Gravity-defying supernanny Mary Poppins returns to Birmingham Hippodrome this summer, starring in a visually spectacular stage production packed with singing, dancing, magic - and a few surprises. Created in co-production with Cameron Mackintosh and Disney, the show brilliantly breathes new life into PL Travers’ famous story, while also managing to pay loving homage to the iconic 1964 film version starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. What’s On spoke to three members of the cast - Stefanie Jones, Jack Chambers and Patti Boulaye - to find out more...

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed stage production of Mary Poppins flies back to Birmingham Hippodrome next month, nine years after it last stopped off at the venue.

No doubt many punters will be ready to re-live the magical, toe-tapping show - while anyone seeing it for the first time is in for a real treat.

Featuring songs from the 1964 Disney film - including Chim Chim Cher-ee, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, A Spoonful Of Sugar and more, it also includes additional music & lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. 
Stefanie Jones takes the title role, with Jack Chambers playing Bert. Jack and Stefanie have had plenty of time to get to know these well-loved characters, having played the same roles during the show’s Australian tour.

“We did have about a year off between tours, which was some nice time to decompress,” says Stefanie. “I think what surprised me the most is that I thought I had fully understood my version of Mary. I’ve discovered even more about her this time around. There are some things that feel new again, and some lines that I’m playing differently.

“People still love this show so much. They love to come again and again, bring their children and their grandchildren - and that never ceases to amaze us.”

While the show’s popularity is definitely not on the wane, playing the lead characters from a beloved children’s film must come with a certain amount of pressure.

“They’re so iconic,” says Jack, “and people have an expectation of how these roles should be delivered. I didn’t revisit the movie, because I didn’t want to be trying to mimic - I just look at what the script’s telling me, to find it for myself.”

“This story and the characters are so embedded in our culture,” adds Stefanie. “And they’re heavily referenced in pop culture all the time. Everyone knows the songs from Mary Poppins. You do want to do it justice. At the same time, we’re so supported by this piece. It’s so good, it’s so beautifully written, the music is incredible, and what you’re seeing is absolutely stunning. The ensemble work their butts off - they’re absolutely amazing.”

Veteran performer Patti Boulaye plays Bird Woman - a character who, in the Disney film, sells breadcrumbs as bird food on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral. In the stage production, she is given her own moving rendition of Feed The Birds - a number sung by Julie Andrews’ Mary Poppins in the film.

“It’s my favourite song,” says Patti, who brings a hint of her own natural glamour to the down-at-heel character. “In fact, I sing it to my grandchildren as a lullaby. When I was asked to come up for this role, it was not on my radar. I thought ‘I’m going to sit on the stairs? Come on, guys! This is not me!’ I went to meet Cameron Mackintosh - I’ve been in the industry 55 years, and I’d never met him. I dressed up to the hilt, I’m telling you. I had six-inch heels on!

“I was absolutely nothing like the Bird Woman. I appreciate that he saw that in me, because there’s so much to it. As the story opened up, I came with my own backstory. I had to find out why she’s there - and why is she Black? I had to create a story for her to be there.

“I just love and look forward to doing the show. You’d have to pay me to take time off - I just love the show too much! At the end, I stand and watch. When Mary does her flying scenes... Ah! That just gets me. Every night, I’m in the corner, like a five-year-old. It’s brilliant; absolutely fantastic.”

In visiting Birmingham with Mary Poppins next month, Patti will be returning to the city in which she relaunched her career almost 50 years ago. She appeared on, and won, TV talent show New Faces - a series produced by Midlands broadcaster ATV - in 1978.

“I was known as Patricia Ngozi Komlosy. Nobody could pronounce my name - in those days, they really didn’t make an effort. I had to change my name, and I finally found Boulaye, which I stole from another actress. I had to go on this talent show in order to re-launch my career, because I had five years in the West End and television, but nobody knew me as Patti Boulaye. On the programme, there were two ‘Simon Cowells’: Tony Hatch and Mickie Most. I thought it would be the death of my career, because those guys were just totally cruel, but I got maximum points!”

The stage version of Mary Poppins has a huge amount of energy, with the leads and ensemble all but tying themselves in knots during Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. And Jack - who has trained in dance since the age of three, and first came to fame on So You Think You Can Dance Australia - performs jaw-dropping feats of footwork in Step In Time.

“The dance background definitely helps,” he says. “Bert is such a high-energy character and has physical quirks and bits of physical comedy. The dance aspect helps that - my coordination and being able to make silly shapes.”

“I dance more with Jack than I do on my own.” explains Stefanie. “For me personally - because I would definitely consider Jack to be a far stronger dancer than myself - I really love being guided by him. He does so much of the work for me, and we just have such a good physical relationship on stage, as well as acting opposite each other.”

“They are pure magic together - pure magic!” adds Patti.

And speaking of magic, there’s certainly no shortage in this enchanting production. Under the watchful eye of the nation’s favourite supernatural nanny, ordinary items spring to life to join in the fun; from mops, to statues, to Mary Poppins’ iconic carpet bag. Stefanie suggests that this real-life illusion is one of the reasons that the stage production has garnered such a positive response from audiences: “They were really working with new technology when they made the film. I suppose kids watching it today are so used to seeing very developed CGI, heavily edited things, maybe the magic doesn’t come across as well for them now. But to see it in person - I can’t tell you how many children we meet at the stage door, jaws open, asking how we did it!”

“My husband has seen it 10 times,” says Patti, “and he keeps saying to me ‘How did they do that?’ I don’t even want to know - because it ruins the magic for me.”

“There’s just so much in the show that happens so quickly,” adds Jack. “As an audience member, you’re thinking ‘How did that happen?’ and then something else happens straight away. There’s no time to contemplate how it happened. We get to fly - some of us get to walk up walls! - and it’s fun to hear the gasps!”

Mary Poppins shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 16 July to Saturday 23 August.

Feature by Jessica Clixby