View from the Green Room: Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way
April as Mrs Brill, Amelie as June, Aishling as Mary Poppins and Juno as Mother, in St. Mary's NS Ballygunner's production of Mary Poppins Jr.
When Mary Poppins (Aisling Crowley) declares herself as “practically perfect in everyway”, she could just as well have been describing this colourful fun-filled production that packs out the Ballygunner school hall for three nights.
Tonight, the hall is packed and the atmosphere is electric. The entire St. Mary’s school staff are involved in the production. Programmes, raffles, house management, chaperoning, hair and makeup, costumes, ticketing and selling. And just generally being there and doing what’s needed.
Directors Emma Tallon and Brenda Giles do well to develop minor characters, as well as the major ones, with everyone spot on with lines.
The choreography team of Colm Walsh, Audrey McAuliffe, Aisling Lowe and Sandra Hayden ensure that the cast is well drilled for their imaginative routines that fill the stage.
Entries and exits are sharp and well defined and everyone knows what they are doing – no small achievement with such a large and young cast.
Musical Director Niamh Dennehy plays a stormer in keeping everyone on track from the podium. Niamh keeps a strong beat for all the musical numbers and all the showstoppers, like “Step in Time… Spoonful of Sugar… Let’s Go Fly a Kite… Jolly Holiday… Chim Chim Chir-ee".
Well, of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is just the bees' knees and the cat’s pyjamas – a riot of fun and colour with well-choreographed entries and exits flying in and out that’s fronted by Mary and Bert.
Aisling Crowley is outstanding as Mary Poppins. Aisling has a smashing voice with good vocal range and expression.
Her eyes dance with life and include everyone as she moves from practically perfect nanny to confidante to the underprivileged and soul mate to chimney sweeps. This was the complete performance.
Ashton Roe is perfect as chimney-sweep Bert, Mary’s chief accomplice in fun and laughter. Bert acts as a link between the scenes and pops up everywhere as the plotline moves along.
The Banks family of parents Ferdia Cooke (George) and Juno Baeza Lynch (Winifred), along with Amelie Frisby (Jane) and Cian Mulhall (Michael), carry the storyline in a very natural and open manner, while April Larkin is a fusspot maid (Mrs Brill) and Aidan Gallagher is doddery butler Robertson.
Jace Keating (Bank Chairman) does well to adjudicate between a very demanding Quinlan Hennessy (Von Hussler) and the more measured Tyler McGovern (Northbook). Anna Mai O’Reilly does really well as the Birdwoman who sells bags of crumbs at the extortionate price of tuppence a bag and brings a gentle sensitivity to the number of “Feed the Birds”.
I loved the performance of Keeva Kinsella as alternative Nanny Mrs Andres – the Rottweiler with lip gloss that delights in torturing little children.
Every scene was peopled with walk-ons – the figure on the park bench reading his paper, standing statues (Lola Quinn, Molly McCardle, Natalie Condon, Sarah Whelton and Holly Simpson) in the park, the Bobbies (Sean O’Donnell and Freddy Wakeham) who popped up just everywhere, busy bank tellers fussing over queues of customers and enough chim-in-ee sweeps to keep a very busy Santa Claus happy.
Director Emma Tallon does well to turn her Mary Poppins into a big, meaty drama with real content and historical context.
There’s something very special about a school show. It’s a time for everyone to shine and for the entire school community to come together and celebrate the flair and talent that the school nurtures over the eight years that students attend. You just couldn’t buy the love that’s wrapped around this production tonight.
We’ll be seeing a lot of this young talent for years to come.
