There can’t be many musicals in which the leading man is upstaged by a car, but that is certainly the case for Darren Bennett, the star of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at New Wimbledon Theatre.

Audiences have been marvelling at the flying car of the show’s title ever since it first took flight at the London Palladium in 2002 and Bennett, who plays Caractacus Potts, the eccentric inventor of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, says he is happy to play second fiddle.

“It is one of the definitive stage props and I’m completely used to being upstaged by it,” he says.

“They always say don’t work with children and animals and here we’ve got children, dogs and a flying car, so it is all par for the course. The dogs get a better dressing room than I do!”

Chittty Chitty Bang Bang was made famous by Disney’s film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s story that was released in 1968. In that picture, the part of Caractacus Potts, who leads his two children, Grandpa Potts and Truly Scrumptious on a mission to outwit the dastardly Baron Bomburst and the maelevolent Child Catcher, was memorably played by Dick Van Dyke.

Bennett says he has made a conscious effort to avoid copying his predecessor’s performance.

“I was born in 1967, so it was a case of watching the film at home every Christmas and it is certainly engrained in my pysche, although I stayed away from watching it in the build-up to the show,” he explains.

“I wanted to do justice to what Dick Van Dyke did and I also wanted to make it my own – I’m shorter and fatter than him anyway.”

And has making Potts his own been fun?

“I absolutely love it,” he says. “The director, Adrian Noble, has worked on the show for eight years but he has been like a breath of fresh air.

“He was really prepared to take on board what I had to offer and try new things.

“With these kind of shows, sometimes you just get told to move from A to B so to have some freedom was like a dream come true.”

Fans of the film are in for a treat as Bennett reveals that this latest touring production is the closest the musical has ever been to its big screen counterpart.

“Everyone knows the songs and so, if you do justice to what people are expecting to hear, then you will be doing all right,” he adds.

“I find it amazing that in today’s hi-tech society, kids can still come and be scared by the Child Catcher.”

Chittty Chitty Bang Bang, New Wimbledon Theatre, until April 3, for more information and to book tickets visit ambassadortickets.com