Photo Flash: Sneak Peek at CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG on Tour; New Stars Set for Run at The Bristol Hippodrome

Music & Lyrics and West Yorkshire Playhouse have announced that Charlotte Wakefield in the role of Truly Scrumptious and Jos Vantyler in the role of the Childcatcher in the much-loved Sherman Brothers musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG. The production will play The Bristol Hippodrome Wednesday 25th January - Saturday 4th February 2017. Scroll down for a sneak peek!

The producers are thrilled to be working with Charlotte again after Music & Lyrics' highly acclaimed 2015 tour of Oklahoma! where Charlotte starred as Laurey. She made her West End debut at 18 starring as Wendla Bergman in Spring Awakening, receiving an Olivier Award nomination, and has gone on to play Maria in The Sound of Music at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, receiving critical acclaim and a second Olivier Award nomination. She has also played Sophie in the West End and International Tour productions of Mamma Mia!. Charlotte's previous television credits include, Waterloo Road, The Royal and Holby City.

Jos Vantyler will join Charlotte on tour as the Childcatcher. Jos's previous theatre credits include Oswald in King Lear (Northern Broadsides, directed by Jonathan Miller), Dead on Her Feet (Arcola, won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in a New Play and was nominated in the Best Male Performance category for the 2012 OffWestEnd Awards), Tom Sawyer in Huck (Southwark Playhouse, nominated for Best Male Performance, 2010 OffWestEnd Awards), Prophecy, Hampstead New End Theatre (nominated in the Critics' Choice Best Actor category), A View From The Bridge, (Tower Theatre, New York, awarded Best Newcomer, 2005 NYC START Awards) and Oswald in Ghosts (Lincoln Center, New York, received a Best Supporting Actor nomination in NYC Review Awards).

Charlotte and Jos join the previously announced Jason Manford (The Producers, Sweeney Todd) as Caractacus Pott, Phill Jupitus (The Producers, Hairspray) as Lord Scrumptious and Baron Bomburst, Claire Sweeney (Hairspray, Chicago, Guys and Dolls) as Baroness Bomburst and Andy Hockley (The Phantom of the Opera) as Grandpa Potts.

Ewen Cummins plays The Toymaker/Mr Coggins, with Sam Harrison as Boris and Scott Paige as Goran, and Kathryn Barnes, RosAnna Bates, Alex Louize Bird, Abigail Climer, Jade Davies, Ewan Gillies, JoAnna Goodwin, Nathan Vaughan Harris, Christopher D Hunt, Paul Iveson, Nia Jermin, Kelsie-Rae Marshall, Mollie Melia-Redgrave, Perry O'Dea, Matt Overfield, Ross Russell, Craig Turner and Robert Wilkes.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG has music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, who were also responsible for Mary Poppins, The Slipper and the Rose, The Aristocats and The Jungle Book. The Sherman Brothers have won two Academy Awards with a further nine nominations, two Grammy Awards and they have received 21 gold and platinum albums.

The film made from Ian Fleming's classic story has been adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams, based on the MGM Motion Picture Licensed Script adapted by Ray Roderick.

This new production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is directed by West Yorkshire Playhouse Artistic Director James Brining, with new choreography by Stephen Mear. There is a live orchestra with Musical Supervision by Stephen Ridley. Set and costume design is by Simon Higlett, lighting design is by Tim Mitchell, sound design is by Ben Harrison and video design is by Simon Wainwright.

There are sensational sets and stunning special effects and, of course, the memorable score by The Sherman Brothers, which includes such standards as Truly Scrumptious, Toot Sweets, Hushabye Mountain and the Oscar-nominated title song Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

For more information, visit www.chittythemusical.co.uk.