Mary Poppins, Newcastle Theatre Royal

A THUMPING seven-week flight of fantasy has landed smack in the centre of Tyneside and threatens to have us all Chim Chim Cher-eeing, if not cheering our heads off, for the whole run.

Floating in under a giant parrot-headed umbrella, the show boasts few star names but has that Cameron Mackintosh magic which sees the 2004 West End original show – with its pedigree of Julian Fellowes book, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe songs added to Sherman and Sherman 1964 movie memories and Matthew Bourne choreography – looking like a star spotted by the Gaia space telescope.

Zizi Strallen is almost the AI equivalent of PL Travers' world's best-known nanny as she glides glassy-eyed through a practically perfect performance as Mary. Matt Lee, the Australian Bert, is the ideal candidate for dancing upside-down on the ceiling as the rousing Step In Time chimney sweep in a routine worth the price of admission on its own.

While the more book-based script, with ideas taken from an abandoned Disney sequel, is darker and children Jane and Michael Banks (Verity Biggs and Lewis Fernee) far more rebellious, the fact that Mary goes away twice allows for pantomime baddie, evil nanny Miss Andrew (Penelope Woodman) to spark an inspiring family reunion at 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (phew) adds a Spoonful of Sugar to the first half as the script cleverly steers us through the plight of Mrs Banks (Rebecca Lock), a frowned-on former actress rather than a batty suffragette, who does indeed end up saving Mr Banks (Neil Roberts) at the bank.

* Runs until October 29. Box Office: 08448-112121 or theatreroyal.co.uk