MUSICAL theatre is in her DNA.

So the iconic role of Mary Poppins is proving practically perfect for Zizi Strallen who follows in her sister's footsteps as the magical nanny.

"I really really do love it," she tells me. "I've been doing it for coming up to six months now and I still can't believe it. I'm still enjoying it so much and it's going so quickly. I just want it to slow down a bit!

"I just love the flying and the fact that she's magical. Not very often do you get to play someone who has magical powers and the ability to fly. It's crazy!

"I saw it ten years ago with my sister (Scarlett, who played Mary Poppins in the West End and on Broadway) in it and I remember thinking it's such a beautiful show, it's mental to think I'm part of it now.

"We used to watch it almost every day as children and my Mum used to read us the book to go to sleep at night. It's definitely ingrained in us, but I don't do a carbon copy of Julie Andrews!"

The 25-year-old, who previously played Demeter in Cats and Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, will soon be taking off above Mayflower audiences. Soaring high above the auditorium, umbrella in one hand and carpet bag in the other, she'll float serenely into the night sky - or at least above the Grand Circle before hot footing it back down to stage via a maze of stairs and passageways.

The iconic flight scenes have been an enjoyable challenge for the adrenaline junkie, who loves heights and enjoys abseiling.

"It doesn't bother me at all. From the start, I just thought OK hook me up and let's give it a go! It didn't phase me at all.

"We opened in Leicester, which is not crazy big, but I know there are some bigger theatres coming up! It's all a lot of fun, I've never been scared."

Born Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen, after her mother's favourite ballet Les Sylphides, Zizi, who was given the nickname because of a resemblance to French ballerina Zizi Jeanmaire as a baby, hails from an acting dynasty.

Both her parents - Sandy Strallen and Cherida Langford - appeared in the musical Cats; East-Enders star and song and dance legend Bonnie Langford is her aunt, and her sisters, Summer, Scarlett and Sasi are all musical theatre stars in their own right.

With such a legacy, did she ever consider not following the family into showbusiness?

"It crossed my mind for a few seconds," she laughs. "When I was 11, I thought about not doing it at all and went to a more academic school, but that lasted about a term and a half and I was back begging my parents to let me go to ArtsEd with my sisters!

"Once I'd got through that phase, I just loved it and knew it was what I wanted to do. I've not really thought about doing anything else since.

"It's not even as if our parents said we had to do it, it just suits all of us.

"We've been immersed in it our whole lives so it's a natural progression for us. Just like if our parents had their own hairdressers and we went into that, we're surrounded by it all the time. You just get to know people in the industry."

The dancing comes easily to Zizi too following her time with Matthew Bourne's company New Adventures.

She was awarded Outstanding Female Performance at the National Dance Awards for her role in The Car Man and Cameron Mackintosh cast her as Mary after seeing it.

"I think he saw me in The Car Man and then he asked Matthew Bourne if he would recommend me. He said I can vouch for her as an actress, but she doesn't sing in The Car Man so you'll have to audition her. So I had to sing for Cameron Mackintosh!

"Mary does do a lot more dancing in this production, although she's definitely Mary Poppins not a showgirl!

"There is just more dancing because Matt Lee (the Australian dancer who plays Bert and has principle in Happy Feet and a judge on the American Strictly So You Think You Can Dance? on his CV) is an accomplished dancer as well. I don’t do the crazy and amazing dancing on the ceiling like Bert though!"

Zizi is spending any down time during the tour following her dream of becoming a sketch writer.

"I'm trying to write a comedy sit com. It would be my ultimate dream to do something like that. It's kind of based on theatre and I'm working out at the moment whether it should be a mockumentary like The Office. There are so many hilarious stories about audiences, the rehearsal process and the cast."

Does the starlet ever suffer any onstage nerves?

"Waiting to come on at the start of the show makes me feel nervous. I am waiting in a little cupboard ready to come on and I always wonder how the audience are going to perceive me. But that's it. Once I'm out, I love it and it always seems to go well.

"It's what I always wanted to do. I really wanted to be able to fly when I was younger too. Now I get to do it every night!"

Mary Poppins opens on Wednesday at Mayflower Theatre and runs to Sunday June 19.

Tickets: 023 8071 1811 or visit mayflower.org.uk