Mary Poppins

Everyone has their personal history with this fantastical heroine and those annoyingly catchy songs. For me it wasn't the book, nor the film but of one of those read-along books that came with an accompanying vinyl record. It featured narration, songs and sound-bites from the film and a tinkling bell to prompt pre-school me to turn the page. I'd all but forgotten about it until a recent viewing of Saving Mr Banks reminded me of just how huge Mary Poppins was back then. 

Despite the huge buzz surrounding the 2011 Sydney production, I missed out, so I was especially eager to see how Gosford Musical Society would not only bring these iconic Disney characters to life, but also handle the tricky technical aspects of the show. 

It’s cliche to say Chris King and his ever-faithful production team have outdone themselves, but the cast’s energy, great vocals and slick scene changes on opening night completely belied the monumental effort it would have taken them to get there. 

Thanks to the society’s dedication to high quality youth productions over the past couple of decades, the depth of talent they possess within those ranks meant that when it came to casting the pivotal lead roles of Mary and Bert, they were able to cast two wonderfully gifted 20-something ‘veterans’ who provided the vital professional edge needed - so as to not be upstaged by the meticulous stage-design and dazzling costumes. 

Casey Thompson (who, from row J bore more than a passing resemblance to Dame Julie Andrews herself) gives such a poised, restrained performance (and with a perfect vocal range for the part,) that it’s truly difficult to imagine anyone being better suited to the role. David Simes’ contagiously-positive, physical energy lit up the stage every time Bert’s sooty personae appeared. Every lead and featured player gave strong performances, especially Mr and Mrs Banks (Elizabeth Herd and Geoff Hay); while opening night’s Michael and Jane (Ella Powell and Callum Hobson) delivered their bratty lines with relish. It’s a big, long show but with some huge production numbers; precision choreography, strong chorus vocals and a thumping score, the audience literally sprang to their feet as one for the finale. Talk in the foyer afterwards revealed that several ‘hairy’ moments happened backstage with the flying sequences, but they were inconsequential from an audience perspective, further punctuating the professionalism of every member of this so-called amateur production. 

My inner child was grinning ear to ear.

Rose Cooper