Emotion and stagecraft of 'practically perfect' musical

HERE'S tap dancing on the ceiling, kitchen furniture which repairs itself and, of course, the iconic pulling of a six-foot hat stand out of a handbag - but the real magic in the stage version of Mary Poppins, which has landed at Theatre Royal Plymouth, is in revealing the hidden depths to a story which we all thought we knew completely.

- ANDY PHILLIPS

The Cameron Mackintosh-produced stage show has been wowing theatre audiences for 20 years, debuting on the West End in 2004.

Its longevity is a telling sign of the quality of the production, as it has continued to draw in audiences not just in the UK but in runs on Broadway and in tours elsewhere.

Yet it is not just the toe-tapping musical numbers, world-class dancing or superb stagecraft which has continued to see it draw in audiences - although all of those would be worth the ticket price on their own.

It is also the fact that this is far from a cut-and-paste version of the Disney movie, as it uncovers far more of the heart of the novel which was penned by PL Travers back in 1934.

Her literary original focused far more on the emotional trauma of George Banks, the paternal figurehead and seemingly successful leader of Number 17, Cherry Tree Lane.