Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh will produce the West End return of the international hit musical Mary Poppins at its original London home, the Prince Edward Theatre. Disney's Aladdin will end its run at the venue in late August 2019.
Zizi Strallen will star as the titular nanny after playing the role in a recent sell-out international tour, with Half a Sixpence’s Charlie Stemp, who recently made his Broadway debut as Barnaby in Hello, Dolly!, as Bert.
Tickets for Mary Poppins will go on sale in January 2019. Further details will be announced.
Mary Poppins, which opened in the West End 14 years ago, will be 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 Mackintosh and has a book by Oscar-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 team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Mackintosh said in a statement, “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... 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.”
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Disney Theatrical Group President Thomas Schumacher added, “It is of course a great joy to collaborate again with our long-time partner, Cameron Mackintosh, on this glorious production... In every iteration of this beloved tale, Mary appears at 17 Cherry Tree Lane because the Banks family needs her; needs her unconditional love, her enchantment and her belief. Has there ever been a time when we have all needed Mary more?”
