Mary Poppins

When this show first came out I was living in Oxfordshire, but a friend was in it so a group of us rushed to the Bristol Hippodrome to see it whilst still in World Premiere preview ... we stood up high (very high) stage left and watched a magical show (see review link below). That was 2004, last night, now living close to Bristol, we again went to the Hippodrome and sqeezed into the stalls of a packed house to watch the show again and I have to say, the magic is all still there.

For those who haven't seen it, do not expect the Disney mixed-media film. Yes, many of the songs are there and some of the scenes, but this musical goes back to the book and has a dark side. It is the story of two children gone bad and their aspirational but essentially dysfunctional family rescued by a Mary Poppins who makes them look at the world anew and appreciate the people and beauty around them. It is a far more engaging and thoughtful story than the film and probably not suited to the younger audience members. I would much rather watch this than the film ... and I love the film.

This production is bright, sophisticated and funny. The performances fill the stage with enthusiasm and humour and the chorus are just wonderful. So often, touring shows cut back on audience sizes for cost reasons and it really shows on a huge stage like the Hippodrome - not so here, a large and committed chorus give us their all. Good on 'em gov'ner!

There are some truly magical moments like the opening of the first act where the movement and stage image is so amazingly good and the first time we see the house there were actual gasps of appreciation. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is sung, but more importantly danced, with huge skill and humour and is really, really impressive. Really (I'll say it again) impressive, especially for the young actors who never miss a beat!

I adored Ziz Strallen's cheeky Mary. Always one eye on the audience and a fabulous flounce for exits - there is a deeper Ms Poppins there, you can detect it just below the surface, and it adds a reality to the fantasy on stage that grounds it and makes it engage with us so much better. Matt Lee's Bert is excellent, both in full cockney comedy mode and when he is quietly standing to one side observing. The Banks (Milo Twomey and Rebecca Lock) are pitched just right, we do actually care about these daft, misguided people. The children we saw were brilliant, professional in the extreme (there are 5 pairs on tour, I bet they're all as good)  and Mrs Brill (Wendy Ferguson) an absolute hoot and delight. Directorially I think this production is spot on and design-wise could possibly not be better. A brilliant team who have gone out to give the audience the best night's entertainment that they could - and succeeded!

For once, the traditional Hippodrome standing ovation was very well deserved and accompanied by roars and whistles of appreciation. What a fabulous evening - who needs a trip to the West End if shows of this calibre are touring the regions!

p.s. Feed the Brids always brought tears to my eyes ... it was so beautifully sung last night (Grainne Renihan) with such lovely staging ... well ... it did it again