CASTING has been announced for Mary Poppins.

Zizi Strallen will play the title role and Matt Lee will play Bert in the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of the multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins, which will run at Hampshire’s Mayflower Theatre from May 25 – June 19, 2016.

Zizi is currently starring as Lana in Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man. She was most recently seen in the West End in Cats and the multi award-winning Merrily We Roll Along.

Her other West End credits include Rock of Ages, Dirty Dancing and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells.

She has also appeared in The Music Man at Chichester Festival Theatre, and as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray at Leicester Curve.

Matt Lee played the role of Bert in Mary Poppins when the show opened in Australia, his portrayal winning him the prestigious Helpmann Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

His other theatre credits in Australia include Miss Saigon, The Witches of Eastwick, Rent, Grease and The Boy from Oz.

Matt was also a permanent member of the judging panel for Australia’s So You Think You Can Dance.

Co-creator of the production Cameron Mackintosh said: “It’s hard to believe that it is already 11 years since Mary Poppins first landed on the London stage.

“Since we originally staged the production we have found even more magical ways to stage this timeless tale.

"I’m also thrilled to have cast yet another of the extraordinarily talented Strallen family in the role of Mary and pair her with one of the most brilliant Berts we have been fortunate to find worldwide.

“I know Zizi and Matt will be practically perfect in every way and a show-stopping tour de force”.

Box office: 02380 711811, mayflower.org.uk.