Casting Update for West End production of Mary Poppins
by Best of Theatre Staff on Friday 16 July 2021, 5:13 pm in Cast Changes and Announcements
Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the original Walt Disney film, Cameron Mackintosh and Disney are delighted to announce casting for their Olivier award-winning production of Mary Poppins which resumes performances at the Prince Edward Theatre from 7 August 2021.
Joining the previously announced Zizi Strallen as Mary Poppins and Charlie Stemp as Bert are Charlie Anson as George Banks, Amy Griffiths as Winifred Banks, Petula Clark as Bird Woman, Liz Robertson as Miss Andrew, Claire Machin as Mrs Brill, Jack North as Robertson Ay and Paul F. Monaghan as Admiral Boom and Bank Chairman.
Katie Cox, Rose Dawson, Megan Donovan, Megan Judge, Ellie Kit Jones and Maddison Thew will alternate the role of Jane Banks with Logan Clark, George Hamblin, Charlie Irwin, Charlie Murphy, Frankie Treadaway and Fred Wilcox alternating the role of Michael Banks.
The ensemble comprises Yves Adang, Angeline Bell, Lydia Boulton, Alison Connell, Adam Davidson, Danielle Delys, Joseph Dockree, Charlie Donnelly, Stan Doughty, Glen Facey, Davide Fienauri, Harry Francis, Lyndsey Gardiner, Ian Gareth-Jones, Maria Garrett, Mark Goldthorp, Jacqueline Hughes, Emma Hunter, Jason Kajdi, Sam Lathwood, Jordan Livesey, Tania Mathurin, Laura Medforth, Alex Pinder, Ben Redfern, Clare Rickard, Lucie-Mae Sumner, Scott Waugh and Monique Young.
The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane has been triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. The stage version of Mary Poppins, brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the original beloved Walt Disney film, continues to be a smash hit around the world since its opening in London 17 years ago.
Zizi Strallen’s previous theatre credits include Strictly Ballroom The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre, Follies at the National Theatre, Mary Poppins on tour in the UK, Ireland and in Dubai, Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man and Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells and on tour, Cats and Scrooge at the London Palladium, Hairspray and Chicago at Leicester Curve, Merrily We Roll Along at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre and The Music Man for Chichester Festival Theatre. Her film credits include Cats and Cinderella.
Award-winning Charlie Stemp was previously seen in his critically-acclaimed performance as Arthur Kipps in Half a Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre, a role he first performed at Chichester; and in his Broadway debut as Barnaby Tucker opposite Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly!. At the London Palladium, he has starred in Dick Whittington, Snow White, and Pantoland at the Palladium; as well as in Lloyd George Knew My Father in Windsor, the UK tour of Rough Crossing, the international tour of Mamma Mia! and Wicked at the Apollo Victoria.
Petula Clark became a star in the UK at nine years old singingfor the troops stationed in England during World War II. Many years later she moved to France and soon became a European star recording in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. While still living in Paris, English songwriter Tony Hatch presented her with his new composition, Downtown, which became a worldwide hit and led to a string of top ten records, winning her two Grammy awards and making her an international star. She later met with Charlie Chaplin who penned one of her further major hits This Is My Song. She has performed in her own TV shows in the UK, the US and France and has starred in the iconic films Finian’s Rainbow with Fred Astaire and Goodbye Mr. Chips with Peter O’Toole. Her recent releases are A Valentine’s Day Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Starting All Over Again and New Flag as well as the Mary Poppins Cast Album. She has been seen on stage in West End and on Broadway, as well as in a triumphant US tour. During her extensive career spanning eight decades she sold over 70 million records. Clark was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1998 and was installed as a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on France in 2012.
Charlie Anson’s theatre credits include A Room with a View and Portrait of a Lady both at the Theatre Royal Bath, American Psycho at the Almeida, Arcadia at the Manchester Library Theatre and the Lowry, Pains of Youth at the Belgrade Theatre, The Triumph of Love at the Manchester Royal Exchange and Richard II at the Old Vic. His television credits include The Long Call, Goldie's Oldies, Get Even, The Mallorca Files, The Rook, London Kills, Riviera, Collateral, Reg, X Company, Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, Any Human Heart and The Borgias. His film credits include Death on the Nile, Misbehaviour, The Little Stranger, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Tarzan.
Amy Griffiths’ theatre credits include The Twilight Zone at the Almeida, Once in a Lifetime at the Young Vic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for West Yorkshire Playhouse, Everyman, An Oak Tree, Medea and The Magistrate for the National Theatre, Stephen Ward at the Aldwych Theatre, The Pajama Game for Chichester Festival Theatre, Crazy for You at the Novello and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Into the Woods also for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Singin’ in the Rain and The Producers both on UK tour. Her film credits include Nocturnal, The Princess Switch, London Road and Les Misérables.Her television credits include The Accident, Spotless and The Trials of Jimmy Rose.
Liz Robertson is an Olivier Award nominated West End and Broadway star. She made her West End debut in A Little Night Music, directed by Hal Prince, followed by Cameron Mackintosh’s first international hit Side By Side By Sondheim which she subsequently took to Toronto. Robertson was then chosen by Mackintosh to star as Eliza Doolittle in his revival of the iconic musical My Fair Lady, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and a Variety Club of Great Britain Award. Her other London credits include I Love My Wife, Song and Dance, The Music Man, The Sound of Music and Phantom of the Opera. She created the role of Madame Giry in the world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies, played Velma Von Tussle in the hit musical Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and was most recently seen as Cheryl Gillan in Committee at the Donmar Warehouse. In America, Robertson could be seen on Broadway in Dance a Little Closer and Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood (which she originated at the Donmar Warehouse), and the US Tour of The King and I alongside Rudolph Nureyev. She has also performed at the Kennedy Centre Honors before President and Mrs Reagan. She has made many concert and cabaret appearances on both sides of the Atlantic and could recently be seen guest starring as Frances in two episodes of the ABC/20th Century Fox US TV series Speechless.
Claire Machin’s theatre credits include Amour at the Charing Cross Theatre, Flowers for Mrs Harris for Chichester Festival Theatre, Titanic for Charing Cross Theatre and on UK tour, Mamma Mia! at the Limassol Pattihio Municipal Theatre, The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre, Made in Dagenham at the Queen’s Theatre, Memphis at the Shaftesbury Theatre, The Pajama Game for Chichester Festival Theatre and the Shaftesbury Theatre, Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello Theatre, Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Salad Days at the Riverside Studio, First Lady Suite at the Union Theatre, High School Musical at the Churchill Theatre and on UK tour and Les Misérablesat the Palace Theatre. Her television credits include Vanity Fair and film credits include Les Misérables.
Jack North’s previous theatre credits include Guys and Dolls at Theatre Marigny, West Side Story for the BBC Proms, The Country Wife, Gypsy and Barnum for Chichester Festival Theatre, Pinocchio for the National Theatre, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, Sweeney Todd for English National Opera, Peter Pan in Concert at the Adelphi Theatre, Bernstein Prom for the BBC, Kings of Broadway at the Palace Theatre, Kiss Me Kate at the Royal Albert Hall, 42nd Street at the London Palladium and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Kensington Gardens. His television credits include Chasing Shadows and the BBC Proms and on film, Breathe.
Paul F Monaghan’s previous theatre credits include The Bridges of Madison County for the Menier Chocolate Factory, Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum, La Cage Aux Folles on UK tour, Cats at the London Palladium and on international tour, A Man of No Importance at the Union/Arts Theatre, Fame on tour in Ireland, Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre, on UK tour and 10th Anniversary Concert, Sweeney Todd at NCH Dublin, The Phantom of the Opera at the Opera House Manchester, Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh and 25th Anniversary Concert, Jesus Christ Superstar at the Olympia Theatre Dublin, Cameron Mackintosh: A Tribute for the Summer Proms RTE and Les Misérables in Concert on tour. His television credits include The Late Late Show and Make Mine Music and on film, Les Misérables and Mary Queen of Scots.
Mary Poppins was the winner of Best Musical Revival at the 2020 Whatsonstage Awards and Best Set Design and Best Theatre Choreographer awards at the 2020 Olivier Awards.
The original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman include the classic songs Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, Feed the Birds and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. New songs and additional music are by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Book is by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes and this production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh. The producer for Disney Theatrical Productions is Thomas Schumacher.
This production of Mary Poppins has orchestrations by William David Brohn with dance and vocal arrangements by George Stiles. Sound design is by Paul Gatehouse and lighting is by Hugh Vanstone and Natasha Katz. Co-choreography is by Stephen Mear. The reimagined set and costume designs are by Bob Crowley. Co-direction and choreography is by Matthew Bourne and direction by Richard Eyre.
The stage production of Mary Poppins originally opened in the West End in December 2004, running for over 1,250 performances. During this time, the production won two Olivier Awards and an Evening Standard Award. Subsequently the Tony Award®-winning Broadway production ran for over six years.
Obtaining Government backed contingency insurance to protect against further unscheduled closures remains a priority. All plans for the re-opening of Mary Poppins are in accordance with the Government’s latest directives and therefore subject to change.