Mary Poppins Flies into Birmingham this Summer!
Musical theatre actress, Stefanie Jones has literally flown from across the other side of the world to appear in the title role on the current UK tour of the ever-popular “Mary Poppins.” Australian born Stefanie first took the role of the famous nanny in her homeland, before heading to the UK to reprise it alongside her fellow Aussie co-star, Jack Chambers who appears as Bert. However, before Mary appeared on the scene, Stefanie had done much more.
“I was very interested in theatre since I was a little girl, but not really even knowing what musical theatre was. I didn’t understand it as a medium, but I knew that I loved to sing and dance. A relative of mine saw an advertisement in the newspaper for the casting for “Les Miserables” children for the 10th anniversary, and my parents took me along and I got in. I was thrown in at the deep end in one of the most iconic musicals of all time, playing the role of young Eponine at just six years old!” Stefanie told me.
“Then in my teens, I went to the Victorian College of the Arts and did a three year bachelor’s degree there and got some formal training, and the rest is history,” Stefanie added.
“I got the role of Mary Poppins a few years ago now and did the Australian tour first and when the opportunity arose to come here and continue, I just knew I wanted to do it and to see the UK too. I am loving the show; it is just such a gift of a role and the show has stood the test of time,” she said.
Mary Poppins is such a strong, independent woman of her time and the storyline is still as relevant today as it was when it was written and published back in 1934.
“It promotes family values, and the themes are as prevalent today as back then and I think that is why people keep coming along to see it,” said Stefanie. “People revisit it with their children and their grandchildren because there really is something in it for everyone.”
Obviously the sixties movie version is the one we all love and remember, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, and I wondered if Stefanie had studied Julie’s performance.
“I wouldn’t say I studied it, but she was so good and a performance at that level is hard to get out of your head. That said, the script is different to the film, not that people will not get to see their favourite bits of the film that they love, but you do get a sense that it is a slightly different telling and then that encourages you to make it your own,” she said.
The audition process for the role was lengthy, mainly due to Covid 19, with a lockdown period right in the middle.
“I was so ready, and feeling really confident, but then the entire process was pulled out from underneath us and I didn’t know what would happen. But then Jack and I were flown to London to audition for Cameron MacIntosh and we performed on the set of the West End stage, which was magical,” said Stefanie.
Now, there is one particular word that everyone associates with Mary Poppins, but can you actually say it? It is, of course, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and that word forms one of the most entertaining musical theatre numbers you will ever see!
The choreography for this number is very specific, intricate and fast. I wondered how difficult it had been to learn.
“It took a while to learn, but the creative team is so good at teaching it, and they have learnt the best way to teach it and the best language to use to describe what the movements actually are, and because they have refined that process, we all picked it up relatively quickly,” said Stefanie. “The movements flow so beautifully that it becomes second nature and I don’t think any of us will ever forget that choreography!” she laughed!
Stefanie continued, “One of the original choreographers of the show, his partner is deaf and so some of the movements came from sign language. It is great that the show has found that extra level on which to communicate.”
“In every city and venue we have interpreted and access shows and it is good to know that we can reach people who are often forgotten,” she said.
But “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is not the most challenging number in the show, believe it or not. “Step in Time” is 11 minutes long,” Stefanie told me. “My costumes, as beautiful as they are, are really heavy and dancing quickly and doing a lot of quick foot work means it is a marathon, but it is still so rewarding because the audience love it so much.”
Be prepared for some amazing magic in the show too. “The designers of the show just baffle me with how clever they are,” said Stefanie. “It is wonderful when you hear the gasps from the crowd and little voices saying, “how did they do that?” You feel as if you are creating life long memories for children.”
It wouldn’t be “Mary Poppins” unless everyone’s favourite nanny flew across the theatre and Stefanie has the honour of doing just that at every performance. “It is a wonderful experience, and probably most actors dream of flying during a show because it is so magical. I have never been afraid of heights and I definitely feel very safe. It is a tough show for any “Mary” but to have that experience at the end is so rewarding. It is a wonderful way to end a show,” she said.
Although the title of the show is the main character’s name, Stefanie is insistent that it is a show about the Banks Family rather than just Mary. “They are the ones who have the story arc and I am there to guide them through. The child actors who play Jane and Michael are wonderful,” she said. “You can give them a hundred and one lines and they will learn them and say them perfectly every night. They make us smile so much and keep us focused. There are five sets, so ten children in total and they are all wonderful.”
While Mary is a dream role for Stefanie at the moment, there are other roles she would like to play of course.
“I would love to continue to work for Cameron MacIntosh, perhaps in Les Miseables, and I also love Mrs Lovatt from Sweeney Todd,” she told me.
Stefanie is looking ahead to Chsitmas time. “I am married to a wonderful man who is also an actor and so we like to make decisions about work together. I am happy playing Mary at the moment though, and so let’s see what comes next,” she said.
Stefanie Jones is without a doubt “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, “practically perfect in every way” and “a spoonful of sugar” to sweeten the family experience of theatre. I for one cannot wait to see her!
For tickets for “Mary Poppins” at the Birmingham Hippodrome, from July 16-August 23, visit birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0121 689 3000.
