Mary Poppins at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Helen Osborne
I know I shouldn’t say this out loud, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the 1964 film, Mary Poppins the whole way through! There, I’ve said it! However, tonight was, not only, the time to right that wrong, but also to introduce my son to this fantastic story! So, as the most famous nanny in the world flew in to Southampton this week, we were bursting with excitement to take our seats to watch Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s multi award winning production of Mary Poppins, which has stopped off at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton for a 4 week stay as part of the national UK and Ireland Tour.
Based on the stories by P.L. Travers, and of course the subsequent 1964 Walt Disney film, of the same name, Mary Poppins, this stage show is quite simply, perfect.
We didn’t have to wait long for the performance to begin and for the audience to be introduced to the Banks family at their home in Cherry Tree Lane, to set the scene for the show. Their previous nanny had quit her role and in comes Mary Poppins, seemingly blown in by the East wind, to take on the role, bringing with her an air of mystery and magic.
Behind the whimsy, is a story of balancing childhood wonder with adult responsibility, which has evaded the Banks’ for so long. Mary Poppins arrives to reset the balance, providing a catalyst to transform Mr Banks from a workaholic to a loving father.
Featuring the acclaimed Stefanie Jones, as the titular Mary Poppins and Jack Chambers, as Bert, it’s hard to believe that there could have been better casting of this amazing stage show.
Stefanie Jones is ‘spit, spot’-on as Mary Poppins; her stage presence is fabulous as the no-nonsense, slightly aloof nanny, with a heart of gold. Delivering every line with perfection and as for her voice, it was absolutely stunning and so effortless.
Jack Chambers was fantastic as Bert exuding pure talent through song and dance, again with effortless ease.
A special mention to the two young stars playing Jane and Michael Banks (Connie Jones and Oli Manning) who were simply outstanding, holding their own with the adult performers. Well done!
It was incredible to see how cleverly the set had been designed, to represent the various settings of the show, from the brilliant dolls-house like Banks’ family home, to the gardens, the roof-tops and even the bank where Mr Banks works. The effortless set changes added to the magic of the performance.
Featuring many of the original, beloved songs from the timeless score by the spectacular Sherman Brothers, including ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’, ‘Jolly Holiday’, ‘Feed The Birds’ and of course, ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ plus some new songs and additional music by the Olivier Award winning duo, Oliver Stiles and Anthony Drew.
We loved it when the cast performed ‘A spoonful of Sugar’, it was absolutely brilliant and so very funny. In fact my son sang it the whole way out of the theatre!
There were two other standout moments from the show; the first when Bert magically tapped danced his way up the side of the stage and across the ceiling, whilst remaining pitch perfect in song. The other, when Mary Poppins floated up into the air, across the audience. Pure magic and class.
All of the actors and supporting cast gave the show their all – we’d watch it again in a heartbeat and will be recommending it to family and friends as a great night out.
With a running time of 2 hours and 50 minutes (including a 20 minute or so interval), the energy and momentum continued for the entire show, including the curtain call! The show is aimed at age 7 years+, which I think is about right. However, due to the length of the performance, I would recommend younger children attend the matinee performance, as the 7.30 performance has a late finish for little ones.
Ticket prices start from £20 depending on date and location, so there’s a ticket price for everyone’s budget to see this Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious spectacular! I think it’s great value for money for such a fantastic production, which, dare I say, is ‘practically perfect in every way’! So what are you waiting for, book your tickets now, Spit Spot!
Mary Poppins is appearing at Mayflower Theatre from Wednesday 27th August until Saturday 20th September, with several matinee performances. There are also accessible performances available including options for British Sign Language and Audio Described.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets from £20 depending on date and seating location
Buy tickets here: https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/mary-poppins-2025/
Full address of the Theatre: Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE
Tour information: https://marypoppins.co.uk/