Further casting has been unveiled for the eagerly-awaited West End return of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi-award-winning Mary Poppins this autumn.
With rehearsals due to begin in September, Amy Griffiths, Claire Moore, Claire Machin, Jack North and Barry James will join the previously announced Zizzi Strallen, Charlie Stemp, Joseph Millson and Petula Clark in the new production.
Griffiths (Into The Woods, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) will play Winifred Banks alongside Moore (The Girls, Phoenix Theatre) as Miss Andrew, Machin (The Girls, Phoenix Theatre) as Mrs Brill, North (The Country Wife, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Robertson Ay and James (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) as Bank Chairman and Admiral Bloom. Casting for the roles of Jane and Michael Banks will be announced at a later date.
Fifteen years after the musical version of the much-loved Disney film’s stage premiere, Mary Poppins is due to return to its original London home, the Prince Edward Theatre, following the departure of Disney’s Aladdin which is due to end its successful three-year run in late August.
Mary Poppins will begin previews on 23 October ahead of an opening night on 13 November. Tickets are currently on sale for performances up until 29 March 2020.
Starring in the title role, Strallen will return to the role of the magical nanny she previously played during the 2015 UK tour. Recently seen in the West End in Strictly Ballroom, Strallen will star opposite Stemp (Half A Sixpence, West End, Hello, Dolly!, Broadway) as Bert and veteran singing star Petula Clark (Sunset Boulevard, West End and Broadway) who will return to the West End stage for the first time in decades to play the Bird Woman. Millson (Love Never Dies, Adelphi Theatre) will play George Banks.
The ensemble will feature: Yves Adang, Lydia Bannister, Angeline Bell, Lydia Boulton, Matt Cox, Adam Davidson, Katie Deacon, Danielle Delys, Joshua Denyer, Stan Doughty, Glen Facey, Davide Fienauri, Ian Gareth-Jones, Mark Goldthorp, Joanna Gregory, Catherine Hannay, Jacqueline Hughes, Jason Kajdi, Sam Lathwood, Jordan Livesey, Ceili O’Connor, Malinda Parris, Alex Pinder, Ben Redfern, Rachel Spurrell, Lucie-Mae Sumner, Rhys West and Monique Young.
Commenting on Mary Poppins’ imminent homecoming earlier this year, Mackintosh said: “I am very excited to be welcoming Pamela Travers’ iconic nanny back to the Prince Edward Theatre later this year for audiences across all generations to enjoy.
“Since we originally presented the show, we have found even more magical ways to stage this timeless tale in this new production, and with the spectacular dancing talent of our two stars, I’m sure our audiences will find our new Mary Poppins practically perfect in every way.
“I first spotted Zizi in Matthew Bourne’s production of The Car Man and knew she would make a unique Mary Poppins, she went on to win terrific reviews on the recent UK tour.
“Charlie became an overnight star almost straight from drama school in my hugely popular production of Half a Sixpence which took him to Broadway to play opposite Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! I am thrilled to have him back in London to play his dream role of Bert.”
On behalf of Disney Theatrical Productions, producer Thomas Schumacher added: “London could not ask for a more enchanting leading couple than the remarkable Zizi and Charlie. Cameron and I are so gratified that the show remains as beloved today as when it first came to life at the gorgeous Prince Edward Theatre 15 years ago. Its longevity and the huge success of the recent Disney film Mary Poppins Returns, remind us that the world’s love for Mary is deep and enduring.”
The stage version of the much-loved story of the magical nanny was co-created by Mackintosh with a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and featuring the timeless score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman. New songs and additional music and lyrics are by the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Producer Schumacher for Disney Theatrical Productions, Mary Poppins boasts a creative team headed by stage and film director Richard Eyre. Co-direction and choreography is by Matthew Bourne, with co-choreography by Stephen Mear. Set and costume design is by Bob Crowley with lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Paul Gatehouse, with orchestrations by William David Brohn.
The stage production of Mary Poppins originally opened in 2004 and ran in the West End for three years and over 1,250 performances. The show won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography and Best Set Design as well as the Evening Standard Award for Best Set Design and the Variety Club Award for Best Musical. The Broadway production ran for over six years where it won the Tony Award for Best Set Design. The show has also been a success in Holland, Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Dubai, Japan and Germany and it has toured Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the UK and Ireland. It is the biggest hit musical ever in Italy, playing key seasons in Milan, and in October will open in Rome simultaneously with the London production. Several further new productions are due to open in Europe over the next three years.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for Mary Poppins are available HERE.
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