From the angle of her ankles to her grin’s infectious glee, Invercargill’s Kayla Wilcox shone heaven-sent as the uncanny nanny, strutting primly from zany wisdom to riotous dance, backed solidly by Scott Mitchell’s chimney-sweep Bert, complete with cockney accent magnitudes better than his famous movie counterpart.
Carter Mitchell and Lucas Miller’s mischievous polish belied the disciplined youngsters’ weeks of work to master chaos-inclined but order-craving Banks children Michael and Jane, startled to attention by Rob Hall’s explosively stern Mr Banks, while Jane Stuart’s skill with the stiff upper lip moved Mrs Bank’s solos to the very edge of heartbreak and held them there.
Cherry-picked gems from P.L.Travers’ books line Mary Poppins’ Edwardian London with life lessons, laid out like dreams on a sometimes sparse stage that is suddenly crowded with delightful costumes, colour and choreography.
"It’s always nerve racking wondering whether my vision is good enough ... if the audience will appreciate what we have tried to do and whether they will be drawn into the story," director Margie Rea said.
"Ultimately, we want those watching and everybody involved to have enjoyed the show."
An opportunity to join the audience at the Tapanui Community Centre is essential.
From the lighting-effects box to the cast onstage, Mary Poppins has the quality and quantity to make you magically forget that every member of the production lives a real life, travelling, working or going to school.
![... we all become all of these things [installation view] (2025), by Megan Brady.](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/odt_landscape_small_related_stories/public/story/2025/03/1_we_all_become_all_of_thes.jpg?itok=nicA_yAm)
