The magic of musicals is alive and well in Sydney, now that Mary Poppins has returned.
Australia has long had a soft spot for this big-hearted and often dazzling musical, from the first time it toured the country in 2010.
That original production smashed box office records; a local cast album was made (a rare occurrence in the world of major musical replica productions); and even before it hit the stage, the hunt for Australia’s first “practically perfect” Mary Poppins was breathlessly covered in the media.
Maybe it’s because PL Travers, Mary Poppins’ original creator, was Australian (even though she often hid her heritage). Maybe it’s because of the 1964 film, starring Julie Andrews. Or maybe we just sniffed out a good show and held onto its easy offerings of nostalgia laced joy.
As a musical, Mary Poppins is largely what you would expect: the Banks family, led by a workaholic, arm’s-length patriarch, has trouble keeping a nanny for their rambunctious son and daughter; the mysterious Mary Poppins arrives; the children and family are charmed. Mary flies through the sky with her umbrella (at one point, directly above the audience); she can do anything, so of course – with Mary’s help – the family draws closer together.
But this show also delights in the unexpected. A co-production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh (in association, this time around, with Michael Cassel Group), it pulls out all the theatrical stops – particularly when Bert tap dances his way around the proscenium, doing time steps upside down on the ceiling. The book, by Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes, leaves generous room for physical comedy, and the production is packed with pratfalls, slapstick, and breathtaking sleights of hand (two illusionists are credited).
There’s puppetry, clever lighting, and occasional breaking of the fourth wall which, rather than lessen the magic, only seems to make us co-conspirators. Originally directed by Richard Eyre, with the Australian production directed by James Powell, the show is slick, well-paced, and a joy to watch – and Geoffrey Castles’ musical direction produces a bright and clear sound that uplifts, and extends, all that onstage enthusiasm.
That original search for the right Mary turned up Verity Hunt-Ballard, who earned rave reviews and a Helpmann award. This time around it’s Stefanie Jones, a rising star in the musical theatre world, and her accolades are surely on the way. She’s a remarkable presence with a gorgeous, golden voice and faultless turnout, the perfect picture of no-nonsense confidence: she has the entire cast of characters wrapped around her little finger, and her knowing smile tells us that she’s aware we’ve all fallen for her out there in the audience too.
The rest of the show is beautifully cast too. Tom Wren plays the distant George Banks who slowly unlearns the cold and distant behaviours he’s been taught (partly by a “holy terror” of a nanny, played here by Chelsea Plumley, and partly, presumably, by society); Lucy Maunder plays his wife Winifred with a pleasantly wry spin; and their children are wonderful – played on opening night by a bold Chloe Delle-Vedove as Jane, and nine-year-old William Steiner, already a scene-stealer, as Michael.
Meanwhile, Jack Chambers brings old-school song-and-dance-man charisma to the stage as chimney sweep Bert; Hannah Waterman makes you cackle with a surprising line reading as put-upon housekeeper Mrs Brill; and stage legend Nancye Hayes plays the Bird Woman, who may bring a sudden poignant tear to your eye.
There’s a satisfying sense of playfulness on stage that’s often missing in replica revivals shipped in from overseas, in which directors and creative teams might insist the cast not just hit every story beat, but also stand in the same spot and raise their arms just as the originating cast did it.
This production, instead, feels fresh and newly discovered, a playground for its actors and their talents; there’s a unified approach to comic timing across the ensemble that feels distinctly Australian and surprisingly organic.
Disney theatricals have a healthy history now of bringing their film properties – both animated and live action – to the stage. Sometimes they are able to retain, or re-engineer, a sense of wonder reminiscent of the original (The Lion King); in other instances, over-complicated design separates the product from its heart (Frozen). Mary Poppins, though, is a wonder from beginning to end. It blends songs from the film with new numbers that fit easily alongside them, and its story is thoughtfully re-imagined to suit musical theatre, rather than musical film, with thoughtful and effective plot changes.
Well, there is one misstep. Winifred Banks is no longer a suffragette, and her new songs place her solely in the role and scope of wife and mother (though Lucy Maunder has long made an art out of giving sketched-out women of musical theatre new breaths of full, fighting life). There is room in this show to hold Winifred campaigning for votes for women, and giving her a backstory as a retired actress who now only talks about “Being Mrs Banks” is a disappointment. It also might be the biggest way this now 18-year-old musical shows its age.
Still, that’s the only change that even comes close to dampening the experience: watching this musical is like touching childhood and feeling a loving release from the pressures of adulthood all at once. What a gift.
Mary Poppins the Musical is now on at the Lyric theatre, Sydney, and is currently booking tickets until September
