PUT On Your Sunday Clothes and say 'hello' to Dolly as one of the world's best-loved musicals comes to town.

The top brass at Toads Stage Musical Company will fulfil a long held ambition when the curtain goes up on their £42,000 production of Hello Dolly at the Princess Theatre on Tuesday.

Director Iain Douglas explained: "We have wanted to stage this show for some years, and almost took the bait about 10 years ago but chose another show instead. We had to wait until now for the chance to stage it.

"Staging a major musical in the midst of the deepest recession in years might seem like madness, but we all have our fingers crossed the show will attract audiences to the box office.

"It is big and brash, bright and colourful, and is perfect family entertainment for a summer's evening.

"It's not too long either, weighing in at just two hours and 15 minutes with an interval."

The show has brought together the same production team which successfully put on My Fair Lady last year.

Alongside Iain Douglas is choreographer Aubrey Budd and musical director John Amery.

But they have had their work cut out, with a cast of 40 and some big routines to stage.

Iain explained: "The cast is a complement of Toads SMC regulars, and some new up and coming faces, and is a nice blend of old hands and youth.

"Rae Gilderthorp has always wanted to play Dolly, and now she gets the chance.

"She has worked like a real trouper and is sure to be a hit. In fact the whole cast have been a real team and that's what makes working with Toads SMC such a joy."

Rae plays Dolly Levi, the meddlesome matchmaker of the show's title, and playing opposite her is Rob Pethick as Horace Vandergelder, the wealthy widower on whom she sets her sights.

Toads regulars Steve Gale and Nicholas Heath play Cornelius and Barnaby, young employees of Vandergelder's who skive off for a night on the town, hoping to meet a girl and get kissed for the first time.

Playing opposite them are Jo Button as Irene Molloy in her first Toads SMC role and 16-year-old Georgena Johnson in her first principal role as Minnie Fey. Georgina's mum is local stage veteran Elaine Johnson, so it's a case of a chip off the old block.

Two more young newcomers make up the principal line up of couples matched up by Dolly Levi: Felix Hembury and Issy Grainger play Ambrose Kemper and Weeping Ermengarde.

The magical score includes Put On Your Sunday Clothes, Ribbons Down My Back, Elegance and title track Hello Dolly.

Curtain up is at 7.45pm on Tuesday at the Princess Theatre and it continues until Saturday.

Box office 0844 847 2315 or online at www.princesstheatre.org.uk