> Mary Poppins at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (review) - SNACK: Music, film, arts and culture magazine for Scotland

Mary Poppins at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (review)

Touring the U.K. throughout 2025, Mary Poppins blew into Edinburgh on the coattails of Storm Éoywn last week – eerily befitting to the nanny whose preferred mode of transport is ‘flying via umbrella’. The wind may have changed but thankfully Mary has remained at the capital’s Festival Theatre, delighting audiences throughout the otherwise dull winter months.

Inspired by the stories of P.L. Travers and closely following the iconic 1964 Walt Disney feature film, Mary Poppins brings with it the nostalgia, fun and magic which has made it a childhood classic for the last six decades. Set in Victorian London, this whimsical tale centres around the life of the Banks family, namely the two children, Jane and Michael, whose pernickety behaviour sees them scare off dutiful nannies on a weekly basis.

After putting together their own advert for the nanny of their dreams, the children get the ultimate surprise when practically perfect Mary Poppins flies into their nursery. Armed with a bottomless bag of tricks, spoons full of sugar and the most glorious collection of coats ever to be seen on stage, astounding adventures and life lessons soon begin. Aside from a few subtle changes to the original Disney film, the show stays true to the beloved story and is sure to please even the most avid of Poppins fans.

The staging and special effects are polished, precise and quite simply, magical. Nothing short of what you’d expect from a Disney production, the ‘how did they do that?’ moments come thick and fast. From the Bank’s family home on Cherry Tree Lane literally coming to life as though it’s sprung from the pages of a pop-out storybook to a bewitched kitchen repairing itself in the click of a finger, and not to mention Mary flying before your very eyes, these special effects stay with you for as long as the musical numbers do.


Mary Poppins: Jack Chambers as Bert and Company. Photo by Danny Kaan

Speaking of which, the show is pinned together by a whole host of epic dance performances that are filled to the brim with that sparkling Hollywood charm of old.

Stand out numbers include the technicolour dreamland Jolly Holiday, the mind-blowing fast-paced Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and of course, the high-kicking, high energy dance through the London rooftops in Step in Time. Is there anything that sparks more joy than a troupe of tap-dancing chimney sweeps? After seeing the show I’m certain science would prove there isn’t.

Of course, it’s the music that makes Mary Poppins as beloved now as it was over 60 years ago. The enduring musical score from legendary Disney songwriting duo the Sherman Brothers never fails to tap a toe, give a goosebump or prompt a tear.

Listening to their glorious words and beautiful music played live is nothing short of a privilege.

But it’s the cast that bring it all to life and this production is blessed with a wealth of talent that keeps everything spit spot. Australian leads Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers step into the iconic roles of Mary and Bert with remarkable ease. Jones brings the much-needed nostalgic charm of Julie Andrews’ original take on the tricky nanny in abundance. Her clean, crisp vocals make her a perfect choice for the titular role, as does her perfect demeanour and witty delivery. Chambers’ Bert is charismatic, charming and somewhat-cockney – all things audiences love from the jack of all trades character who keeps the story moving. But the standout performances of the night came from the young actors playing Jane and Michael Banks.

Triple threat talents Florence Swann and Charlie Donald kept pace with the headline stars every step of the way, proving our future stage talent is in safe hands.

There’s no getting away from the fact it is a long show, coming in at 2 hours 50 minutes, including a half time interval. However, when you’re immersed in Mary’s magical world, time passes in the blink of an eye so don’t let the run time worry you, especially if you have little ones in tow. Judging by the audience’s vibrant enthusiasm throughout the entire evening, everyone wanted more.

Practically perfect indeed.

Mary Poppins is at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh until Saturday 15th February

Main image credit: Danny Kaan

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