| The Knowing of Mary Poppins | Darlinghurst Theatre & the nest |
| Written by Ashley Walker |
| Sunday, 24 May 2009 02:44 |
 Photo - Juanita BroderickDid you know that Mary Poppins appeared in a series of children's books long before Walt Disney got his hands on her? The Knowing of Mary Poppins is the life story of the author of these books, P.L. Travers, who happens to have been born in sunny Queensland. The play was first performed in Brisbane in 2005 and appeared at the Adelaide Fringe festival in 2008. This “bio play” shares many of the problems of the ”bio pics” that inevitably pop up in cinemas around Academy Awards time. How do you fit a person’s entire life into a script and what themes should you use to tie the play together so it isn’t just a rambling chronology? The five writers have tried to cram Travers’ 96 years into a 75 minute play. The story becomes messy as key moments are glossed over. We never learn what exactly Travers objected to about the Disney treatment of Mary Poppins. In real life Travers always kept her correspondence with Walt Disney private, so we’ll never know for sure. It is a pity the writers don’t try to guess these intentions. This would have made the exchanges between Travers and Disney more interesting. Also unclear is her relationship with a Japanese guru and what she actually learnt from him. The ending is a bit of a grab bag and leaves the audience feeling confused. However, the play is worth seeing for its tight production values and superb acting. The three actors, Margi Brown Ash, Stace Callaghan and Molly Knight, play a multitude of characters. A child, middle-aged, and elderly versions of Travers chat to one another on stage as the elder Travers’ tries to sort out her memories. The physicality and versatility of Stace Callaghan is particularly compelling. She begins on her back as newborn baby, perfectly mimicking its cries and movements. She also masters a little boy, a little girl, Irish poet A.E. and the Mickey Mouse eared Walt Disney himself. The stage is full of props, scattered everywhere like the brain of the elderly Travers. The stage never looks cluttered, as the actors move the props about with precision. Pianist Robert D Clark performs live on stage, tucked away in the far right hand corner of the stage and we cannot see what he is doing. This kind of defeats the point of having a live musician. The Knowing of Mary Poppins isn’t exactly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious nor is this famous long word used in the play. It is still worth a look though for its tight production values and superb acting. Darlinghurst Theatre Company and the nest present The Knowing of Mary Poppins Written by Marcel Dorney, Leah Mercer, Margi Brown Ash, Stace Callaghan, and Carol Schmidt Director Leah Mercer Venue: Darlinghurst Theatre Company | 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point Dates: 22 May to 13 June Times: Tuesday - Saturday 8pm, Sunday 5pm Matinees: Sat 6, Wed 10 June & Sat 13 June at 3pm Tickets: Adult $37, Concession $32, Preview $27 Bookings: www.darlinghursttheatre.com or 02 8356 9987
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I am the biographer of Pamela Travers. My book was published in Australia in 1999 as Out of the Sky She Came and subsequently in the UK and US as Mary Poppins, She Wrote. Leah Mercer discovered Travers after reading my biography. There is extensive correspondence between Travers and Walt Disney at the Mitchell Library in Sydney. The correspondence was not private.
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May 25, 2009
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I would like to correct some mistakes in this review. Travers' objections to "Walt Disney's Mary Poppins" are referred to repeatedly in the play e.g., he treated her as a servant girl rather than as a mythical figure in service to a higher calling, he affirmed the family over the imagination, he turned the story into a fantasy rather than a story of real life. The characters mention these objections many times in the play. Also, there is no "Japanese guru" represented in the play. Perhaps the reviewer refers to G.I. Gurdjieff, who is not described or portrayed in the play as Japanese. As the play says repeatedly he tried to 'wake up' his students, to break down their social masks. A follower of Gurdjieff's teachings who came to opening night remarked that the play managed to convey his teachings very accurately.
Leah Mercer Director/Co-Writer "The Knowing of Mary Poppins"
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May 27, 2009
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