by Bonnie Collings
Chairo Christian School's senior school production of "Mary Poppins" showcased the magic of finding joy in everyday life and the importance of treating people with kindness.
From the moment the audience entered the Balfour theatre, they were transported to Edwardian London. A dynamic screen curtain at the back of the stage displayed a scene of smoking chimneys and city rooftops and the theatre lights were red and blue in keeping with Mary's colours.
The screen curtain was an effective addition to the set and contributed to the world building of the show.
Throughout the performance the screen depicted the park in sunny and rainy conditions, the bank, St Paul's Cathedral and the starry night sky. For a storyline that includes many different locations, the screen curtain was the perfect choice.
The live orchestra gave the audience chills as they played the iconic notes of "Chim Chim Cher-ee", before year 12 student Will Stephens opened the performance as "Bert".
Will served as the narrator and guide for the show, engaging with the audience, breaking the fourth wall just enough to make them feel like they were part of the show. Will captured the true essence of Bert, right down to his cockney accent.
Amy Bruce's performance as "Mary Poppins" was "Practically Perfect". She captured Mary's firm but fun-loving nature and impressed the audience with her steadfast vocals throughout the show.
"Mary Poppins" is a main character heavy performance but was truly brought to life by the chorus. Dressed as park goers, bankers, toys, kite fliers and chimney sweeps, when the chorus appeared on stage they shone.
It was fantastic to see the original Broadway choreography for "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" make an appearance during the whole cast dance break.
A series of clever props paired with lighting and music effects throughout the performance helped bring the Mary Poppins magic to life. Some of my favourites included the pre-set table cloth, moving picture frames and the dolls that put themselves away during "A Spoonful of Sugar" and Mary's never ending carpet bag in "Practically Perfect".
During "Let's Go Fly a Kite" the design of Michael's kite created the illusion that it was actually flying. Much like the iconic scenes from the film, these props had the audience oohing and ahhing at their magic.
The cast was packed full of fantastic vocalists. Lialah Rovers moved the audience with her powerful rendition of "Being Mrs Banks", capturing the emotional journey of Winifred Banks with her strong vocals. Jessica Soutar as the "Bird Woman" wowed with her operatic voice during "Feed the Birds".
The cast were not restricted to the bounds of the stage, utilising the central walkways, stairs and balcony overlooking the stage. Not only did this choice of stagecraft make the audience feel like a part of the show, it provided the perfect cover for tricky set changes behind the scenes.
The backstage crew must be commended for their hard work changing the many set pieces throughout the show. The set pieces themselves were incredibly detailed and very effective for the overall storytelling. The nursery set transformed into the London rooftops for "Step in Time" and included a ladder through the chimney.
Having these multi-use pieces rather than having the cast constantly moving on and off stage to travel to different areas made the show more engaging and drove home the concept of magic.
Overall, Chairo's production of "Mary Poppins" left audience members smiling and humming their favourite tunes, taking with them the important message that "anything can happen if you let it".