Review: MARY POPPINS, Prince Edward Theatre
Photo credit: Johan Persson
For many years, Disney have been a powerhouse of film making and Disney Theatrical have been producing magical mega musicals for the stage for quite some time now, with success stories including Aladdin and The Lion King under its belt. With Frozen opening soon in the West End, this summer saw the long-awaited return of the world’s most famous nanny, Mary Poppins. Playing to what appeared to be a pretty full audience, this family favourite brings magic back to theatreland, with wonderful special effects, lovable characters, beautiful costumes and immaculate dance routines.
Mary Poppins tells the story of the Banks family; an overworked ‘set in his ways’ father, a mother unsure of her place in society life, and children Jane and Michael whose naughty behaviour drives nannies away in the blink of an eye and cause trouble in the household. But with the mysterious arrival of new nanny Mary Poppins and a number of strange going ons, the family have to face up to their previous mistakes and come together once more. With classic songs such as ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’, ‘Jolly Holiday’, ‘Feed the Birds’, ‘Let’s Go Fly A Kite’ and ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, this production has something for the whole family, complete with fabulous production from the cast.
Zizi Strallen takes on the iconic role of Mary Poppins and makes it entirely her own. She is effortlessly graceful in her every move and delivers Mary’s sharp witted, sometimes stricter lines, with an air of cheekiness. A captivating performance which brings the much-loved character to life in the most wonderful of ways, with each drop of Poppins magic capturing the imagination of the audience.
You can’t have Mary without her favourite jack of all trades Bert, and this production only goes to prove that this is a role that Charlie Stemp was born to play. His Bert is both cheeky and heartfelt, acting almost as the narrator of the piece appearing as a painter, a lamp lighter and of course, a chimney sweep as he helps Mary and the Banks children along their voyage of discovery. It is impossible not to be amazed by Stemp’s world class dance skill and join in with the rapturous applause for the big moment of the incredible Act 2 number, ‘Step In Time’. As a pairing, Strallen and Stemp are a gift from the theatrical gods, with every move perfectly precise and the chemistry completely believable, from heartfelt talks to what can only be described as cheeky playful banter. You can’t help but love them and feel that they were the perfect casting choice for this production.
The role of Mr Banks, a man struggling to hold onto his role at work and handle family life, is played here by Charlie Anson, and he handles the emotional role with ease. Mr Banks is pivotal to the story arch of Mary Poppins, with him needing the important lessons nearly as much as the children and Anson’s portrayal illustrates this difficult journey as Mr Banks learns how to balance work and family more evenly. Amy Griffiths is a charming and lovable Mrs Banks, in a flap as she tries to work out her place in society whilst fighting for what is best for her husband and children. Claire Machin and Jack North make a wonderful comedy double act as Mrs Brill and Robertson Ay, with North’s constantly nervous and somewhat hyperactive servant causing chaos with Katie Cox and Frankie Treadaway as Jane and Michael in a calamitous kitchen scene.
The ensemble is incredible, bouncing from playing living statues, to park goers, kite flyers, bank clerks and chimney sweeps with enough energy to power the sun. This is a full-on show, with many big dance numbers and the ensemble cast make it all look very easy. It’s hard not to talk about every moment of magic that the ensemble work so hard to create but a few highlights include Glen Facey’s real life toy Valentine, Mark Goldthorp’s kite-loving park keeper and Harry Francis’ beautiful dancing statue, Neleus. Bert (Stemp) says in ‘Step in Time’, ‘brush up your skills, it’s been 18 months’, but the cast of Mary Poppins have picked up exactly where they left off, as if they’ve never been away.
Katie Cox and Frankie Treadaway cement themselves as stars of now and the future as Jane and Michael Banks, both as endearing as they are talented. Petula Clark’s Bird Lady steps in throughout to create softer moments and teach the children important lessons of respect and understanding.
The set by Bob Crowley is beautiful, with the Banks’ house opening like a dollhouse and set pieces flying in from all directions as we are taken through multicoloured wonderlands and up onto the rooftops of London. The stage production combines the much-loved elements from the film such as trips to the bank, jolly holidays and dancing chimney sweeps with darker moments that perhaps made the books so popular such as the wicked nanny Mrs Andrews and the children’s toys coming to life to warn them of the importance of playing nice.
After such a long period of darkness for our beloved theatres, Mary Poppins is a burst of fresh air and light, blowing away the cobwebs with magic, dance, glitz and sparkle. It blends childhood charm with the latest theatrical technology and there is something wonderful about seeing and hearing the delight from the audience as the story unfolds. The audience was peppered with little girls all dressed up as Mary Poppins and it was so lovely to see families enjoying live theatre together and gasping in delight as the magical nanny soars across the stage.
Mary Poppins lifts the spirits, warms the heart and makes you believe that everything is possible, even the impossible. You will leave the theatre with a big smile on your face and a song stuck in your head.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Rebecca Wallis
Mary Poppins is currently booking at the Prince Edward Theatre until 13 February 2022. For more information and to book tickets, please click here.
