HAMPSHIRE-BORN stage star Laura Michelle Kelly has won a Laurence Olivier Award for her portrayal of Mary Poppins.

Laura, 23, has wowed audiences and critics alike with her performance as the magical nanny in Sir Cameron Mackintosh's £9m West End production.

She picked up the prize for Best Actress in a Musical at the awards ceremony, held at the London Hilton on Park Lane last night.

Laura, whose family moved from Totton to the Isle of Wight when she was nine, learned her craft singing in church and acting in amateur productions on the Island.

Last year, the former Sandown High School pupil took the musical world by storm when she starred as Eliza Doolittle in the London revival of My Fair Lady.

Laura had to turn down a role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new show, The Woman in White, because rehearsals clashed with Mary Poppins.

She had enjoyed roles in Whistle Down The Wind and the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof before landing the part of Mary Poppins, played in the Disney film by Julie Andrews.

Laura said: "I could never replace Julie Andrews - I'm a massive fan of hers. It really is a lot of responsibility, taking over from someone who is my hero."

Laura, who attended the awards with husband Nick and Sir Cameron Mackintosh, wore a pale green dress by designer Colette Dinnigan.