Mary Poppins on stage as you’ve never seen her before. Portrayed by Jessica Barton, Mary Floppins encapsulates all things fun, cheeky and a little bit weird. Straight off the back of a sold-out run in Edinburgh Fringe, Barton brings comedy, physical theatre and audience participation with Dirty Work to Dice Theatre
She might dress traditionally with the floral hat, umbrella and carpet bag, but Mary Floppins is far from practically perfect in everyway. The show is almost entirely non-verbal with only a few muttered words projected images in English, so the performance is really accessible and can accomodate all audiences. The packed crown in Dice Theatre was totally enraptured from the start, roaring with laughter, doing silly dances and singing along to Disney classics. Barton is a master of physicality and outlandish facial expressions, further bringing the character to life. The famous carpet bag did not contain a plant pot, hat stand or tape measure, but instead various cleaning supplies and a strategically placed teabag.
The show was a resounding success and concluded to uproarious applause. The audience had nothing but high praise for Barton and I would highly recommend anyone to go and see the show. Non-verbal and heavy on props and music, Dirty Work is a universal experience and guaranteed to send you home with a six-pack from laughing. If you’re not a fan of audience participation, get a seat at the back!
Written by Ceri Taylor
Photography by Ikumi Maekawa
