AUDIENCES can relive their childhood with a “truly scrumptious” evening of music entertainment next month. The music of Richard and Robert Sherman – who wrote the score for Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – will be celebrated in a run of concerts at the Corn Exchange in Wallingford.

And to promote the forthcoming production, a replica of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, which will feature in the performances from March 15-19, appeared at the town’s Market Place on Sunday, along with the cast in period costume.

The Music of Richard and Robert Sherman will feature songs from Mary Poppins including Feed the Birds, A Spoonful of Sugar, Let’s Go Fly a Kite, Step in Time and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Tunes from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang include the lively title track, plus Truly Scrumptious, Toot Sweets, Posh and The Roses of Success.

The show will feature singing and dancing from a large cast of local talent, including members of the Wallingford-based Sinodun Players, as well as recordings of music played by a 40-piece orchestra. It is being overseen by musical director Rob Alderton, whose first production was at the Corn Exchange when he was 14 years old.

He has since gone on to become a leading West End musical director, producing work for many London shows and UK tours, and working alongside stars such as Sir Cliff Richard and Lord Lloyd Webber.

Alderton, who has built the replica Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car over the past five years, rates the Sherman brothers as his favourite musical composers and is very enthusiastic about how the show is taking shape.

He said: “We have a wonderful cast of singers and dancers who, together, create a level of excitement and care beyond anything I’ve ever known.

“It’s a close, talented and dedicated company, numbering about 30 and I’m enormously proud of them.

“The evening most definitely is going to be ‘absolutely supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!’”

Performances take place at Corn Exchange, Market Place, Wallingford, from March 15-19 at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinée at 2.30pm.

Tickets are £15 for adults and £12 for children from www.cornexchange.org.uk or 01491 825000.