Review: Mary Poppins - A Five-Star Spectacle of a Show

Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s highly anticipated and award-winning stage musical Mary Poppins has flown into Manchester’s Palace Theatre for just five weeks as part of a new UK and Ireland tour, and audiences are in for a jolly holiday of a treat from start to finish.

Mary Poppins Stage Musical Review - A Five-Star Spectacle of a Show

If like me, you’ve watched the iconic 1964 Walt Disney Mary Poppins film countless times, you’ll understand that there’s something so comforting and timeless about the story of the no-nonsense nanny who flies so magically onto Cherry Tree Lane and into the lives of the Banks family that just doesn’t seem to age, and the new show stopping musical stage version that has flown into Manchester this week with plenty more than a spoonful of sugar to keep audiences sweet is no exception.

It’s the third time that the Palace Theatre has welcomed the world-famous nanny onto its expansive stage, after being one of the first venues to host the first UK tour back in 2008 and then again in 2016. I’d heard lots of great things about the show, the array of magical surprises that it brought to audiences the first time around and a few stories behind-the-scenes about how Mary Poppins flies in the most magical and jaw dropping ways, but I wondered if it would live up to the hype and would it match my expectations of the classic film that we all know and love?

I didn’t need to worry as I soon realised that the show was about to exceed my expectations and deliver a slick production that ticks every box, with show-stopping dance numbers, a heart-warming story, stunning staging and a super-cali…wait, we’ll get to that bit, talented high-energy cast bringing song after song with so many wow moments that honestly at times I had to remind myself that like young Michael Banks, I am ‘not a codfish’ and close my mouth!

Starring Aussie performers Stefanie Jones as Mary Poppins, who very much puts her own modern, sassy stamp on the role, and Jack Chambers as the cheeky chappy cockney Bert, the pair deliver super slick performances throughout each classic song that we all know and love from the original film including ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,' ‘Jolly Holiday,’ ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee,’ ‘Feed the Birds,’ and a personal favourite, the rooftop extravaganza that is ‘Step in Time.’

There are also many new songs added to the original Sherman Brother’s score, thanks to the production playing close homage to the original P.L. Travers books, which include many more characters than the film. It’s this wonderful combination of original storytelling, movie-inspired magic and additional golden song and dance numbers that takes us deeper into the characters and making the story as heartwarming, joyous and entertaining as ever.

The classic ‘Jolly Holiday’ number with the Banks children Jane and Michael, played by talented young performers Katie Ryden and Charlie Donald, heading out on their first outing with Mary and Bert is a delight to watch. The stage explodes with colour, with bright costumes and fountain statues that spring to life with balletic choreography, leaving you in no doubt that esteemed choreographer Matthew Bourne, whose signature works include Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Red Shoes, has influenced the dance style of the show.

‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ ups the energy level, with a fast full-ensemble song and dance piece that’s so fast and intricate, you wonder how on earth the cast remember each movement with such precision. The amazing supportive cast bring old style glamour to the stage, with the backdrop of technicolour evoking the golden age of big memorable musical numbers.

But it was the moment I’d personally been excited for when the chimney sweeps arrived on mass for the iconic ‘Step in Time’ dance number. This toe-tapping number was simply incredible, with the insanely talented Jack Chambers as Bert leading a tap sequence that really got the audience clapping along. And just when you think it can’t get any better, and without giving away any spoilers, the rooftop scene delivers a moment so technically brilliant and jaw-dropping that you could literally hear the audience gasping in amazement.

In fact, there are too many ‘how did they do it’ moments to count throughout the show, with illusions and stagecraft galore and the set itself is a work of art, possibly one of the best I’ve ever seen. There’s no doubt that some serious investment has gone into this new staging of Mary Poppins and from the creative design to the lighting, sound and orchestra, everything is flawless.

This showstopping musical delivers spectacle, surprise and heartwarming moments to ensure there really is something for everyone of all ages. Teenagers are hard to impress but my dancer daughter absolutely loved it and wrote a mini-review all of her own:

A Spoonful of Delight, by Anya Parsons:

‘The links to Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake: The Next Generation and Mary Poppins were breathtaking, and I loved his choreography alongside co-choreographer Stephen Mear. It's a visually stunning, captivating musical that will leave you feeling practically perfect in every way.

The musical is based very much around the meaning of family and the importance of imagination and it also dives deeper into the meaning of compassion and empathy. The Banks children, Jane and Michael, are particularly endearing, as we watch their transformation from rebellious youngsters to loving siblings.’

Mary Poppins is on at the Palace Theatre until Saturday 17th May. For ticket availability, fly over to https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mary-poppins/palace-theatre-manchester/ and snap up a seat - while you can