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Mary Poppins must be one of our most successful exports. Since she sprang from the imagination of Queenslander Pamela Travers in the 1930s, the "practically perfect" nanny has welded herself into the DNA of Western childhood, helped in no small part by the classic 1964 Disney film.
Songs such as 'Chim Chim Che-ree' and 'A Spoonful of Sugar' are part of the collective memory: we all know them, whether or not we can remember the film.
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The casting is impeccable. Matt Lee as Bert - minus Dick Van Dyke's famously awful cockney accent - is a charming foil to Hunt-Ballard's Poppins. Marina Prior and Philip Quast as the alienated couple Mr and Mrs Banks generate some poignancy amid the sparkle, and the youngsters playing the children give excellent performances in very demanding roles. Debra Byrne as the pigeon lady is a highlight.
In short, you get all the show biz you expect from a Cameron Mackintosh show, plus some. Expect this one to run and run.
© News Limited
