Veteran singing star Petula Clark will return to the West End stage for the first time in decades when she joins the cast of the eagerly-awaited West End return of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins.
A multi award-winning recording artist, Clark who famously starred as Maria in The Sound Of Music in the West End in the early 1980s, and went on to play Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in the West End and on Broadway, will play the Bird Woman in the new production.
The internationally-known singer who danced with Fred Astaire on screen in Finian’s Rainbow, will appear alongside Joseph Millson (Apologia, The Rover) as Mr Banks and the previously announced Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp as Mary and Bert.
Fifteen years after the musical’s stage premiere, Mary Poppins is due to return to its original London home, the Prince Edward Theatre following the departure of Disney’s Aladdin which is due to end its successful three-year run in late August.
Mary Poppins will begin previews on 23 October 2019 ahead of an opening night on 13 November, tickets are currently on sale for performances up until 29 March 2020.
Recently seen in the West End in Strictly Ballroom, Strallen previously played the magical nanny during the 2015 UK tour, while Stemp, who last year made his Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly!, also starred in the 2018 Palladium pantomime Snow White.
Commenting on Mary Poppins’ imminent homecoming, Mackintosh said: “I am very excited to be welcoming Pamela Travers’ iconic nanny back to the Prince Edward Theatre later this year for audiences across all generations to enjoy.
“Since we originally presented the show, we have found even more magical ways to stage this timeless tale in this new production, and with the spectacular dancing talent of our two stars, I’m sure our audiences will find our new Mary Poppins practically perfect in every way.
“I first spotted Zizi in Matthew Bourne’s production of The Car Man and knew she would make a unique Mary Poppins, she went on to win terrific reviews on the recent UK tour.
“Charlie became an overnight star almost straight from drama school in my hugely popular production of Half a Sixpence which took him to Broadway to play opposite Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! I am thrilled to have him back in London to play his dream role of Bert.”
On behalf of Disney Theatrical Productions, producer Thomas Schumacher added: “London could not ask for a more enchanting leading couple than the remarkable Zizi and Charlie. Cameron and I are so gratified that the show remains as beloved today as when it first came to life at the gorgeous Prince Edward Theatre 15 years ago. Its longevity and the huge success of the recent Disney film Mary Poppins Returns, remind us that the world’s love for Mary is deep and enduring.”
The stage version of the much-loved story of the magical nanny was co-created by Mackintosh with a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and featuring the timeless score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman. New songs and additional music and lyrics are by the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Mary Poppins boasts a creative team headed by stage and film director Richard Eyre, with co-direction and choreography by Matthew Bourne and co-choreography by Stephen Mear. Set and costume design is by Bob Crowley with lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Paul Gatehouse, with orchestrations by William David Brohn.
The stage production of Mary Poppins originally opened in 2004 and ran in the West End for three years and over 1,250 performances. The show won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography and Best Set Design as well as the Evening Standard Award for Best Set Design and the Variety Club Award for Best Musical.
The Broadway production ran for over six years where it won the Tony Award for Best Set Design. The show has also been a success in Holland, Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Dubai, Japan and Germany and it has toured Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the UK and Ireland. The production has been seen by over 11 million people worldwide.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for Mary Poppins are available HERE.
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.