“I’ll stay until the chain breaks…”(Poppins M)
Well, for
us in London and for theatre avante gardes, officionados and
appreciators across the lands and oceons of our globe, the date for chains breaking
has been set at Sunday 08th January, in the year of our Lord, under
the new reign of King Charles III, two
thousand and twenty three. The day my heart will break. Irreconcilably.
Whilst the
villains and their henchmen of our globe rob, plunder and invade - cause famines and wars of human sacrifice resulting
in huge swathes of death and destruction, and here in blighty we attend to three
new Prime Ministers in one year, a finaincial statement that sent the banks and global investment houses hurtling towards the exit gate and see
house prices plumet, whilst the cost of a pint of milk and a cheese roll soar. One show has remained stead-fast in it’s unadulterated
loud and proud jollity - and luckily was able to keep this show open through almost all of the tentative days of post-lock-down: MARY POPPINS has been back in London town and
playing to packed out stalls for well over a year now; with at least two extensions
to the run (am personally hoping to see a third and lasting extension for all
eternity) – and an unashamedly bright and breezy disposition. Since October
2021 – fresh off the bounce from ANYTHING GOES over at the Barbican and
in search of a new feel-good theatre experience - who wouldn’t given the past two years of
global health pandemic over-kill - I found
myself wandering along to the Prince Edwards theatre one Saturday matinee, and
never wanted to leave. Am always at my most soulfully in-line
when in a house of stories and storytellers. Home from home. So far been on a walk through the
pearly gates of personal heaven to sit amongst the angels, the storytellers,
the artists and artistes, the dancers and the singers, the all-in-ones, the
inspirers, the entertainers, the dedicated lovers of entertainment for all of
us for all of you, twenty three times. Hoping for many more and have already
booked a seat in the gods for that fateful Sunday, the 08th January.
There will be, as there has been already, many tears and many a broken heart to
have to say a final and fond farewell to this all-inspiring ensemble cast,
crew, orchestra front and back of house heros! Every day come rain or shine
they turn-up, for you, for us. All they ever want to do is to give us the audience
the very best theatre experience of MARY POPPINS. It’s what all those
unsociable hours of study, line learning, dance routine movements memorizing and
playing with a cold, when it’s a partners birthday or a childs first parents
evening, all to be missed and all because the dedication of such awe-inspiring
tellers of stories is to give us, you, me, the audience, to sing us a song,
tell us a story and make us feel good, the very best experience. The show will
go on!
Not only
does the absolute seamless synchronisity of movement astonish and amaze, but
the freshness of each and every performance is like it is their opening night. Every
day! Packed-full of classic theatre noir nods to and moments in time of the Yessss
of a stage – sounds from a stage – thankfully not now in darkness after
lockdown ended – MARY POPPINS is line after line of positive
encouragement. “Anything can happen if you let it. If you need to move a mountain
use a larger spade. If only we could get out of our own way . . “
With this in-mind 2022 started off on a wonderfully up-beat tempo for me. I was, at thirty eight years of life, re-born and refocused onto YOLO and to putting my personal love of stories full-stop, of all colors and shapes, into front and centre of life; rather than a secondary passion. So, by February I - middle aged balding man trying to reclaim some of his lost life in London from the early naughties when I too had danced the clubs of London town - was two musical theatre jazz dance classes in with the insanely taut, skilled and dedicated, warm and generous Christopher Tendai @chris_tendai at Pineapple dance studios –- and had luckily secured an interview to join a drama school as a Creative Producer student - later on in life, but better late than not at all – I’m really giving life some wellie and it’s ALL, ALL, ALL, thanks to MARY POPPINS musical. Life is good.
Well, by March 2022 I’d been injured in an accident whilst commuting to work, sufficiently enough to temporarily halt attending dance classes, and had a WiFi outage at the most crucial interview process of life to-date; mid-way through my presentation on a proposed staging of an Aesop’s fable; the Fox and the Hare - to the drama school. And could not, for the life of me, get, back, in”! Of course it would . . .I was doomed. My world ended, yet MARY POPPINS remains playing and joyfully so.
I sit in the Gods, a lone man in a family production - which hasn’t escaped my notice – but all I see before me is the lost years of family life and simultaneously the thing in life I most want to do and am trying so hard to find a way to get involved with doing!.... as the tears fall. Am studying with a keen eye and ear every nuance, every movement and every characterisation playfully played as though observing a masterclass on physical theatre musical theatre storytelling - from up in the Gods ( have tried to attend tutoring classes at what was, once, known as the Actors Center - and have actually rehearsed their on one occasion - but until Spotlight credits were accrued i could not attend the majority of classes) . .
Chatting with a front of house member at the theatre one Sunday afternoon who is absolutely gratefully supportive and reminds me not to give up. Am currently reapplying to the same drama school and very much hoping – I’ll be forty in just over a year, can see the future playing out in front of my eyes as I sit, in the gods, so, I haven’t got all day I must do it now! Whilst also hunting for a dance class to attend given the early shift work of wake-ups at 02:30 -04:00am each morning - thus cancelling out interacting with nightlife London much and definitely halting re-joining an amateur dramatics rep company; as have done previously during life’s chapters. Am trying to find a way, as have been doing for some years now in London to just get involved and play, learn, hone and build - to entertain , to tell, as all we just strive to do; a story and offer an audience the very best experience!
The mind recalls the press release for a different show having to put -up its notices during those heady days of will they or won't they - call another lockdown - which read roughly:
It is with deep regret that ###@@@ has to cancel all further shows. We are are aware that the costs involved are big as audiences pay for their travel and accomodation, theatre dinner and ticket and therefore to protect the integrity of the show and to deliver you the very best possible experience we have regrettably had to cancel forthcoming shows at this time.
The heart breaks doesn't it...and where was the suport from government? - that's right, we were forgotten.
Luckily, the show WILL GO ON! the lights WILL GO UP! And for theatre (story) lovers, officionados and avante guards, appreciators and practicioners alike, we now live in BRIGHT TIMES.
Robertson Ay hastily re-stitches Berts tunic whilst Mary and Mrs Brill gently test that the flower pots do, actually, bloom on-cue..
MARY to the stage - calls the SM
Quiet on stage - calls the SM
AUTO-SPEAK over soundsystem begins
Orchestra plays
Curtains Raise
THE SHOW GOES ON! And MARY POPPINS is an absolute Gods send to life!
