A PIECE of Frome Memorial Theatre Company’s history had a starring role this month in the BBC’s top-rated show, Strictly Come Dancing.
The ‘vintage’ car that was made for the theatre company’s spring 2019 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, made its way onto the ballroom dancefloor as part of television presenter JJ Chalmers’ Charleston dance routine, with Strictly-pro Amy Dowden.
And watched by millions of viewers across the country, the car was given two moments to shine on the small screen, as JJ and Amy were forced to perform again in Strictly’s results show, when they landed in the ‘bottom two’.
Producer of FMTC’s production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sally Langley, whose husband Norm Langley made the chassis and the hydraulics for the car, told Frome Times, “It was lovely to see the car again! It’s really nice for those that were involved in making it, including my husband Norm, to see it still in use – it was built so well it has lasted. Members of the company were also very excited to see it on screen.
“Although, the car was very ‘sparkly’ on Strictly – it wasn’t like that when it left us!”
The bespoke car was made by volunteers for the Frome production as there was nothing available for hire that could fit the stage at the Memorial Theatre. After the curtain fell on the production of Chitty, the car was sold to another amateur theatre company in Potters Bar, who used it in their own production. The car was then sold to a scenery hire company in Hampshire, which is how Strictly came to get their hands on it.
“And it will continue to be used and hired out again in the future, which is great,” said Sally. “It’s a piece of Frome history that will travel the country!”
Watching the Strictly performance has reignited the company’s desire to get back on the stage after shows were postponed this year due to Covid-19.
Sally said, “We are playing a waiting game over the winter to see how things pan out. We don’t know when we will get back in the theatre – but we’ve got our fingers crossed that our summer production with our youth group can go ahead, followed then by our pantomime.”
Above: Strictly stars JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car. (Photo from BBC).
See page 20 – flashback to spring 2019 and the car in the Memorial Theatre’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang show.
