If you haven’t seen the stage production of Mary Poppins, I am asking you to put it on your ‘to do list’ for this year. Why? Because it is practically perfect in every way, just like the lady herself!
Currently showing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, no dollar has been spared in the cost of production. The stage is absolutely breathtaking, with street lanes and different rooms of the Banks’ house popping out from the floor and ceiling. Mary Poppins’ magical bag also makes an appearance, much to the delight of younger fans in the audience!
Verity Edwards and Matt Lee are the stars of the show as Mary and Bert respectively. Edwards’ mannerisms and movements echo those of a young Julie Andrews, while Lee lights up the stage with his effortless dancing and singing (I certainly have more respect for his opinions on So You Think You Can Dance after witnessing his talents).
While the basic storyline of bringing a father closer to his children is present, it mixes different aspects of the movie and book to create something a little different. This keeps the audience interested because no one can predict what happens next!
The famous songs from the movie are also reprised. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious has some amazing choreography, Jolly Holiday does not involve jumping into Bert’s drawings (I will not spoil what happens though), and Step in Time is a tap-dancing extraordinaire!
Of course all the favourite characters are still there, including Mr and Mrs Banks (Philip Quast and Marina Prior), the bird woman (an unrecognisable Debra Byrne), and many others. I was a little disappointed that Uncle Albert was missing (the laughing man from the movie for those who cannot remember), but I guess I cannot have everything!
For me, there were only two faults in the performance. Firstly, one of the shelves did not repair itself during Mary Poppins’ clean-up of the kitchen. My boyfriend and I were in hysterics when we noticed this, and I am pretty sure no one else in the audience picked this minor flaw! Secondly, because we were sitting in the stalls ($99 seats), our view was restricted during a couple of items. I would therefore recommend paying an extra $50 for your ticket if you want a practically perfect view!
5 out of 5 stars
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