The air inside the Grand Theatre carries that specific scent of floor wax and old velvet that only arrives when a high-stakes holiday production is in the wings. It is the "Nutcracker" slot of the regional theatre calendar—the period where the box office either sings or sinks based on family appeal. This year, the London stage is betting the farm on a nanny with a bottomless carpet bag.
The Grand is mounting a massive production of *Mary Poppins*, scheduled to occupy the mainstage from Nov. 26 to Dec. 29. It is a heavy lift. When the Banks children draft an advertisement for a new caretaker, they essentially summon a whirlwind that upends their Edwardian rigidity. We are talking about a narrative that demands magic, charm and a specific brand of suburban rediscovery.
I sat down with director Megan Watson in the stalls to get a read on her vision. Watson does not strike me as a traditionalist looking to mirror the 1964 film. She is looking for something more visceral.
When I asked her why the theatre landed on this specific title for the season, Watson was quick to point to the demographic spread.
"Oh, great question. So for us, we really hit the ground looking for a play that can really inspire a whole family," Watson says. "So what we love is the image of a grandparent, a parent, an aunt, an uncle, a friend bringing different generations to the theatre. They’re all coming together. And when we were looking at Mary Poppins, I continue to be inspired by the fact that at this point, Mary Poppins is a story attached to multiple generations. Starting with the novels, this came out in the 30s, then, as we know, the 1960s film, the Disney film. Then the recent reboot and in all of that, we have the musical, the Cameron Mackintosh musical. So at this point, what I love is the inter-generational spirit of it. So that’s, I think, what brought us to Mary Poppins this year."
But appeal is a fickle thing. You cannot just coast on nostalgia in an era where kids are glued to tablets. The material has to offer a cognitive shift. Watson argues that the character’s longevity is rooted in a fundamental psychological trick: the reframing of reality.
"I think it’s quite simple, really," Watson says, leaning into the theory of the character. "She acts as a point of inspiration for imagination. So if we think about what Mary Poppins is asking of the children and of the family, it’s to look at things from a slightly different perspective and perhaps those things can be wonderful and magical and imaginative without having to change too much. Like it’s such a beautiful offer that Mary Poppins brings, which is, if you add a spoonful of sugar, the work is easier and better and more fun. If you look at it from a slightly different perspective, perhaps this dreary park is in fact a magical Wonderland, right? I think that’s a bit of a timeless and really nice idea and something to connect to the idea that we have everything we need. If we can just bring ourselves to look at things from a slightly different perspective, they can be wonderful."
It is a nice sentiment, but the technical execution of "wonder" is where most regional productions stumble. You can only do so much with a spotlight and a dream. Watson is aware of the trap. She is ditching the Broadway carbon-copy approach in favour of a bespoke aesthetic.
She acts as a point of inspiration for imagination... If you look at it from a slightly different perspective, perhaps this dreary park is in fact a magical Wonderland.
"One thing that I’m really excited to share with audiences at the Grand is this idea that we have set ourselves up with our design team," she explains. "We have a whole new design team. Everything is from scratch. We could, sort of copy the Broadway costume, but we don’t as you know. So we have a whole new design team. And what we’ve been really focused on is creating a world where we can go really far in the imaginative realm. So what I’m looking forward to is that jolly holiday and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. We’ll have a higher level of whimsy than we’ve possibly ever seen."
And whimsy in the 21st century usually involves a server rack. Watson is integrating high-end digital assets to bridge the gap between the physical stage and the audience's cinematic expectations.
"There’s a strong video element in the production, which is both incredibly challenging, but also I think one of the most exciting prospects of what we’re bringing to it," Watson says. "Because everything sort of starts with Mary, but then it can blow up and kind of expand throughout the whole space in a way that’s really dynamic. So I think we’re really setting ourselves up to create something with a real high level of whimsy and beauty and imagination."
The success of the show, however, rests entirely on the titular lead. You need an actor who can balance the "practically perfect" ego with a genuine sense of mystery. Deborah Hay is the one stepping into the sensible shoes and the parrot-head umbrella.
"Deborah Hay is playing Mary Poppins and in our initial conversation about the character, she had some really, I think, inspiring and astute things to say about Mary Poppins," Watson notes. "Which I’m not sure are entirely different, but I’m excited to see Deb bring herself to the role. Specifically around the idea that she’s this woman, she’s firm, she’s a very confident, right? Mary Poppins doesn’t question her authority and her sort of beautiful status in the world, right? She comes in with a real strong proposal and she sticks to it. And one of the things that I personally love about Mary and I look forward to kind of expanding in this production, is her pure self confidence. She looks in the mirror and she loves what she sees, right?"
Then there is the "child actor" problem. Most directors will tell you, off the record, that casting Jane and Michael Banks is a nightmare. You need kids who are professional enough to hit their marks but haven't been "theatre-schooled" into robotic oblivion.
Watson seems relieved by the local talent pool. "We are in a bit of an embarrassment of riches in this region, because there is such a strong connection to the performing arts," she says. "So I feel like I saw a lot of kids, young people who are quite talented in terms of, they’ve taken lots of dance, they’ve taken lots of singing lessons, right? So they’re prepared. The thing that I was really looking for, because they carry so much of the play, was a real spark. A sense of curiosity and joy, and that for me in their audition, transformed into: how they communicated with me, how they communicated with the other people in the room and was there a sense of play. So the two young people we had playing, Jane and Michael, they have a real spark."
And you cannot talk Poppins without talking about Bert. He is the audience surrogate, the narrator and the emotional glue. In the 1964 film, Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep was defined by a questionable Cockney accent and a legendary tap routine. Watson is pivoting away from the 1920s vaudeville vibe.
"It’s such a beautiful through line in the piece too, right? We connect to Bert, because he carries us through with these reprises of 'Chim Chimney' throughout the play," Watson says. "In our production, I think Bert’s magic is going to come through his singing and his sense of charm. He’s also a dancer, but we’ve moved away from the traditional big, big, big moment of tap dancing. We’re doing something that is a bit of a nod to the new film, which the choreographer, Steven Kota talks about being more of a contemporary dance take on the 'Step in Time.' You kind of have the parkour feel, a bit of a stepping feel, maybe a little bit of a hip hop feel in there. One of our approaches for this production was to modernize, while keeping the heart the same. So I think you’ll see that particularly through the dance style."
The parkour element is a gamble. It risks feeling like a "cool dad" move, but if executed with the right athleticism, it could breathe new life into a sequence that often feels like a museum piece.
But let's be real: people come for the flying. In a world of CGI, seeing a human being suspended by wires in a three-dimensional space still carries a primitive thrill. Watson admits that the physics of the stage are far less forgiving than the editing room.
"It is a slightly different story as well, so that’s always interesting when people come in with an assumption," Watson says. "It doesn’t have all the same elements. It has a lot of the key songs but not exactly the same. What am I most excited about in terms of what’s different? It’s funny the things like flying in live theatre requires a lot. To fly in film, it is technical, and it is difficult but it’s, dare I say easier. But to fly live on stage, we’re taking a lot of care and making a lot of choices right now that is getting us closer and closer to some really beautiful flying in this production."
If Watson pulls it off, the Grand might just have the hit they need to close out the year. But it’s a tightrope walk. You have to honour the 1930s source material, respect the 1960s film and satisfy a 2024 audience. That is a lot of sugar for one spoon.
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