Book: Julian Fellowes
Music and Lyrics: Richard M Sherman, Robert B Sherman, George Stiles, Anthony Drewe
Writer: P. L. Travers
Director: Richard Eyre
Tour Director: James Powell
This is a glorious return for everyone’s favourite Nanny.
There’s a flutter in the air long before Mary Poppins herself appears. The orchestra swells, and Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s latest revival takes flight with confidence and charm. Mary Poppins has always traded in wonder, but this 2025 production finds a new kind of magic: one that fuses technical brilliance with stunning individual and ensemble performances.
At its heart, this remains the familiar story of the Banks family at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, whose domestic chaos is righted by the firm yet loving hand of a mysterious nanny. What’s striking here is how the production, under Richard Eyre’s direction, makes that story feel so freshly drawn. The narrative follows the book(s) a little more than the Disney film, so there are no penguins here, nor any galloping carousel horses – instead we see park statues come to life and the park itself transformed into glorious technicolour from its drab grey beginnings – and in that park we meet a host of characters including the exuberant Mrs Corry, played beautifully by Sharon Wattis, owner of a magical talking shop – a whimsical place where customers can buy conversations and words.
Stefanie Jones is a truly magnificent Mary Poppins: brisk, composed, and irresistibly witty, with a glint of steel beneath the charm. Her voice glides through A Spoonful of Sugar and Practically Perfect with effortless precision, but what truly impresses is her sense of control — she commands both stage and story without ever overselling the moment. Opposite her, Jack Chambers makes for a talented and endearing Bert, full of warmth and physical daring; his gravity-defying tap routines in Step in Time ensure one of modern musical theatre’s most breathtaking thrills.
The production values, as one might expect from a Mackintosh-Disney collaboration, are impossibly high. Bob Crowley’s designs manage the impossible balance of nostalgia and freshness: the Banks home folds open like a storybook, while the sweep of London’s rooftops evokes both fantasy and grit. The multiple illusions by Paul Kieve and Jim Steinmeyer are executed with panache; from bottomless carpet bags to airborne exits that draw audible gasps and cheers – there are so many tricks and treats for the eyes. We meet a huge Mr Punch puppet and Valentine, a doll that comes to life, in a dark number called Playing the Game – one of a few new songs added by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Apparently this musical number replaces one called Temper Temper, reportedly cut due to frightening young audiences – this one is quite creepy enough to show the consequences of bad behaviour.
The music, of course, is irresistible. The Sherman Brothers’ classics have lost none of their sheen, and the additional songs by Stiles and Drewe settle neatly alongside them. Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear’s choreography bursts with energy, particularly in Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, a joyous tongue-twister of a showpiece. The full company, impeccably drilled, exudes the sort of infectious enthusiasm that turns a good musical into a really great one.
Michael D Xavier squeezes every nuance he can out of the character of George Banks, playing him with a nod to David Tomlinson from the 1964 film, but adding in more of a range of emotion, allowing him to move from uptight bread winner, through angry and scared to a man who is funny, caring and realises his family are more important than anything. George’s children, the bright but stubborn Jane and George who says exactly what he thinks were conveyed brilliantly by Connie Jones and Oli Manning. Sarah-Marie Maxwell stepped ably into the role of wife and ex-actress Winifred Banks to complete this exceptional family unit.
While there are far too many cast members to mention each of them individually, supporting actor awards should be close by for Ruairidh McDonald as hapless Robertson Ay, Wendy Ferguson as the terrifying Miss Andrew and Emma Harold who stepped into the role of Mrs Brill for this performance and very nearly stole the show!
The ensemble are top notch – professional triple threats all, and together they create pieces of theatre that sound and look perfect, not a hair or a note out of place. By the time Mary takes her final flight, umbrella aloft against a twinkling skyline, the audience is whooping and cheering, totally wrapped up in the magic of this production. The applause is long and loud, but it’s the smiles — those of children, parents, and theatre-hardened critics alike — that tell the real story. This Mary Poppins is a triumph of craftsmanship, heart, and theatrical joy.
Practically perfect? Yes, in every way.
Runs until 25th October 2025
