VIDEO: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is heading our way this weekend

The show will be on stage from Tuesday to Sunday, April 11-16 in a spectacular new production directed by the Kings’ very own panto dame, Jack Edwards. And to celebrate, the Kings have arranged for the car to visit some of Portsmouth’s iconic landmarks on Saturday (March 18). The car and its owner, Nicholas Pointing, will be heading over from their home on the Isle of Wight courtesy of Wightlink Ferries and landing in Gunwharf Quays at 8.30am.

Some of the cast will be making an appearance from 11am to say hello to shoppers and there will be the opportunity for the public to have photos with the car and the cast as well as purchase tickets to the show. After a photo opportunity with the Spinnaker Tower, Chitty will be leaving Gunwharf Quays in the early afternoon and nipping over to Portsmouth International Port to bid bon voyage to Brittany Ferries’ afternoon sailing.

From there, the cast and car will drop into The Queens Hotel for some refreshments and to sample its Chitty themed cocktail. After a leisurely drive along the seafront taking in South Parade Pier and the D-Day Museum, and maybe even a cheeky ice-cream, the car will take its place next to the Hovercraft on the launch area for some more photos, before heading back to Wightlink for the journey back to the island.

It's all a great way to limber up for the show.

Jack said: “Originally we were going to do The Sound Of Music, but Chitty doesn't become available very often and it did – and it's just something that you don't get the chance to do very often. I spoke to the producers and the team here and we decided that we would go for it. You have to submit an application and say how many seats and what the prices will be and all that and we were so lucky that they came back to us and said that we could do it. I think they said yes because we have got a really good reputation for putting on our own productions. We did a very successful Titanic and we did a great Bugsy Malone. We are certainly on the map as a number one touring venue but we are also on the map for our community work and I think that's what counted in our favour.”