Review: The Sound of Music at the Opera House at Winter Gardens, Blackpool, starring Emilie Fleming, Andrew Lancel and Megan Llewellyn

Anyone who, like me, was a huge fan of the film as a child will adore this take on the emotional story of a young would-be-nun who leaves the abbey for love and transforms the lives of seven children in the process.

Bill Kenwright's production, staged at the Opera House within the Winter Gardens complex, remains faithful to the original 1949 Broadway musical's main tropes and score by Richard Rodgers, which were inspired by Baroness Maria von Trapp’s 1949 autobiography detailing the wealthy family's escape from the Nazi occupation of their native Austria at the beginning of the Second World War.

With lavish new staging for this tour, it stars Emilie Fleming who shot to fame when she was a finalist in BBC One’s Over the Rainbow with Andrew Lloyd Webber, as Maria.

As well as her excellent singing voice, she captures the nuances of Maria's passions and vulnerabilities perfectly and captures the lightness of the character against the dark political backdrop.

Andrew Lancel, better know as Coronation Street super-villain Frank Foster and from his long stint in The Bill, impresses in a very different role as Captain von Trapp - Maria's love.

But it is Welsh soprano Megan Llwelleyn as Mother Abbess who steals the show.

Both Act one and two end on her soaring operatic vocals which see the audience take to the feet for a standing ovation with the sheer joy of it.

Her voice is simply extraordinary.

But of course most eyes are upon the entrancing young cast (Gretl is very cute) playing the Von Trapp children, played throughout the tour by three different teams with the exception of Liesl - played beautifully by Nicole Farrar in her professional debut.

The star, of course, is the timeless music and lyrics of an unforgettable score which features memorable songs including Edelweiss, My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, So Long, Farewell and of course iconic title song The Sound of Music.

If you want to leave a theatre with a song in your heart and a smile, this is one for you.

The Sound of Music runs until Saturday February 22 at the Blackpool Winter Gardens. Next stop Bradford.