Mary Poppins

Show

In 2004, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh teamed up to produce the stage version of Mary Poppins, bringing together the delightfully eccentric characters from Pamela Travers’ books with the best of the Sherman Brothers’ score from the Oscar-winning movie.

Taking a fresh look at the material, Stiles & Drewe not only wrote catchy new songs but re-worked several of the iconic numbers from the film, both musically and lyrically.

Who better to write the witty new book than the quintessential English gentleman, Julian Fellowes, another Oscar-winner (for Gosford Park) and the writer of the worldwide sensation, Downton Abbey.

So they set to work, taking a fresh look at the original stories and bringing together classic tunes from the film such as ‘Chim Chim Cheree’ and ‘Feed The Birds’ with catchy new songs written by Stiles and Drewe.

The result? A West End and Broadway smash, loved by audiences of all ages from all over the world.

“A spoonful of sensation” Evening Standard on the Original West End production

Story

The curtain rises on Bert, a mysteriously adept jack-of-all-trades, who introduces us to Cherry Tree Lane and the inhabitants of No. 17 – the Banks family.

Things are fraught in the house. The children, Jane and Michael, are out of control and seem to get through nannies for a pastime.

The unexpected arrival of a new nanny – the practically perfect Mary Poppins – turns the house on its head as she quickly demonstrates that she is more than a match for the naughty children.

Mary Poppins introduces the family to a world of magic as she begins to tackle the problems that lie at the root of the family’s unhappiness.

In amongst having a jolly holiday, feeding the birds, flying kites and stepping in time, Mary encounters the “Holy Terror” - George Banks’ old nanny – and she begins to understand why the children’s father began to come undone.

When Mary is satisfied that she’s leaving a happy home, she bids a fond farewell to Bert, raises her umbrella and flies off to bring magic into the lives of other families who need her.

History

Mary Poppins opened at The Prince Edward Theatre December 2004 where it had a hugely successful 3 year run prior to embarking on a UK national tour in 2008.

The Disney and Cameron Mackintosh co-production crossed the pond to Broadway in 2006, opening at the New Amsterdam Theatre where it was embraced by audiences and critics alike - enjoying a phenomenal 6 year run on the Great White Way.

A US tour of Mary Poppins hit the road in March 2009, touring for over 2 years.

A record-breaking 18-month run followed in Australia and New Zealand.

Further productions of Mary Poppins have been staged in Finland, Sweden, Holland, Estonia, Denmark and Hungary – with many more planned.

A new production opened at the Ronacher Theatre in Vienna in October 2014. Mary Poppins embarks on a new tour of the UK and Ireland in the autumn of 2015.

A new production opened at the Ronacher Theatre in Vienna in October 2014. Mary Poppins embarked on a new tour of the UK and Ireland in the autumn of 2015 before heading to Zurich and Dubai.