Review /// Mary Poppins at The Civic
A simply delightful rendition of the childhood classic. Keen for a dose of nostalgia? Look no further than the London sky line, aka The Civic Theatre.
I've gotta say, I was pretty skeptical about this one. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some bitter twenty-something that rubbishes kidsy things because they're too childish (truth be told, I rented out Finding Nemo and WALL-E on the same night recently). It's just that as a wee one, when it came to Mary Poppins, I wasn't exactly on the cheer team. So, when heading to the opening night at The Civic on Tuesday, I was pretty ho-hum.
Have you spotted my editorial style? The ol' build up the lack of expectations only to be truly blown away and then bang on about it for the next few paragraphs? Yep, you got it. This show is super(califragilisticexpialidocious). Sorry, had to. And yes, I googled the spelling.
My memory of the Mary Poppins story line was hazy enough that it almost felt as though it was being told to me for the first time. It only took for the first "chim chimeny chim chimeny chim chim charee!" to kick in for all my hesitations about the show to be well forgotten and for me to fall into the magical world of Poppins.
The production design team have pulled out all the stops with a simply fantastic set that moves fluidly from the various rooms of the family home, to the streets of London right through to the thrills and spills that unfold at Regents Park. And even when you're old enough to spot stage tricks, there was no magic lost in the way Mary Poppin's tiny travel case houses that hat stand.
A special mention must go out to the children performers who delivered a flawless act from the bratty delinquents to the wonderful little darlings at the end. And while all credit goes out to them you do find yourself marveling, with a spot of jealousy, at how kids these days can be so damn talented before they've even pipped 4 foot tall.
Without giving too much away, the highlights for me would have to be the ever-wowing set design, the Supercalifrag..etc scene, the cleverly contemporary script (I'm sure the original porky house keeper in Mary Poppins didn't say "I swear them slaves in Rome was on a blimin' cruise ship!") and one of the most spellbinding closing scenes I've ever seen in a theatre.
So, even if you're like me and Mary Poppins isn't quite your cuppa (although I was affirmed pre-show by my company that everyone loves Mary Poppins and I was weird cause I didn't), I'd really recommend getting along. The show is an injection of fun, energy and nostalgia. Trust me, it's a musical spectacle that is simply delightful and won't disappoint.
For more details about the show click here.
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