Jim Hill here. Look, folks. I know that — in the world of theater — it isn’t considered exactly kosher to review a show during its out-of-town try-out. Particularly during the first few weeks of previews. But this article — which was sent in by a JHM reader who attended the very first performance of “Mary Poppins” at Bristol’s Hippodrome — was so positive, so upbeat … That I don’t think even Thomas Schumacher, head of Disney Theatrical (and a notorious control freak) will mind if I share this with you.
So here goes. (Just a quick word of warning, though. This “Mary Poppins” review is loaded with spoilers. So — if you already have tickets for the rest of the Bristol run and/or the show’s London stand — you may want to hold off on reading this review. Okay. You’ve been warned. Here goes …)
What an event!
Quite simply, Disney Theatricals have done it again. In a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, the latest release has been well worth the wait. “Mary Poppins” finally dropped in on the Bristol Hippodrome to rapturous applause.
For those of you expecting to essentially see the film on stage, you’ll be a little disappointed. Yes, there are all the favourite songs, characters and more or less the same plot. But no, there’s no dancing penguins, no carousel horse race, no old Mr Dawes Senior and no tea party on the ceiling.
The show has been reworked to include more of the original P L Travers stories. The book is tightly written to accommodate this by Julian Fellowes, with plenty of one-liners the audience found themselves repeating come the final curtain. Anthony Drew and George Stiles created a host of new songs and reworked the original Sherman Brothers’ songs. And each has a unique feel and all incredibly memorable.
Bob Crowley has designed some wonderful sets and costumes, complete with the opulent and heavily furnished Banks household, dark brooding park and beautifully lavish travelling market. They were complemented by Howard Harrison’s gorgeous lighting adding a richness and depth to the show. So when Mary and the children entered the more or less monochrome park, it filled with a vast array of reds, greens, purples, and yellows that truly brought the stage to life, as the animation did in the film.
As for the actors, I witnessed a new generation of the West End’s and Broadway’s most promising talent. Gavin Lee as Bert played the role with boundless energy and a suitable “Mock-ney” accent in place. David Haig and Linzi Hately as Mr and Mrs Banks gave the right impression of a put upon father and confused socialite respectively. Jenny Galloway as Miss Andrew, Mr Banks’ old nanny and a kind of anti-Mary, hammed up the role with screeching voice and black cloak, a true Disney villain!
A range of children play Jane and Michael, and the two on opening night were simply brilliant. An obstinate thirteen year old Jane influenced by her father’s short temper, and an impressionable nine year old Michael confused by his sister’s outbursts, and not wanting to warm to Mary as a result.
And as for Laura Michelle Kelly as Mary Poppins – well, this young woman showed warmth and heart to a character so synonymous with Julie Andrews in a wonderfully original way. Posture, voice, mannerisms, all Mary Poppins, in her way, her style.
I won’t spoil the whole story for you – it’s best to see and marvel this show, but the songs should give you some idea of how it goes. I was surprised when I opened the programme to see how much the order of the songs had changed.
- “Chim Chim Cheree” forms a sort of prologue, sung by Bert atop the Banks’ home, which blends into “Cherry Tree Lane”, a new song which introduces the family, servants and neighbours quickly and concisely.
- “Being Mrs Banks” really opens up the character. No longer is she the airhead suffragette with the vacant expression, but now a frustrated and distanced mother, unable to fathom her workaholic husband and reluctant to enter into the social circles Mr Banks is trying to push her into.
- “Jolly Holiday”, instead of animated farmyard creatures, uses statues in a comedy routine, perplexing the park ranger.
- “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” now is a result of a visit to the market, when the cast runs out of conversation, so Mary buys an ounce of conversation to perk them up! The choreography by Matthew Bourne make this the most marvelling number in the show, as the cast spell and literally dance the word out! Impressive ain’t the word!
- The new song “Brimstone and treacle”, by Miss Andrews and Mary is the ultimate battle of the nannies, as Miss Andrews enforces her own brand of sugar in song, but I’m sure you can guess which type of medicinal condiment triumphs!
- “Temper Temper”, performed by the toys of the nursery, shows what happens when you abuse your toys. When Mary leaves for the evening, the children encounter their dolls in real life, who admonish them for being so rough. The nightmare comes complete with stretching room and ghoulish dolls, and by the sounds of the sobs from a few younger members of the audience, they won’t be throwing their teddies against a wall any time soon!
- “Step in Time” follows the premise of the film, as does “Feed the Birds”, but a reprise encounter with Mr Banks shows that he has learned to appreciate his children more.
- “Go Fly a Kite” gives Bert an opportunity to show we should all just listen to our inner child once in a while, and the crotchety old park ranger learns.
- The finale, “Anything Can Happen”, resolves the whole show, and is more or less an upbeat “When You Wish Upon a Star” for the new millennium!
The tight direction by Richard Eyre keeps the whole thing moving, and while the little story thread could have come unravelled to just be a series of set pieces, each scene seamlessly blends together, almost cinematically, as a whole. The characters are all fleshed out and work without stealing the stage, even Mary doesn’t completely take over. You really feel for and want Mr Banks to understand his children. You want Mrs Banks to stand up for herself and be her own person. You want Jane and Michael to relate to their parents. And yes, they do.
So, the show is due to run for another eight weeks at the Hippodrome, then move to the Prince Edward in London, beginning its run on 15th December, the 40th anniversary of the film’s release. Besides a few technical glitches, which will undoubtedly be ironed out very soon, the show is — to quote another song — “Practically Perfect”.
Memorable songs, characters, special effects, sets and book make this a show that will run and run. Disney Theatricals and Mackintosh have a sure fire hit on their hands here, taking the source material, and making hugely entertaining art that everyone from eight to eighty can enjoy.
Trust me, everyone in that age group was there yesterday, and probably outside it too.
As Michael said: “She may be sneaky, but she’s bloody good!”
Your thoughts?