Also heading the cast will be Julia Sutton as Bird woman, Kevin Williams as Park Keeper and Gerard Carey as Robertson Ay. Five sets of children will play Banks kids Michael and Jane.
Completing the cast are Sarah Bayliss, Ian Burford, Ashley Day, Jye Frasca, Lewis Greenslade, Howard Jones, Sarah Keeton, Melanie La Barrie, Claire Machin, Matthew Malthouse, Stephen McGlynn, Tamara McKoy Patterson, Tim Morgan, Stuart Neal, Zak Nemorin, Terel Nugent, Lisa O’Hare, Pippa Raine, Louisa Shaw, Savannah Stevenson, Nathan Taylor, Philip Michael Thomas, Poppy Tierney, Agnes Vandrepote, Alan Vicary, Emma Woods and Andrew Wright.
As previously announced, Laura Michelle Kelly, who was recently seen as Hodel in the current Broadway revival of Fiddler On the Roof, will play the beloved nanny — the role originated on screen by Julie Andrews — in Mary Poppins, which begins performances at London's Prince Edward Theatre Dec. 15. Before it hits London, however, Poppins will have an out-of-town tryout at the Bristol Hippodrome. Previews begin Sept. 15 at the Hippodrome with an official opening set for Sept. 18. The musical's limited engagement will end Nov. 6.
Rehearsals will begin July 19. Mary Poppins will feature direction by Sir Richard Eyre, choreography by Matthew Bourne, design by Bob Crowley, a book by Academy Award winner Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”) and additional tunes (supplementing the original film score by Robert and Richard Sherman) by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Stiles and Drewe are the British songwriting team who composed the score for the Olivier Award winning musical Honk!.
Gavin Lee has appeared in such West End musicals as Peggy Sue Got Married and A Saint She Ain't. David Haig starred in Terry Johnson’s Hitchcock Blonde at both the Royal Court and Lyric Theatre. His other West End credits include Life x 3 and House and Garden. He won an Olivier Award for Our Country's Good. Hately has played Roxie Hart in the London production of Chicago. Ashe's credits include The Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, Les Miserables and Witches Of Eastwick. Tickets for the West End run are now available by calling 011 44 20 7447 5458.
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The beloved 1964 Disney film "Mary Poppins" starred Julie Andrews in the title role opposite the Bert of Dick Van Dyke. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the movie boasted a score by the Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert) and featured such tunes as "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Jolly Holiday," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Feed the Birds," "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and "Let's Go Fly a Kite." Nominated for an Academy Award as Best Picture, the film garnered Oscars for Julie Andrews as well as those for Best Special Visual Effects; Best Film Editing; Best Score; and Best Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee").
