Chim chim cher-ee a will be!

Jul 4 2008 By Diane Parkes

THE curtain rises on the summer theatre extravaganza next week when Mary Poppins hits town.

The joint Disney/Cameron Mackintosh production is based on the much-loved film created from the novels by P L Travers.

It tells the tale of the Banks Family and the mysterious nanny Mary Poppins who arrives on the breeze with her trademark umbrella - and breathes a whole world of magic into the house in Cherry Tree Lane.

Led by Mary Poppins, youngsters Jane and Michael embark on a series of adventures and make a new set of friends including Bert the chimneysweep, shopkeeper Mrs Corry and Neleus the talking statue. And along the way the entire Banks family learns the true meaning of happiness. With lots of well-known songs such as Chim Chim Cher-ee, A Spoonful of Sugar and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Mary Poppins features a string of all-singing, all-dancing numbers with special effects which push the boundaries of theatre. The show, which was a huge hit on the West End, has seen a number of scenery changes to ensure it can fit into the five theatres hosting it during its UK tour.