes and preventions of diseases. Basically. Invented much of a modern medicine, uh, Edison took years to see the light. That's one of the lyrics, American inventor. He invented the light bulb. He did. Do you know what else he invented? No. The automatic telegraph systems, a carbon microphone for telephones and the phonograph. I don't know what that is. But there you go, as well as, obviously, the carbon filament lump. Hmm. And then, one of my ancestors, Alexander Graham.
LJ: 23:59
Oh, I was thinking You
Tim: 24:03
fail, you're well. He took a lot of knocks to ring that bell. Yeah. And he was the Scottish born ancestor of mine, who, uh... Invented the telephone. Thank you. Just wanted to finish that off there. So, yeah, I mean, that's what I learnt or took out of, uh, of them. Did
LJ: 24:26
you, like, but does the musical give you a nice message or anything like that?
Tim: 24:33
Um... No. Not, it, I'm not endeared to it enough to, like, and that, that says more about me than it says about the musical to be fair. I just, I just, it bore, it bores me. It bores me. It's just, it's stupid. To me, it's stupid. Do you know what I mean? And stupid things, and me, I don't go. Do you know what I'm like, what's the point? So
LJ: 25:00
you, you didn't watch it enough as you were, when you were younger, so you weren't really afraid of the childcatcher or anything? So that storyline never really taught you anything about, like, listening to the rules. Like, don't go out, like, Jeremy goes and finds the sweets, Jemima, they leave. And
Tim: 25:18
he's told not to, Yeah. And then they get
LJ: 25:21
caught by the child
Tim: 25:23
catcher. There's, every action has a consequence, Jeremy. Yeah. Every time, anytime I hear Puddleduck. Well, yeah. Um, not really. I can't really remember, uh. A memory of or a reaction to the child catcher. Oh, okay. Other than like, I mini He's scary. Oh yeah. Real scary. It does get scary. He was a professional dancer, that actor.
LJ: 25:48
He was, yeah. Was he a ballet, a professional ballet dancer? Yeah. Yeah. Um, in the movie, um, like it is a bit creepy.
Tim: 25:57
Yeah. But I also think it's a bit creepy, like the shoemaker like, I'm hiding them all in this, okay, yeah, let's just move on. Why is that creepy? He's protecting them. I just don't know. Maybe it was the, the, the, the. And he's not the shoemaker, he's the toy maker. I do, shoemaker, toy maker. I'm getting
LJ: 26:15
confused with Pinocchio. toy maker for Baroness who, like, or the Baron who likes toys, but the Baroness doesn't like children.
Tim: 26:22
Yeah. I just don't like this show.
LJ: 26:25
Yeah, it's very, very, very clear that you
Tim: 26:28
don't like this show. I don't think I've had a stronger reaction to any musical we've done.
LJ: 26:33
No, you really, really don't like it. Well, I, I do like it.
Tim: 26:37
Tell me why. Right. And I'll say nothing.
LJ: 26:39
No, no, that's fine. There's a connection. I have to Chitty, Chitty Bramble. I guess it was a movie that we would have watched quite a lot. We went to France and I think it was in 2001, must've been 2001. And we. Normally would have stayed in hotels and things like that, but this year we stayed in an apartment, or like a French villa. Yeah. And there was only one DVD, and that DVD was
Tim: 27:04
Shitty Chitty Right Back. That would be like putting me into prison, like in jail.
LJ: 27:09
So there's four and a half years between me and my sister. So it was one of those, it was the only movie that we both, you know, was age appropriate that I could have watched and she could have watched. It wasn't the first time we were watching it, certainly not, but we watched that on repeat, repeat, repeat. So much so that my mum and dad both said, I'm pretty sure my dad said it first, that would make a great stage musical. A year later, we're sitting in London Palladium, watching it. Oh, nice. Yeah, so that was kind of, kind of cool. Um, and I, I loved it. I loved it. I thought, I loved Michael Ball as Kraticus. I, that girl that
Tim: 27:52
played. He played that for ages too, didn't
LJ: 27:55
he? That played Trudy Scrumptious. Yeah. She was only 18. Emma Williams, and she was the youngest ever, ever leading lady.
Tim: 28:04
What, was she? Well, fast forward then many, many, many years. She is in one of my favourite musicals. Uh, Half a Sixpence. Oh, yes. The re write of it. Mm hmm. The, uh, Stiles and Drew, um, version. And she played, um, there's like two female leads. Like, a posh lady. Mm hmm. Not, you know, a, um, KIPP's childhood. Mm-hmm. friend from home when he was a kid. She placed the posh one and she was brilliant. And that show was brilliant. She's amazing. Actress, actress, I thought she
LJ: 28:40
was so good. But she was, whenever I remember, remember very clearly where I was sitting and we sort of like looking up. Um, we had got like second row or third row seats or something. It was really good and. I watched her and I thought at the time, I was like, Oh my goodness, Zoe from Stagecoach would make a brilliant, truly scrumptious, and she was very similar to her at the time, um, and I always thought that she should have played that role. Anyway, um, Carrie Hope Fletcher, he's, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Wonderful. Um, she started off as Jemima and then years later came back and played Truly. That's right,
Tim: 29:15
because I followed her on, on socials for a long time and yeah, I remember her saying, saying that. And was that, that the same kind of story for her and Les Mis? Was she like a cassette at
LJ: 29:27
one point and then... Yes, she's done like pretty much all the female roles, but yeah. But
Tim: 29:30
she, but she was in it as a kid as well, wasn't she? Yeah. She was also
LJ: 29:33
in Mary Poppins, but she played, um, Trudy Scrumptious alongside Lee Mead. She did,
Tim: 29:39
that's right. In the UK tour. Yeah, because when I, I think when I first started following her, like, she was on that tour. Oh, okay. Do you know what I mean? So a lot of her stories were like, yeah. Yeah.
LJ: 29:51
Um. So I don't know, I think that's good. Yeah, it was really, really expensive. On YouTube, and I'm pretty sure it was on TV, but on YouTube now is the making of Chitty Chitty. The musical! Oh is it? And I love behind the
Tim: 30:04
scenes stuff. Did I actually?
LJ: 30:06
Watch it, it's pretty good. Yeah. It talks to all the producers. It talks about who put money in, um, who was at the premiere, like James Bond at the time was Pierce Brosnan, so he was at the premiere, um, and Halle Berry. You know, it's, it's pretty good seeing how, so because there was, obviously we know with, um, laws for kids, there has to be so many, so there's like four groups of Jemima, is that right? And Jeremy. Yeah. But then there's also like 10 or 15 kids who are... Of course, the kids. So there was a lot of kids that they had to audition and go through and even just that process is really interesting. So it's on YouTube. Um, and. Yeah, that was my main connection. Another connection I have with it was we must have done one song from it in stagecoach whenever I was little and mum made a lot of
Tim: 30:58
We have done it in stagecoach so many times I think that's also my issue.
LJ: 31:01
Right, but there was a time where they were just doing the song I think and mum made the doll on the music box dress and I remember her, she made all the costumes, quite a lot of costumes and I remember making it and standing back and going, I am so proud of that. That I created and that at the time she made it and then the person got to keep it and she made it a second time for our friend Gillian she was the girl um and she was like oh this is great but it's not my best work and I always remember it always reminds me because it was like identical to the movie and I remember her sitting. For ages and ages and she was so proud of
Tim: 31:39
of that and that's a lovely memory though Yeah, like we have done it in stage school a couple of times, not obviously the full thing But like wee snippets of it. Um, and like that doll on the music box That's what we always do with I call them the babies. So like the wee like Four and five year olds and like cute, cute as Christmas, like absolutely gorgeous. But you see when you're rehearsing that for months and months and months and months, that, that song like literally has drilled into my brain. Drained you? Drained, yeah, absolutely. And as cute as they are, I'm like, yeah, but we've heard, what? Do you see your people gazing at me? And literally I'm singing like that to them. Do you know what I mean? To get them to sing high enough. Like hilarious. But
LJ: 32:27
I think it's an, it is a good one that. For Amdram or for... Yeah,
Tim: 32:32
but the problem is it's so expensive. Like, to do it, you need to do it with a car.
LJ: 32:37
Oh, yeah. No, what I mean, sorry. Like, little snippets for, like, little kid shows. It's good you've got, you maybe got those, like, pre teens or those, like, early teenagers who could maybe play Truly and the dad, and then you can have the younger ones playing. You know, I think, I think there's enough in the musical. There's some really good songs in it.
Tim: 33:00
Name your good songs.
LJ: 33:02
I like Truly Scrumptious. I like You Too. Yeah. Posh. I like Kitschy Face because it's hilarious. That's
Tim: 33:11
one of my memories. That's a memory I have of your sister. Your sister played, um, our grandpa. And he, she was fab. It was. Honestly a masterclass. Yeah. Like she was so funny And she was raging at the time. Yeah. But I can't remember, was she raging at the time that she, did she got, she was got cast as that, or was that the role she wanted? And I can't remember if she wanted that role. And we were all like, really, Caitlyn, why do you wanna be the grandpa? Or was it a case of Caitlyn would be Makery and Grandpa. That's it was. And we cast her and then she was like, what? Yeah. What? Yeah. Yeah, was that it? Yeah, and that
LJ: 33:48
was She was so brave. I'm pretty sure that was before she even had confidence to do, like, singing by herself. So it was, she would have acted a bit like that in Stage Girl, but she never really would have put herself out there. So that was kind of a role that she had to stand by herself and sing and do all that. She was so
Tim: 34:06
funny though. She was good. She was really comedic like. Mhmm. Yeah, and I think that's what, I think I like that role because I, I, that role is, is gen, genuinely funny, like the grandpa is genuinely funny, his throwaway lines that he says, his song, the fact he flies up in his wee, his wee like, House. His wee house thing, right? That, all of those are funny to me. The baron and baroness, bum, burster. Burster Bubble, whatever they're called. I don't find them funny. Do you know what I mean? That's because it's almost like they're trying too hard to be funny. Oh, I
LJ: 34:47
see. I, I do remember like watching Brian Blessed and thinking, you've played this well, like, and I felt like it was. And then I've seen a couple of other snippets and I think it's supposed to just depends on how people do it. But I think that song, Kitchy Face, can be very funny.
Tim: 35:08
Yeah, I suppose it can. Yeah, no, I know you're right. Yeah. Maybe I'm just being a bit harsh. No,
LJ: 35:13
I, I I think that the Grandpa POTS is definitely the best character. Yeah. Um, as in a character of a Yeah. You know, an old man like that. But, um, I don't think any of the characters are bad. Like
Tim: 35:29
No, but they're just a bit, yeah. Maybe I'm a bit harsh. I do, I think the. addition of the two spies for the musical was really good because I think their double act is really good. Yeah. Um, do they have a song? Yes. What's their song? Um,
LJ: 35:46
like Be British or pretend. Uh,
Tim: 35:52
not very good then. Not very good.
LJ: 35:55
This is why I need to write everything down, but then I'm like, I can't write
Tim: 35:59
stuff down. Like I would, I would say, I mean, it's not gonna come as a shock, I would say Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is probably one of my room 1 0 1 musicals. Oh, so you
LJ: 36:11
would
Tim: 36:11
just not have it? If, if you had to put the musical in, it would certainly be right up there. Interesting. What would yours be? If you were, don't, don't, you're not allowed to say it. You're not allowed to say it, please. Everybody knows how you feel about
LJ: 36:29
Oklahoma, choose another one. No, I can't because I would be struck. Is it? No, I would be even, I, I've never actually said, said how I feel about this musical. I really feel about this musical, so I'm not going to say it. Is this a different musical? Yeah, and we'll, whenever we come to it, then I'll talk about it. Oh,
Tim: 36:46
you'll go, this is my Room 101 musical? Oh, fair enough. Oh, well, we'll wait for it with... It's,
LJ: 36:51
it would be like two or three on the list.
Tim: 36:55
Yeah, yeah,
LJ: 36:58
okay. I like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but I'm not, I'm not out here being like, it's the best musical in the world and I it
Tim: 37:04
under Rim 101, would
LJ: 37:05
ya? No, I wouldn't put it under Rim 101.
Tim: 37:08
Yeah, well I'm really intrigued. Don't say it, No, I know. I wanna, I wanna keep it for a
LJ: 37:14
rainy day. I just like it. I think I would much rather go and see a Chitty than go and see a Nanny. No. No, I would.
Tim: 37:24
I would. Not for me. I would go and see a Nanny or an Oliver over a Chitty. No,
LJ: 37:29
I wouldn't put it over Oliver. Cause I do quite like Oliver. I just like Chitty. But maybe it's more that I like the memories attached to Chitty
Tim: 37:39
that I like. Oh, you like the songs as Claire, you like
LJ: 37:41
the songs? Yeah, I do like the songs
Tim: 37:43
and I, there's a, there's an element, the repetitiveness, I, I don't like. Okay. And also like that kind, like, you know, the way it gets stuck in your head. Yeah. But for a, but for the wrong reason. Do you know what I mean? It's saying, oh, here it's like, it's there. Do you know what I mean? And you can't get rid of it. And it's not that you're singing it because you're enjoying singing it. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, it's funny. It's just, I wrote, I, no I didn't wrote it, I went, what? When you, you text her and go, well we do Tiddy Diddy Bang Bang. It was like, where on earth did you pluck that one from? It would have been right down at the bottom of my list. Well,
LJ: 38:20
I do feel the musical, the stage show is much better than the film. Um, storyline wise, so I like what they did there. I like that it's kind of a little, it's the same, but it's different. Yeah. Um, I'd like that they're very, whenever they're talking about it, that the star of the show is the car and you're under no illusion. You're there to see that car fly. So, I mean,
Tim: 38:43
as an actor. And that you must be delighted knowing that the star of the show is not any of you or your, you or your fellows, performers, etc.
LJ: 38:51
Also, whenever I was watchery, watching the making of Chitty, um, there's like a funny joke where one of the producers says, um, If you think that you, if you've got a dispute about pay, um, give over because the dogs are being paid more than you are. Because
Tim: 39:06
remember when they do... That's right, there's loads of dogs in that as well,
LJ: 39:10
isn't there? Yeah, tootsweets, the pitch is so high that loads of dogs come into the
Tim: 39:15
factor. I mean, they're playing with fire there, aren't they? Dogs, animals, cars. But that's the thing, like, what, I wonder what they do. Well they couldn't do anything other than a show stop if the car wasn't working. Yeah. I wonder, has that car ever stopped working whilst in mid air with them in it? That would be a nightmare. That would be. Could you imagine? Mmm. Have you ever been to a show where there's been a show stop? Oh, yeah. Have you? Like three or four? What shows have you had show stops?
LJ: 39:47
Um, so one show I went to see one night and there was three stops. In the one? In the one. Oh, that's a nightmare for them. And then they just said. We're just gonna have to stop and you'll get your money back, which was real. It was never forget. It was the take that. Okay. Yep. Um,
Tim: 40:08
Yeah. U. K. tour or? Yeah,
LJ: 40:10
U. K., U. K. tour. So it was in the Opera House. And do you know what was really, I think it was a group of us were going. Do you know, it wasn't like a, oh here we'll just go see this on. It was kind of like a planned night thing. Um, another one was a production of Blood Brothers had to stop.
Tim: 40:25
Really? Yeah, in London. And what was the issue? Was
LJ: 40:28
it light signed? I think it was, I think it was a light or it was something that they just, but it wasn't for very long. yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, and I, was there another one where the curtain had to come down for a bit? But I can't think what it was. No, I can't think. But yeah,
Tim: 40:44
yeah. Um, I, I've only ever had. From memory, I've only ever had one, um, show stop and it happened really recently. It was the last time I was in London and it was Back to the Future. But it wasn't like, you know, like, so if you haven't seen Back to the Future and you can get to either, cause it's in Broadway now as well. If you can get to the West End or you can get to Broadway, um, go and see it cause it is brilliant. I never watched the film. The first time I experienced Back to the Future was the show. So it's a very technical show, obviously, with the car, right? So you would think if there was going to be a show stop, it would be to do with the car. It wasn't. It was, it was a light that malfunctioned and was just flickering green. Like it was just a green light that kept going, kept going. So they, they stopped and basically had to. But yeah, you saw the stage manager come down. It almost looked like she unplugged the bulb at one point and screwed it back in. But like, super professional and they got it up and running again within like, less than 10 like
LJ: 41:51
that happen. You know, it's a time failure. You know, I think as long as they've tried to fix it or... Like I've been on plenty of rides and the rides had stopped halfway through.
Tim: 42:01
I will never moan or groan about... A show stopped, you know what I mean? Like, because it, that's it. It's live and they're professionals and they'll do their best to fix it. I also, the gig in me loves to see those like, wee backstage kind of like moments, like. Um, but yeah, you can just imagine like the dread. That feeling of like, like your stomach, you know, dropping if you're involved. And you have to stop the show.
LJ: 42:31
Yeah, because that would be a lot if you were in it. You, you were in a flying, uh, uh, like, vehicle for Mother Goose. Yes. Did that
Tim: 42:38
ever stop you in a flying plane? I did. When I It was at Mother Goose, the pantomime. Was I eight? You're P6. P6. Well, am I P6, seven or eight? No. Eight or nine? Nine or ten. Nine or ten. I think it was nine, maybe. Um, and yeah, we flew up, and like, it was called the Goosemobile. So it flew up, and then it went out over the audience. And then it turned, it spun. It was really cool. Yeah. Like, I felt
LJ: 43:08
really cool. I know. It was really cool that you... Because they had to have boys for that. I think because of
Tim: 43:14
the storyline, there
LJ: 43:16
had to be a boy, didn't it? Yeah, because it was our P6 year and usually you were advised not to do panto in your P6 year. Which didn't make any sense, but you can understand. Um, but you... So it was my year off and we were doing that and I was so lucky. He's a boy.
Tim: 43:32
Oh no, I was so lucky. But talking about show stops, actually, that is really weird. This podcast is weird sometimes, the links. Um, I remember in that, uh, Panto, there was a show stop because there was a bomb, um, bomb threat. That's right. This was at the time in Northern Ireland when... It was coming towards the end of the, the act of conflict that was going on. I wouldn't say that we're out of conflict, but there's just not as much nonsense anymore. Yeah, there was a, someone had rung in a bomb threat, um, and they had to evacuate the theater. And I was mortified because at that time, the. Outfit, the costume we were in, consisted of white tights, which let's be honest, was normal for panto. Like we were always in white tights really weren't. My, um, white tights on a lovely glittery silver, um, uh, like nicka bookers, like oh, lovely. Um, and, and top, with feathered, I mean the costumes, like, that was one of my favourite things about doing pantomime because the costumes you got were just so beautiful and gorgeous, but feathered arms, right, really glorious, big, massive, white feathers. Why are you having to stand out in the street? But, I mean, beautiful to wear on stage, maybe not. In Belfast Street, in the pouring rain. Oh dear. And the problem being that it was a bomb threat meant we couldn't go back into the theatre. So it was on for ages. We ended up going to the, I think it was the wardrobe mistress house in Belfast. Oh really? Yeah, and she made us like, like... Tea and hot chocolate and stuff. Yeah, like I do remember like there was an element of while standing on Belfast street until we decided actually we're not getting in anytime soon, we need to go somewhere. Standing in my white, a wee boy, like, in white tights, in, in, in like Belfast with all these people walking past like, kind of looking at me. Oh, that's hilarious. Yeah, and bloody freezing as well.
LJ: 46:00
Here, have they ever done Mother Goose again? Was that the one and only time? Yeah,
Tim: 46:04
they did. Who does it? Because then the next time they did Mother Goose, it was actually one of the kids that was the goose, was in the goose. Oh, okay. Yeah. All right. Yeah. But it's not one of the,
LJ: 46:17
it was like the premiere or something of it.
Tim: 46:21
And then. Yeah, no, the next time the kids were heavily involved again, because two of our kids, so we needed like a grip of what is it, twelve? Twelve babes, I think, and then another two, because they had to be the goose, yeah, Priscilla, I think they called the goose the second time, yeah, I think, I might be making that up, love it, much more entertaining than Chitty Chitty Rang Rang, wow, In your opinion. In my opinion. Yeah, fair. That's fair. Yes, listen. Apologies if I came, came in heavy handed.
LJ: 46:57
No, I think it is fair. It's certainly not, it's not groundbreaking. It's not gonna be, oh my goodness, the best musical ever. But I think if you've got kids, if you enjoy the film, um, If you like a wee bit of, you know, just switch your brain off and just watch. Oh god,
Tim: 47:15
for a kid it's a great show, like the spectacle of it, do you know what I mean? And I do think I remember enjoying the old bamboo number, like I enjoyed the choreography in it. Yeah, it's massive, isn't it? And they're all like dressed like Morris dancers, aren't they? Yeah, like, no, don't get me wrong, like there are elements of it that are enjoyable, do you know what I mean, like, that number, the flying car, it is, wow, do you know what I mean, when you see it, and when, when it opens its wings and stuff, like that is cool, I think did it turn upside down as well, maybe, I don't know, can't remember, but like, you know, it's got moments of it being enjoyable, but as an adult, But then I think maybe because I've been involved in bits and pieces and like none of the songs are like, they're maybe just a bit boring to work on.
LJ: 48:06
Maybe that's part of it too. And I totally get your part.
Tim: 48:11
I'm like going, oh, grow the roses for the third time, how can I possibly do anything with this? Do you know what I mean? Yeah, creatively. That might also be an issue with why I'm like, oh, for goodness sake, snore, bored. And maybe
LJ: 48:23
that's because the main focus is that car. So if you, if you don't have, you know, if you're not doing the full performance, the full production, and you don't have that money to put it into that flying car, then everything else is going to be a wee bit weaker. Um, but yeah, I, I think for a kid's musical, um... I
Tim: 48:43
think schools can do it now. Okay. Rights wise, but even that, I would just not be rushin and rushin to do it in my school. Yeah. I don't know.
LJ: 48:56
Again, you would have to have a lot of space to do it justice. I think you would have to, whether you made the car out of cardboard and recycled elements or whether it was, you know, a pre recorded on a green screen and then like shot, you know what I mean? There's definitely ways you could do it, but, um, yeah, well, we just know that you'll never do it any time soon.
Tim: 49:20
No thank you.
LJ: 49:21
But you will be singing the song.
Tim: 49:24
I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel, I feel like bits of guilt creeping in here now going, Tim you were really harsh. No you
LJ: 49:31
weren't. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Yeah,
Tim: 49:35
but I think I called it shitty shitty bang bang.
LJ: 49:37
I know, but that's okay. And like, and like I said, we used to sing that all the time. How naughty of us.
Tim: 49:43
I know. Cause we wouldn't have been like really old. No.
LJ: 49:49
We definitely weren't.
Tim: 49:51
Where did we pick that up? Oh, who knows? Heaven
LJ: 49:55
knows. And I think it was one of those like, we didn't really know the words as well. So we knew it was Chitty Chitty. Bang, bang, but we were just going, Oh, you know, shitty, shitty, bang, bang. You know, just as like, it's coming out of your mouth. You're not really putting in any
Tim: 50:11
effort. No wonder we didn't know the words when they put big words in like, um, phantasmagorical, four fendered, friend, vernacular.
LJ: 50:23
Tell me this. Yep. Because it's the same, do you feel that way about the songs in Mary Poppins? No, I love Mary Poppins. Okay, that's okay. I was a wee bit... I absolutely
Tim: 50:31
adore Mary Poppins.
LJ: 50:33
I was a wee bit worried there that maybe you thought...
Tim: 50:35
Nope. I... I adore that musical. We'll have to do that soon. Yeah,
LJ: 50:40
it is. It's a great one. It is a great one, but it needs, like, a whole episode. Yeah.
Tim: 50:45
Oh, goodness me. When we get to Mary Poppins week, I will be waxing lyrical. I hon that, now that's a musical. So you waxed,
LJ: 50:55
like, I will be ready to go.
Tim: 50:58
No. No dear. No. No We never heard of that. Like that. Um, same waxing, lyrical. No. What does that even mean? It means I'll go to town on it. I'll be like, you won't be able to stop me talking about it. I won't. It's, but what does mean whack to wax lyrical about something? It's just a kind, I don't know, express, like enjoyment o of it or to be, um, To talk positively about it and like just not shut up because you keep going about how fantastic it is. You're waxing lyrical about high, fantastic. Something is. Oh, okay. I didn't really explain that very well. It's one of those things clearly I use and I can't explain. Well,
LJ: 51:42
you certainly weren't wax lyrical but chitty, but you, you got through it. I'm
Tim: 51:45
proud of you. I do feel really bad now that I'm gone. Stop, it's fine. Oh, that was really you know what
LJ: 51:57
you did? You just got some, you know, evidence, referenced
Tim: 52:01
it. All the rich melodic variety of an automobile horn. I know. That's brittle.
LJ: 52:07
I know.
Tim: 52:08
I think that's a bit harsh. But most reviews are harsh, aren't they? Like, I don't know. Where do you stand on reviews? I wanted to be a
LJ: 52:18
reviewer.
Tim: 52:19
You would be brilliant as a reviewer. Yes, that's right.
LJ: 52:23
I'd gone to uni and was like, right, I think I'll do this. This side of drama instead of the performance
Tim: 52:28
side. Whereas this podcast is probably the most outspoken I've been about. Musical musicals ever really, because I would normally, you know, I, I enjoy going to something and appreciating the work that's gone into it. Do you know what I mean? So actually, maybe that's why I feel guilty now because I've kind of like Destroyed Titty Titty Bang Bang and actually an awful lot of hard work went into putting it on stage. It's like anything a lot of you would have been a brilliant reviewer. I know.
LJ: 53:00
I remember, I know, I remember writing, maybe that could be a side thing of this. Maybe we just need to go and see more musicals and then we write about them and do a podcast. No, you can do
Tim: 53:09
that. I'm not doing that. That's not me.
LJ: 53:11
I remember writing a review about Ibsen's Ghosts in... Did you go and say that in
Tim: 53:17
school? Yeah, we had to do that. Yeah. That was like uh, yeah. And
LJ: 53:21
I remember doing that and I wrote it's a good job Ibsen is a ghost because he'd be turning in his grave about this performance. And I was told I was not allowed to be that harsh about a performance. And I said well it's my opinion and this is what I want to do whenever I grow up. See
Tim: 53:40
this is what Lorne was like in school. You can't tell me what to write. I'm gonna write it anyway, it's my opinion. Yeah. Very good. On to next week. Next week, next week. A little bit more cheery.
LJ: 53:56
Yeah, I know, I know what's coming. And I, yeah, I'm starting to fall out of love.
Tim: 54:04
With who, me? No. With
LJ: 54:06
what? With this, next week's musical. Oh are you? Yeah. I know, I can't wait to discuss it. I know, look at your face, I know, I know. I thought
Tim: 54:17
that's right up there with being, like, holding a very special place in your heart. It, yeah,
LJ: 54:22
used to. No way! I know, I know, I think, I think it's what, I think it's what others have
Tim: 54:28
done to it. Oh, okay, I am, like, blown away by this. I was gonna go home and polish my ruby slippers. I
LJ: 54:37
know, I don't even know if I'll
Tim: 54:39
bother. This is, like... This is like the end of like a soap drama where it kind of goes boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, or It's
LJ: 54:50
been a real coat hanger. No, that's a wrong word. No, that
Tim: 54:54
is. Coat hanger's right. No, I know it's cliffhanger. Oh, no, no, we're not putting anyone on the cliffhanger. Yeah,
LJ: 54:59
I'm doing coat hanger to take the mick out of you. But you were like, but it's not, it's more like dropping a bombshell. You have
Tim: 55:08
totally dropped a bombshell on me. I
LJ: 55:09
know, I know, but like, I mean, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna be like you. Were with
Tim: 55:13
today, but you couldn't be with next next week's. Um musical. Oh, you can't yeah, you can't No,
LJ: 55:20
but I can I can I can the raw material. Yeah. No, no, no, no, no But I can talk about what I think is being done to it. No,
Tim: 55:28
that's really sad. Yes. I look forward to that Yeah, I'm gonna polish my glue and my ruby slippers Anyway, you do that and click your heels three times and we'll see you next week. Bye