This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour saw Mary Poppins at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Stefanie Jones, Jack Chambers and Pattie Boulaye talk about their roles in this huge touring production. Listen here:
By Dave Massey x.com/BrumHour
Mary Poppins at Birmingham Hippodrome: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”A Fantastic summer musical”
Directed by Richard Eyre with Matthew Bourne, Book by Julian Fellows based upon P L Travers stories.
Set in the early 20th Century, Mary Poppins is a nanny who descends onto the Banks family household, creating waves wherever she goes. This production is based on both the stories by P L Travers, and the famous Disney film. Eements of both are blended skillfully together.
Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers have performed in around 600 performances of this production, both in the UK and Australia. Their own Aussie accents are totally gone from the performances. Elegant and magical, Stefanie brings her very own Mary Poppins alive with ease. Michael D Xavier and Sarah-Marie Maxwell (at this performance) are great as Mr and Mrs Banks. The scene-stealing Olive Harrison and Oliver Benson were Jane and Michael and Michel at this performance.
The sets are huge; the whole Banks’ home moves forward into the stage and spins right around to reveal a huge kitchen. The large stage of Birmingham Hippodrome allows the park scenes to feel huge also. But it is the small touches that make this production what it is. Amazing! From the lights of the London windows in the eaves of the stage to the huge splashes of colour which appear and vanish like magic. The costumes are stunning as well.
The themes of Votes for Women are missed in this musical as is the song The Life I Lead. But in its place are Cherry Tree Lane and Practically Perfect. There is even room for a bit of a scare with Mr Punch in Playing The Game. My favourite moment is Step In Time, a huge ensemble song, it made me want to see what these songs would be like as a ballet. I was not shocked to see the confident choreography came via Matthew Bourne with Stephen Mear.
Friendly, fun and family-focused, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more perfect family musical than this! A Fantastic summer musical, Mary Poppins is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 23rd August 2025. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/mary-poppins-two.
