Saturday 7th January 2017, back at the Millenium Centre in Cardiff Bay, for two more performances of the brilliant Mary Poppins stage musical. Today is probably the best I could hope for. Outside its 10 Celsius, no wind, high cloud with a touch of blue sky creeping though from time to time, really mild for this time of year, and just fantastic for a stroll around the Bay before the show. For me, couldn’t ask for much more than that. Perfect.

For today’s matinee we have Lottie Sicilia playing Jane Banks with Regan Garcia as Michael Banks. The evening performance has Violet Tucker as Jane Banks and Finley Miller as Michael Banks. Again I’m so impressed with how good these child actors actually are, such a relief to know the future of great theatre is in safe hands.

I must say also that I’ve been very impressed with the standard of the whole production, with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh really putting together a first class team of lead actors, the talented children playing Jane and Michael, with an amazing supporting cast. A fabulous orchestra supplying the score day by day. And not forgetting all the backstage staff, who keep the show moving along. All of these talented people need a mention, to remind the watching thousands just how brilliant the whole team are on this musical extravaganza.

I would like to applaud the merchandising team as well, as usual, with Disney, the volume of products is phenomenal. With the help of the Centre staff there’s plenty of choice objects to buy, as a present or just a reminder of the show, although a lot of the produce is functional in everyday use, and well worth a look at, at least.

I would also like to mention the role of the Centre in this production. The auditorium is huge, with a massive stage to go with it, easily encompassing the whole set and contributing pieces that slide in and out, during the performance. The end scene of the show is really breathtaking, as the sheer height from floor to ceiling makes for an unforgettable moment of theatre magic, and also pretty daunting for anyone ascending to that great height. Being the best theatre complex in the universe also helps in achieving great results, (although I may be a little bit biased on that matter). I would also like thank a few of the Centre facilitators for some constructive thoughts on the content for today’s blog.

A word on today’s performances, again each one was just so good, although we had an unexpected ending to the matinee, it didn’t detract from the overall standard of the show. The evening was equally impressive with a nice ending. Such a fabulous show, even after 15 performances, I don’t think I could ever get bored of this musical.