Guide to seeing Mary Poppins in Melbourne

What you need to know about Mary Poppins

What is Mary Poppins about?

Mary Poppins revolves around a magical English nanny, Mary Poppins, who takes charge of Jane and Michael Banks of Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane, London, after she is blown in by the wind. The stern but kind Mary Poppins leads the two young children in a series of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious adventures that teach them valuable life lessons.

Mary Poppins was originally a series of eight children’s books written by Pamela Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard; the first book was published in 1934. Disney released a 1964 musical film directed by Robert Stevenson, with songs written and composed by the Sherman Brothers. Julie Andrews famously starred as Mary Poppins in the film, which released to great commercial success and critical acclaim. Cameron Mackintosh and Disney later produced the musical version of Mary Poppins, which opened in West End in 2004 and Broadway in 2006.

Is Mary Poppins suitable for children?

Yes. Mary Poppins was originally written for children and the modern theatrical production is still a delight for kids of all ages.

Please note that prams, pushers and strollers are not suitable to bring into Her Majesty’s Theatre.

How long is Mary Poppins?

Mary Poppins has a runtime of 2 hours and 50 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. That’s shorter than Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and a bit longer than Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat or The Phantom of the Opera.

When is Mary Poppins playing in Melbourne?

Mary Poppins will run from 29 January 2023. The end date is yet to be confirmed.

Where is Mary Poppins showing in Melbourne?

Melbourne’s Mary Poppins production is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre on Exhibition Street, in the heart of Melbourne’s famed theatre district.

Her Majesty’s Theatre was once the largest theatre in the Southern Hemisphere, opening in 1886 as the Alexandra, after the then-Princess of Wales. It was renamed Her Majesty’s Theatre, after Queen Victoria, by a new owner and re-opened in 1900. This beautiful venue has shown everything from melodramas to musicals to operas and remains one of Melbourne’s most beloved theatres.

Who is performing in Melbourne's Mary Poppins?

The Melbourne cast of Mary Poppins includes:

• Mary Poppins (the eponymous nanny) – Stefanie Jones
  
• Bert (Mary Poppins’ jack-of-all-trades friend) – Jack Chambers
  
• George Banks (the Banks children’s father) – Tom Wren
  
• Winifred Banks (the Banks children’s mother) – Lucy Maunder
  
• Jane Banks (the eldest Banks child) – TBA, to be shared by four young actresses
  
• Michael Banks (Jane’s younger brother) – TBA, to be shared by four young actors
  
• Miss Andrew/Bird Woman (George's old, mean nanny/a beggar woman who sells crumbs to feed birds) – Marina Prior
  
• Mrs Brill (the Banks's maid) – Hannah Waterman
  
• Robertson Ay (the Banks’s houseboy) – Gareth Isaac
  
• Bank Chairman/Admiral Boom (George’s boss/retired sea captain) – Robert Grubb
  
• Mrs Corry (a magical shop owner) – Cherine Peck
  
• Miss Lark (the Banks’s elderly next-door neighbour) – Lisa Sontag
  
• Neleus – Kade Hughes
  
• Park Keeper (the watchman of the Cherry Tree Lane park) – Stephen Anderson
  
• Policeman (a London cop) – Andrew Broadbent.
  

Other actors include Hayden Baum, Cara Bessey, Katrina Bickerton, Molly Bugeja, Emily Casey, Ed Deganos, Joshua Gordon, Kimberley Hodgson, Gareth Jacobs, Hollie James, Sebastian Johnston, Genevieve Kingsford, Zoe Komazec, Sasha Lian-Diniz, Noah Missell, Ellie Nunan, Max Patterson, Jamie Reisin, Taylor Scanlan, Jacob Steen, Patrick Whitbread, and Paul Whiteley.

How do I buy tickets to Mary Poppins?

You can purchase tickets to Melbourne’s Mary Poppins online via Ticketek or Her Majesty’s Theatre. You can visit the Box Office at Ticketek (225 Exhibition Street) to pick up any physical tickets: the outlets open two hours before each performance.

Is there a dress code to see Mary Poppins?

Her Majesty’s Theatre does not have an official dress code, but guests are asked to avoid thongs and instead wear proper footwear. Most theatregoers wear smart casual clothes, although some prefer to dress up more formally for the theatre. You also must not bring a bag larger than A4 size into the venue.

How do I get to Her Majesty's Theatre?

Her Majesty’s Theatre is located at 219 Exhibition Street in the Melbourne CBD. Trams, busses and trains all travel close to the theatre. Use the free journey planner app arevo to find the most efficient public transport route to Her Majesty's Theatre.

Where can I park at Her Majesty's Theatre?

There are several secure parking garages near Her Majesty’s Theatre, including Secure Parking at 59 Lonsdale Street or Paramount Carpark at 181 Exhibition Street. If you enter the promo code HMT2022 when pre-paying for a park at Secure Parking (59 Lonsdale Street), you can access flat-rate parking on weekdays after 4pm or all day weekends.

What restaurants are near Her Majesty's Theatre?

Her Majesty’s Theatre sits on the corner of Melbourne’s Chinatown on Little Bourke Street, where you can find a wide range of Asian restaurants. Try Secret Kitchen for yum cha and fresh seafood, or Dahu Peking Duck for northern Chinese cuisine.

If you’re after something else, Bodega Underground offers authentic Mexican fare, complete with a pre-theatre dining offer and an ‘agave bible’ full of mezcal, tequila, and other agave spirits like sotol, raicilla and tutsi.

Nearby, Daughter in Law is a proudly ‘unauthentic’ Australian-Indian restaurant. Daughter in Law will dazzle you with its pink neon, bouncy tunes, and old Indian films projected onto the back wall. Try the delicious Indian Fried Chicken (served with pickles and tempered mustard mayonnaise) and Jeera Aloo (triple-cooked crispy garlic potatoes) along with a flavour-packed mocktail like the eponymous Daughter in Law (gin, caramelised pineapple, cardamom and lime – yum).

Check out this guide for more pre- and post-theatre dining options around Melbourne.

What bars are near Her Majesty's Theatre?

If you’re after a magical tipple after Mary Poppins, head up Lonsdale Street to Storyville, where you’ll be treated to fantasy décor and a range of cocktails themed to popular storybooks.

Boilermaker House is a relaxed but romantic bar nearby, where you can explore beer and whisky parings, craft beers from the micro-brewery, hearty bar bites, and deliciously offbeat cocktails like the lychee-based Dragon Eye Swizzle.

Or pop into 1806 on Exhibition Street, just up from Her Majesty’s Theatre, for a velvet-packed speakeasy cocktail bar named after the year when ‘cocktail’ was first defined in print. Head downstairs for a second, hidden bar that offers lesser-known spirits from around the world. 

For more options for a pre- and post-theatre cocktail in Melbourne, check out this guide.