18 MARCH 2005

Elle Macpherson and Liz Hurley made a "supercalifragilistic" impression on the West End on Thursday night, when they arrived hand-in-hand for a gala performance of the Mary Poppins musical.

Liz was looking her usual glamorous self in an empire-waisted white top and satin trousers, while her Australian friend opted for a shimmering gold affair. It was veteran actress Julie Andrews, who starred in the original movie, who shone brightest on the night, however.

The 69-year-old was greeted by a huge cheer when she made her entrance at the Prince Edward Theatre. Forty years have passed since she picked up a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of the no-nonsense nanny, and Dame Julie was clearly delighted to hear the old tunes one more time.

"Can you imagine the joy and memories this has brought back to me?" she said. "I've been so delighted to see what everybody has done with this lovely piece, and it's a little bit of the old and a lot of the new and I think it's great."

Twenty-three-year-old Laura Michelle Kelly, who recreates her famous role on the stage, confessed to feeling a little nervous about performing in front of the original Mary Poppins. She needn't have worried, though, because the legendary actress was cheering louder than anyone else. "What an extraordinarily wonderful evening," she enthused afterwards. "There is only one word I can think of to sum it up. It went 'super'."

Stars who've switched from brunette to blonde