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Mary Poppins review: A practically perfect masterclass in storytelling for the stage

Theatre: This thrilling Cameron Mackintosh-Disney show capitalises on PL Travers’s original story, which has so much more to offer than the films

Breathtaking finale: Mary Poppins. Photograph: Matt Crockett
Breathtaking finale: Mary Poppins. Photograph: Matt Crockett

Mary Poppins

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
★★★★★

It would be easy to be cynical about a stage version of Mary Poppins. Disney’s musical film has been a seasonal staple since its premiere, in 1964, and the “practically perfect” nanny already had a long-awaited second coming in Mary Poppins Returns.

But this theatrical offering from Cameron Mackintosh and Disney, which debuted in 2004, is a thrilling and original version of the well-known story, which has so much more to offer than its celluloid incarnations.

Led by a stellar team of creatives, it is not a version of the iconic film but a masterclass in storytelling for the stage, exploiting all the unique features of live performance.

Julian Fellowes’ tightly scripted book leans into the considerable source material of PL Travers’s original book series, crafting a plot that will surprise anyone for whom the films are their only touchstone.

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With the help of the orchestrator William David Brohn, new songs and lyrics from George Stiles and Anthony Drewe reinterpret film favourites from the Sherman brothers while adding memorable musical numbers to flesh out the exciting new episodes.

The choreography from Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear combines classical elegance in ensemble numbers such as Jolly Holiday with a playfully percussive tap-dancing scene on the London rooftops for Step in Time that concludes with an awe-inspiring upside-down solo.

Hugh Vanstone’s lighting design aids subtle theatrical trickery that will have children scratching their heads in wonder.

Mary Poppins in Dublin: Behind the scenes of the all-singing, all-dancing Christmas showOpens in new window ]

Mary Poppins. Photograph: Daniel Boud
Mary Poppins. Photograph: Daniel Boud

Richard Eyre, whose original direction is aided by James Powell for this latest production, confidently steers our gaze as the omniscient shape-shifting narrator, Bert (Jack Chambers), guides us through the sliding layers of Bob Crowley’s spit-spot pop-up-picture-book set.

Stefanie Jones’ welcomely vulnerable Mary Poppins glides on and off stage and up and down stairs with a graceful, understated magic that makes sure to take nothing away from the breathtaking finale.

Mary Poppins. Photograph: Daniel Boud
Mary Poppins. Photograph: Daniel Boud

In those closing moments, the excellent ensemble raise their voices in a full-throated chorus and young and old crane their necks to wave goodbye to the impossible, confounding nanny who has offered us the proof of her own motto: “Anything can happen/ raise the curtain! Things you thought impossible/ will soon seem certain/ Anything can happen if you let it.”

Mary Poppins is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin 2, until Saturday, January 11th

Sara Keating

Sara Keating

Sara Keating, a contributor to The Irish Times, is an arts and features writer