If you've seen Phantom of the Opera or Oliver! at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre and were impressed, you're going to love this production.
Those shows were also produced by Cameron Mackintosh, a man well renowned for his attention to detail (he's also behind Les Mis on the West End). He has worked, very closely, on Mary Poppins with Disney which is what seems to give it that added feeling of magic.
Zizi Strallen is 'practically perfect' as the lead of Mary. This is her first time in the role, which her older sister used to play. She glides around the stage, up stairs and through her songs with ease.
In London's West End, Zizi has also starred in Cats, Dirty Dancing and Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella.
Matt Lee is an Australian actor who spent a short time at Summer Bay, makes a very convincing cockney as Bert. He suits the character perfectly, and his dance skills are very, very, impressive.
Before he left Australia, Matt starred in productions like Miss Saigon, Rent and Grease.
A shout-out to the kids, too. There are about a dozen or so of them working on the show, and they each take turns playing the Banks' children.
The stage doesn't look much when the curtain goes up, and what at first looks like a flat story-book house, moves forward, opens up and spins around to fit each scene. The hand-painted backdrop for the bank messes with your head it's that good.
There are so many magic tricks and fun moments for kids and adults. No spoilers here, but Mary flies (!) and there is an insanely good rendition of Step in Time which includes an upside-down tap-dance. Honestly.
The show is a little darker than what you'll remember from the movie, and if you've seen Saving Mr. Banks you'll have more of an idea of the sort of stuff being implied.
There is a crew of 120 backstage during the show making sure it all goes off without a hitch, and it will take workers four solid days and nights to install it in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre when it comes to Dublin. It is a touring show, but it has the feel of a production that's been built into a theatre for a decade-long run.
It's sure to be a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious night out (sorry, we had to) with friends and family over Christmas!
Super impressed by our exclusive look at Mary Poppins. She flies into Dublin on December 3rd! #MaryPoppinsDublin pic.twitter.com/KsECn1S3Cr
— 98FM (@98FM) November 7, 2015
Mary flies into the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on December 3rd for a five-week stint that will run over Christmas.
