Mary Poppins Is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Co-produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney, the show has already been a hit in Plymouth, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Daniel Crossley, who plays chimney-sweep Bert, took time out recently to talk about the show.

Daniel, whose credits include ‘Cats’, ‘Fame’ and ‘Chicago’ on the West End and ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Heartbeat’ on TV first got involved with the production about a year ago.

“Yes, I auditioned for the show sometime around last November and we started rehearsals for the tour in April.”

The show is a logistical nightmare with acting, singing, dancing and magical effects; the amount of rehearsal must have been tremendous.

“That’s right,” Daniel agreed. “There was about six or seven weeks for everyone, but with my part and the part of Mary Poppins having so much to do, we actually went in a week early.”

We are all familiar with the Disney film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, but the stage version is a little bit different, as he explained.

“Well, the basic story is the same, but they’ve borrowed more from the original novels by P L Travers so that they’re not just putting the film on stage. In fact, it’s a little bit darker than the film.”

But not too dark?

“No, all the magic is still there and more or less all the songs from the film, plus some others.”

The writers of the additional songs are very much in the same mould as the Sherman brothers who wrote the original songs for the film.

“Cameron Mackintosh only had one thought when coming up with the music writers, and that was George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. He’d worked with them before and their style is so like the original that it’s heard to work out that the writers are indeed different.”

Daniel also told me that there was to be a new ‘Mary Poppins’.

“Well, not exactly new. Lisa O’Hare is joining the cast as Mary and she’s already done the part on the West End, but recently she’s been getting rave reviews in the US as Eliza Doolittle in ‘My Fair Lady’.

In the original film, Dick Van Dyke became notorious for his amazing cockney accent, and I hoped that Daniel’s accent would be a bit better.

“Everybody asks me about the accent,” he laughed. “I lived for a while in London, so I think I’m doing it OK.”

The show has been getting excellent reactions from audiences up and down the country.

“It’s been a brilliant reception.” Daniel affirmed. “It’s been mainly full houses everywhere.”

“I think it’s so popular because it’s a very moving story. People seem to think of ‘Mary Poppins’ as a children’s show, but it does get back to what’s really important and that’s family values. In fact, the adults seem to get involved as much as the children.”

The whole experience has been a good one for Daniel.

“You bet,” he said. “I’ve never toured before and I’m loving it. It’s a fantastic show, but very hard work, however the reaction we get makes it all worth while. The part itself is great as you I get to do a bit of everything.”

Coming to Manchester will be extra special for Daniel, as he confided.

“I’ve never played Manchester before, and I actually come from Southport so it’ll be very exciting as everybody I know will be coming to see the show at some point.”

The show has already won an Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography as well as quite a few others, so it’s pedigree is of the highest calibre. Directed by renowned stage and film director Richard Eyre, choreographed by Matthew Bourne and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes (‘Gosford Park’), the show is destined to be one of the ‘must-see’ theatre productions, and one we’ll remember for a very long time.

‘Mary Poppins’, starring Lisa O’Hare as Mary and Daniel Crossley as Bert will be at the Manchester Palace Theatre from 10th December 2008 until 7th March 2009. Tickets are available from the Box Office and all the usual agencies priced at £12.50 to £42.50.

It’s gonna be ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’!!