By ALANA MITCHELSON
The curious world of Mary Poppins will come to life next month in a local musical theatre production starring Geelong’s Kate Hanley as the magical nanny herself.
PL Travers’ classic tale tells the story of the wealthy, uptight Banks family whose children face the prospect of a new nanny.
Geelong theatre company Footlight Productions will stage its version of Mary Poppins with additional scenes from the novel that were missing in the film adaptation starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
Lead actress Hanley grew up in Geelong performing in numerous local theatre productions before studying drama.
Reading the book helped her develop a unique take on Mary Poppins’ character, she said.
“People will recognise all the songs from the movie, like A Spoonful of Sugar, Feed the Birds and Chim Chim Cheree. What’s different is there is a real focus on the Banks family that gets to the true heart of the story,“ Hanley explained.
“She’s a more complex character than people might think.”
Hanley said the show’s designer was working on the Lion King in Melbourne, so the sets and props were “very impressive”.
“It’s quite a technical show. Because Mary Poppins has magic, audiences can expect a lot of tricks.
“I pull a lot of things out of my bag in one scene, so it’s almost like a magic show at times. She flies, with her umbrella in hand, as well.
“The costumes are all fabulous. Poppins has a couple of jackets and a colourful get-up for the song Jolly Holiday and also for Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious where they enter a magical world.”
Between acting, dancing, singing, working with kids and all the tricks happening live on stage, Hanley said she was also caring for her one-year-old daughter.
“I feel like my head’s going to explode sometimes,” she laughed.
“This week is going to be a busy production week as we take our rehearsals to the stage. But I have a lot of trust and support from the cast, crew and my family.
“I feel quite moved after every rehearsal and I think the kids especially are going to love the show.”
Mary Poppins plays Geelong Performing Arts Centre from 22 January until 6 February.
