There was a time when The Sound Of Music was as inextricably linked to Christmas as the Queen’s speech. And while the plethora of content available on streaming platforms has changed the shape of our festive viewing, the musical still holds a place in many a heart. Which is one reason you don’t mess with it, or at least Elizabeth Newman hasn’t. Her final show as artistic director at Pitlochry Festival Theatre (before moving to pastures new in Sheffield) is a straightforward rendition of the original 1959 Broadway stage show (with the addition of one song from the 1965 film).

But the other, more fundamental reason Newman hasn’t attempted to rework this iconic classic is, why would you?  Set in 1938, on the eve of World War II, The Sound Of Music is a tale of love, loss, family, persecution, conflict and, ultimately, hope. Newman didn’t need to labour the point to make the show as relevant today as when the real-life Maria von Trapp wrote her memoir in 1949. So all we’re really looking for is a strong cast (especially when it comes to the von Trapp children), great vocals and musicianship, and a set that transitions believably between the abbey, the Austrian hills and the family’s opulent home. Tick, tick, tick.

The songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein are so beloved and, much like Christmas, so inextricably linked with Julie Andrews, that when Kirsty Findlay walks on stage singing ‘the hills are alive…’, the stakes are high. So much is wrapped up in the musical’s titular song, capturing Maria’s spirit, the freedom of the mountains, and the love of music that runs through this narrative like a stick of rock. Last seen embodying the legendary Carole King in Beautiful, Findlay is no stranger to carrying a tune, but her delivery here goes beyond vocal prowess. Yes, she can hit the notes (albeit in a lower register than Andrews), but it’s Maria’s warmth, sense of fun and desire to do good that she captures so well.  

Findlay leads a strong cast that, in Newman’s capable hands, is encouraged to play to their strengths. Kate Milner-Evans as the Mother Abbess is suitably operatic during ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’, Christian Edwards is hilarious as theatrical impresario Max Detweiler, and if there was an award for cuteness, Leva Stewart as Gretl is taking it home. Each of the seven von Trapp children demonstrate commitment and authenticity, and when they sing together in perfect harmony, they make a definite play for our hearts.

But perhaps the strongest selling point of this enjoyable production is how wonderfully homespun it feels, without ever compromising on professionalism. Due to its repertory nature, most of the cast doubles up as the band, so it’s not uncommon to see a musician dressed as a nun one minute, a maid the next. Indeed, when they’re not centre-stage, we see Liesl von Trapp pick up a violin, Captain von Trapp sit at the drums, and his love interest Elsa Schraeder is on the French horn.

Light-hearted and fun when it needs to be, the show also knows how to pack a punch. And when the von Trapp family head for the hills in fear of their lives, surrounded by Nazi soldiers and swastikas, you may find yourself reaching for a tissue as those hopeful harmonies soar. 

The Sound Of Music, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, until Sunday 22 December.