It’s a practically perfect pairing: Zizi Strallen & Charlie Stemp will star in Mary Poppins when it returns to the West End in autumn 2019

14 Sep
2018
Posted in: Theatre News
Author: Press Releases
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Main picture: Seamus Ryan

Fifteen years after its critically-acclaimed stage premiere, Mary Poppins is flying back to its original West End home, the Prince Edward Theatre, when Disney’s Aladdin ends its run in August 2019. We can't wait to see Zizi Strallen & Charlie Stemp step in time!

Zizi Strallen returns to play the title role following great acclaim on the recent sell-out international tour, while Charlie Stemp is Bert. Last year Stemp gave an award-winning performance as Arthur Kipps in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Half A Sixpence and recently made his Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly!.

Cameron Mackintosh said:

“I’m thrilled to be bringing the internationally acclaimed new staging of Pamela Travers’ magical stories back to London in the autumn of 2019, with Disney, featuring the dazzling talents of Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp as Mary and Bert. The original production, over 14 years ago, only played London and Broadway and subsequently was revised and continues to be staged around the world with phenomenal success.

“The recent UK tour, starring Zizi as Mary, broke box office records everywhere it played. It has been particularly gratifying that the stage musical with its brilliant script by Julian Fellowes and wonderful new score by Stiles and Drewe, complementing the Sherman Brothers’ classic songs, has taken on its own magical life separate from the film, appealing to audiences of all ages and nationalities. Its story of the importance of family is at the heart of the show and the reason why this iconic British nanny remains irresistibly timeless and popular the world over.”

The multi award-winning creative team for Mary Poppins, which originally opened in the West End 14 years ago, is led by director Richard Eyre, with co-direction and choreography by Matthew Bourne, co-choreography by Stephen Mear, set and costume designs by Bob Crowley, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Paul Gatehouse and orchestrations by William David Brohn.

The stage production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh and has a book by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes. The score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman includes the classic songs ‘Jolly Holiday’, ‘Step in Time’, ‘Feed the Birds’ and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ with new songs and additional music and lyrics by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The producer for Disney Theatrical Productions is Thomas Schumacher.