A UNIVERSITY production which celebrates five years of regional touring will stop off in Winchester.

The University of Chichester’s Musical Theatre degree course was the first in the country to pioneer a full-scale touring production into major regional theatres.

Now the university is celebrating its five year milestone, after touring 35 shows into 15 venues in front of more than 4,000 people.

The anniversary production is the Tony award-winning musical Sweet Charity.

Based on the book by Neil Salmon, it follows the tender, poignant and consistently funny misadventures of love encountered by the gullible Charity Hope Valentine, a woman who always gives her heart, her dreams and her money to the wrong man.

Cy Coleman’s score features favourite hits such as Hey, Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and The Rhythm of Life.

Originally directed and choreographed by Broadway legend Bob Fosse, Sweet Charity premiered at the Palace Theatre in 1966, where it ran for over 600 performances.

Dorothy Field’s dialogue captures the vernacular and fun of 1960s New York and the show-stopping dance numbers will be performed by some of the best emerging young performers.

The production features a live band of West End professionals and for the first time they will be in the hands of musical director Julian Kelly, whose credits include Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of 42nd Street and Singin’ in the Rain and River Dance on New York’s Broadway.

All five touring productions have been directed by Karen Howard and choreographed by Damien Delaney, who have helped their students on to professional success.

The show premieres in Bognor Regis on March 19, before shows in Horsham and Worthing, before the March 27 performance at Theatre Royal Winchester.