Even before the curtain rose, the excitement was palpable.

The heartwarming story of how Maria, a novice nun, becomes a governess to the von Trapp family and then marries the once-austere Captain von Trapp is part of popular culture.

And the high expectations of the audience were luckily not dashed in this touring production which stars Connie Fisher, star of the BBC television talent show.

Connie was excellent in the role of the rather naive but loveable and clever Maria. She soon had the challenging von Trapp children under her control, and led a splendid dance to illustrate a needle and thread as she sang Do Re Mi.

She also produced one of the funniest parts of the show, as she stuffed a slice of cake in her mouth just before meeting the Captain’s intended, and then tried to talk as the crumbs flew.

Michael Praed, once a heart throb in Robin of Sherwood, was splendid as the dashing Captain. He convincingly managed to bridge the change from stern patriarch who communicated with his brood by whistle, to loving father and husband.

The wealthy Baroness Schaeder, played by Jacinta Mulcahy, and the loveable, if unprincipled Max Detweiler, played by Martin Callaghan, made a splendid duo. Their desire to keep on the right side of the authorities, even if those authorities are the Nazis, led to some very funny moments, particularly when the affable Max gave a cross between a wave and a Nazi salute.

The penultimate scene, in which the family sing before escaping the Nazis, led to a play within a play. Fronted by enormous drapes bearing the swastika, the theatre was transformed into a 1930s Nazi playhouse. The effect was powerful, giving a strong sense of what being overcome by the Nazis might have felt like.

Finally, mention must be made of the von Trapp children who were splendid, irritating, loveable, compliant, and shirty by turn.

Just one complaint, the programme told us nothing of the story, nothing of its history and nothing of Connie Fisher’s role in the BBC talent show (except for a brief credit). Don't buy it. The Sound of Music is at the Bristol Hippodrome until December 4.