Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane will make its home on the Arts Theatre stage from the 2nd of July, and Bert will be there to show you around.
It is the well known story of Mary Poppins that arrives on Adelaide’s chilly winter winds, but for the uninitiated it will be nothing like a live production of the 1964 Disney film.
“The show on stage is very different to the movie” says Brendan Cooney, who plays Bert in the Matt Byrne Media production. “There are a lot more characters in there” he says.
“It has a lot more depth to it”.
The amateur rights to the show became available in October last year and this production will be a South Australian premiere. Getting the rights to present the show was “an incredible honour” says Producer/Director Matt Byrne.
“We have a record five-week season to cope with expected demand as the professional production never made it to Adelaide”.
The show features Lauren Potter in the title role of Mary.
“Lauren has spent her childhood following Mary Poppins, so it is basically a dream role for her to have” explains Cooney, “She’s very good at it, and has the character down very well.”
The stage production is more closely based on the original stories by P.L Travers, but includes much of the films award winning music by the Sherman brothers. The stage musicals creator, Cameron Mackintosh, virtually had to beg Travers for the rights to create the show, and was eventually only allowed to do so under very strict conditions.
All of the favourites are in there like Spoonful Of Sugar, Chim Chim Cher-ee, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, Jolly Holiday, Feed The Birds and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
The big musical number is Step In Time which features Bert, Mary, Jane, Michael and the Sweeps. “We’ve spent a lot of time on that number… and at the moment it feels good” says Cooney.
“Once we get in the theatre we will be able to set it a lot better”
Bert is not the deepest of characters, but he is key to moving the story along. “I’ve been doing a bit of work, really concentrating on it” says Cooney. “Lots of people have said to me. ‘Oh, I watched that lots as a kid’ and I think geez, we better be good!”
For Cooney and Byrne acting is incredibly important in this production, “I’d love to make it more an actor’s role and not just a singer and dancer” says Cooney.
The cast features James McCluskey-Garcia and Ellonye Keniry as George and Winifred Banks, and Shalani Wood and Sebastien Skubala as their children Jane and Michael.
“There are a lot of older characters – people are going to come along and say ‘Wow! I didn’t realise there were that many good roles in this show’” says Cooney.
“Penni Hamilton-Smith is amazing” as the long-suffering cook, Mrs Brill and “Megan (Humphries) blows you away as Ms Andrew” Cooney explains. “The audience will just be in awe of what she does”.
The cast also features Callum Byrne, Chris Bussey, Neville Phillis, Maggie Wood, Russell Ford, Margaret Davis, Sean Hilton, Rikki DeJesus, Nikki Yiannoullou, Anthony Butler and a wonderful ensemble of fine Adelaide performers.
With Musical Direction from Gordon Coombes and Choreography by Sue Pole, Mary Poppins will play at the Arts Theatre from July 2 to 18 and at Elizabeth’s Shedley Theatre from July 23 to August 1.
As Bert is heard to say to Mr Banks in A Man Has Dreams, “Life’s a rum go, Guv’nor”… but one is sure this show won’t be!
Paul Rodda
When: 2 Jul to 23 Aug
Where: Arts Theatre & Shedley Theatre
Bookings: mattbyrnemedia.com.au, 8262 4906 or bass.net.au
