Mary Poppins

MARY POPPINS IS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS AND IS PRACTICALLY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!

Mary Poppins presented me with one of the earliest challenges I can remember. For days, weeks even, I practised and practised, determined not to be beaten. At the age of 6, I knew I would finally become one of the cool kids at school, if only I could manage to figure out how to say that one, many-syllabled word. Yes, you have guessed it. And I am proud to say that I did succeed – although it didn’t quite have the effect on my social status that I expected.

Regardless, ever since then. I have loved Mary Poppins, even finding myself a long term Dick Van Dyke fan to boot. But I had not had chance to see the stage production, so was incredibly excited to head to Manchester’s Palace Theatre last night and finally get the chance to see this musical live.

And what an incredibly production this is. Fabulous performances, inventive staging and inspired choreography that just leaves you wishing it would never end. This production of Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way!

The stage version of Mary Poppins is adapted from both P.L. Travers’ original book series and the much-loved 1964 Disney film. It follows the arrival of Mary Poppins, a magical but no-nonsense nanny, who transforms the troubled Banks household in Edwardian London. With the help of her cheerful friend Bert, Mary takes the Banks children, Jane and Michael, on a series of imaginative adventures, while also subtly guiding their parents, George and Winifred, toward rediscovering what truly matters.

While the basic storyline will remain familiar to fans of the film like me, the stage adaptation introduces a number of changes that really deepen the narrative whilst allowing it to lean into the live performance side. It does this by drawing a lot more heavily on the tone and content of Travers’ books, bringing in episodes and characters that weren’t in the film. This results in a story that is slightly darker and more complex version – but ultimately more rewarding.

Musically, the stage production retains many of the iconic songs by the Sherman Brothers from the film: “Spoonful of sugar,” “Jolly Holiday,” and “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” all make a welcome experience. However it also introduces some new numbers by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, for example “Practically Perfect,” one of the opening numbers which is used to introduce Mary’s character for the audience.

Stephanie Jones (Neighbours, Zombie! The Musical, The Divorce, Molly) gives us a poised and watchful Mary Poppins, her sharp eyes missing nothing. For much of the time she is on stage, she is stood slightly apart, observing what is happening; Mr Banks may talk of chaos following her arrival, but this performance leans more to providing gentle nudges in the right direction. She engages brilliantly with the audience; I always felt she was letting us into little secrets with a quick wink here and there – understated yet effective. What’s more, Jones has a glorious voice – one that absolutely holds its own against her famous predecessor; she gives a truly brilliant performance.

Opposite Jones, Jack Chambers (Elvis, ‘The Man, The Music, The Show,’ The Sounds of Music) is an excellent Bert. He has a lovely, rich voice, but for me it was his dancing that quickly captured by attention. He is just so elegant, so precise, so in control, his movements so fluid but at the same time absolutely in rhythm. His physical presence, his ease and confidence – even during some fairly hair-raising choreography in ‘Step in Time’ – just make him a joy to watch on the stage.

Katie Ryden and Charlie Donald made a fantastic pairing last night as Jane and Michael Banks, terrorising all around them. Charlie Donald enjoyed some of the best lines – and certainly got some of the loudest laughs – whilst Katie Ryden’s performance was well considered. I was incredibly impressed at the stamina of both to be on stage so much and yet to retain their sense of energy throughout.

One major difference between the film and the stage production lies in the characterisation of the parents. Winifred Banks, played by Lucie-Mae Sumner (Humans, Titanic The Musical, Sister Act) is no longer portrayed as a distracted suffragette but rather as a woman struggling to find her identity and purpose within the expectations of upper-middle-class family life – Sumner captures this innocence and uncertainty brilliantly.  George Banks, played equally touchingly by Michael D Xavier (Sunset Boulevard, The Woods, Love Story, The Pajama Game) is given a more developed backstory, including his childhood experiences with a harsh former nanny, Miss Andrew – played with appropriate levels of villainy by Wendy Ferguson (The Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, The Sound of Music).

Supporting them are a wonderful cast, chorus and band – Rosemary Ashe (Phantom of the Opera, The Beggar’s Opera, The Witches of Eastwick) gives us a wonderfully neurotic Mrs Brill; Jacob Ritzema (Mammia Mia, Oliver!, The Nutcracker) offers comic relief as the accident-prone Robertson Ay, and the fabulous Patti Boulaye’s (Bisi, Daughter of the River, Music Machine, Hussy) Bird Woman delivers the most touching moments of the entire production - moments of calm reflection in amongst the rambunctiousness.

It seems almost unfair to only call out these names because every member of the chorus gave an exceptional performance, indeed every character and every scene contributes something new and different to the show, something else to delight at, whilst the band – under the superb direction of Isaac McCullough – deliver joyful rendition of the score. And never more so than in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  This high-energy number is an explosion of colour and chaos. In an incredible piece of choreography, the cast spell out the famously long word using sharply timed gestures: it’s a joyful, tongue-twisting routine that turns nonsense into pure theatre. As the tempo rises, the entire ensemble joins in, creating a visually striking and rhythmically thrilling spectacle. It was the epitome of a showstopper – indeed the audience were clapping and cheering so much I half expected a standing ovation. 

The staging and special effects take Mary Poppins to another level in terms of inventiveness and effectiveness – bringing truly magical moments to life for the audience. From the outset, Mary’s dramatic appearance out of nowhere sets the tone to expect the unexpected, whilst moments like her smooth glide up the staircase banister are both clever and delightful. The rooftop sequence, “Step in Time,” takes things further, with Bert not only leading a high-energy dance but also walking up the side of the set and then tapdancing across the top of the stage upside down.

For me, it was Mary’s carpet bag that really stood out – it drew gasps from the audience as she effortlessly produces full-sized items such as a mirrors, hat stands and plants! And of course Mary’s final departure, flying over the audience makes for a fittingly magical end to the show.

There are one or two elements that, for me, slightly miss the mark. For example, the sinister “Playing the Game,” number gives us a darker scene involving broken toys coming to life. For me, this strikes an odd note that it doesn’t quite sit tonally with the rest of the rest of the production. But this is a genuinely minor quibble in a production that delivers a performance full of joy, laughter and magic. And last night’s audience – full of all ages – agreed, offering a standing ovation full of cheers and whoops. Whether you are looking for a spoonful of theatrical medicine or an evening that is practically perfect in every way – this is definitely the show for you!

WE SCORE MARY POPPINS...