LONDON, May 10, 2010 (AFP) — Disappointed fans and critics yesterday slammed the first concert in Britain for 30 years by Julie Andrews, saying she had only sang sporadically and repeatedly left the stage.

Some concert-goers are believed to have demanded a refund after walking out during the much-anticipated comeback show by Andrews, 74, the star of classic films Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.

Some paid more than 100 pounds (150 dollars, 115 euros) to see the concert at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday.

One fan who attended the show told AFP he was “disappointed and bemused” and had walked out during the second half, which featured a “dreadful” musical staging of a children’s story that Andrews wrote with her daughter.

“There was quite a crowd in the lobby as I left, many of whom were clearly angry and remonstrating with O2 Arena staff,” David Torrance said.

At the start of the show, “five cheesy musicals singers appeared on stage, basically to drown her out and cover up the fact that she can’t really sing at all”, he added.

The Evening Standard’s critic said: “Her carefully managed singing effort amounted to little more than 20 minutes over more than two hours.”

“Much of the heavy lifting in this show was left to five younger Broadway performers,” he added.

The Daily Telegraph said: “Now the tills are alive with the sound of refunds.”

Andrews had warned before the concert that her voice had never recovered fully from a botched operation on her vocal chords in 1997.