The magic of Mary Poppins has captivated audiences for decades and now the world’s perfect nanny is set to arrive in Dublin just in time for Christmas.

The Olivier award-winning musical, which has been touring since 2004, will be staged in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from 3 December to 3 January. Following on from the success of Wicked in 2013 and Elf in 2014, it’s expected to be another hit for the theatre.

As the largest show on tour in the world at the moment, it will take 24 hours for two crews – 120 people – to move the set from the UK to Ireland. The show itself is a spectacular (supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?) production. Highlights include chimney-sweep Bert tap-dancing upside down for Step in Time, the bright and brilliant park scene, and seeing 17 Cherry Tree Lane come to life.

ADVERTISEMENT

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh, the show stars Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins and Matt Lee as Bert, her chimney sweeper friend. Like the books and the film, the show sees a mysterious Mary land in the home of the Banks, where the father is an overworked bank manager, irritated by his boisterous children. With a touch of magic and a spoonful of sugar, the nanny immediately begins to set things right.

“Mary Poppins is one of my favourite roles. It’s the hardest and most challenging, but also the most rewarding and most fun,” says Zizi.

Zizi is from a family of actors. Her aunt is Bonnie Langford and sisters Scarlett, Summer and Sasi are all performers, too. Scarlett played Poppins for years and was able to give Zizi some advice on the role.

“I didn’t feel any pressure about living up to her performance,” she says. “We’ve spoken about the show and she gives me tips, like remembering to keep breathing and starting small and building up, because it’s a long show.”

Though the stage musical retains many of the film’s iconic songs, it’s a slightly darker affair. Mary Poppins author PL Travers was famously unhappy with the Disney version of her characters, and would only allow a stage version provided that it stayed true to her books – and if no American producers were involved.

“The show is a bit more like the books. She’s a bit more of a disciplinarian, more like a nanny than a friend,” says Zizi. “Our kids are also a bit more mischievous. They start off very nasty in the stage musical, but they’re a little bit more sweet and easy going in the film. They soften a bit when they realise she’s no-nonsense and so does she.”

Matt, an Australian actor and dancer, says he did not watch the film again when he took the role of Bert.

“It’s not the film on stage. The play has been based on the books, and you can expect to see some new characters on stage and a few new storylines,” he says.

“There are elements of those characters, but I didn’t watch the film again because I didn’t want to mimic Dick Van Dyke. I wanted to make it my own.”

However, the stage show is still as fantastical as the film and popular with younger audiences.

“To hear the response and gasp when Mary flies over the crowd, or when I tap-dance on the ceiling is so gratifying. It reminds me why we do what we do,” says Matt.

Zizi agree: “After the show, sometimes I met little tiny people and they actually think I’m Mary Poppins. It’s so cute.”

Of course, the story of Mary Poppins and the Banks family is a timeless tale; few moments are as touching as seeing Mr Banks and his son finally fly a kite together, after concluding that work isn’t more important than family.

“It tells children that their parents are human; they can make mistakes and be in a bad place. It also shows them that they can help their parents be happy. It’s a life lesson for all ages,” says Zizi. “I think we can all take something out of it.” CL

Mary Poppins runs in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from 3 December to 3 January. Tickets range from €25-€68 with limited group offers limited availability. Call 01-677-7770 for further details.