Final adult casting has been announced for the new production of Mary Poppins which begins rehearsals in September 2019 and returns to its original West End home at the Prince Edward Theatre from 23 October. The production is due to run until 29 March 2020 (opening night is 13 November).
Joining Zizi Strallen in the title role, Charlie Stemp as Bert, Joseph Millson as George Banks and Petula Clark as the Bird Woman, are Amy Griffiths who will play Winifred Banks, Claire Moore as Miss Andrew, Claire Machin as Mrs Brill, Jack North as Robertson Ay and Barry James as Bank Chairman and Admiral Boom. Casting for the roles of Jane and Michael Banks will be announced at a later date.
The ensemble comprises Yves Adang, Lydia Bannister, Angeline Bell, Lydia Boulton, Matt Cox, Adam Davidson, Katie Deacon, Danielle Delys, Joshua Denyer, Stan Doughty, Glen Facey, Davide Fienauri, Ian Gareth-Jones, Mark Goldthorp, Joanna Gregory, Catherine Hannay, Jacqueline Hughes, Jason Kajdi, Sam Lathwood, Jordan Livesey, Ceili O’Connor, Malinda Parris, Alex Pinder, Ben Redfern, Rachel Spurrell, Lucie-Mae Sumner, Rhys West and Monique Young.
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.
The book is by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and this production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh.
This production of Mary Poppins has orchestrations by William David Brohn with dance and vocal arrangements by George Stiles. It has a new sound design by Paul Gatehouse and new lighting 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.
A subsequent new production of the show, adapted from the original, enjoyed record-breaking runs in Australia, North America, the UK and Ireland, New Zealand, Holland, Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Dubai, Japan and Germany, where the production recently entered its second hit year in Hamburg. Mary Poppins is the biggest hit musical ever in Italy playing key seasons in Milan, and in October will open in Rome simultaneous with the London production. Several further new productions are to open in Europe over the next three years. The Prince Edward opening in October will be the first time the new production will be seen in London.
Bios
Amy Griffiths was most recently seen on stage in The Twilight Zone at the Almeida Theatre. Her previous theatre credits include Once in a Lifetime at the Young Vic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Everyman, An Oak Tree, Medea and The Magistrate all for the National Theatre, Stephen Ward at the Aldwych Theatre, The Pajama Game at Chichester Festival Theatre, Crazy For You and Into The Woods both at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Claire Moore was most recently seen on stage in Follies at the National Theatre. Her previous theatre credits include The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre, London Road, The Duchess of Malfi, The Real Inspector Hound/The Critic and The Cherry Orchard for the National Theatre, Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre, Follies at the Landor Theatre, The Betrayal of Nora Blake at the Jermyn Street Theatre, The King and I and Oliver! both at the London Palladium, she was in the original company for Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Claire Machin was most recently seen on stage in Amour at Charing Cross Theatre. Her other theatre credits include Flowers for Mrs Harris at the Chichester Festival Theatre, The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre for which Claire received an Olivier Award nomination, Memphis and the The Pajama Game at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Made in Dagenham at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello Theatre, Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London Palladium and UK Tour, Mary Poppins at Bristol Hippodrome and the Prince Edward Theatre, Titanic the UK tour, Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre.
Jack North trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He was last seen on stage in Guys and Dolls at the Theatre Marigny in Paris. His UK theatre credits include Pinocchio at the National Theatre, he was a member of the original London Cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, Sweeney Todd for the English National Opera, The Country Wife, Gypsy and Barnum at the Chichester Festival Theatre, Peter Pan in Concert at the Adelphi Theatre, West Side Story and Kiss Me Kate at the Royal Albert Hall and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in Kensington Gardens.
Barry James’ extensive theatre credits include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, Grand Hotel and Beauty and the Beast both at the Dominion Theatre, Sweeney Todd for the National Theatre, She Loves Me at the Savoy Theatre, Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre and Queen’s Theatre, Oliver! at the London Palladium, The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre.
