Lisa O'Hare
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London’s third Mary Poppins will be Lisa O’Hare. She will succeed Scarlett Strallen from 6 November in the original West End production at the Prince Edward Theatre.
O’Hare was in the original company of Mary Poppins, covering the title role for original star Laura Michelle Kelly. She recently shared the role (with Amy Nuttall) of Eliza Doolittle in the national touring production of Trevor Nunn’s National Theatre production of My Fair Lady. Trained at the Royal Ballet School and Millennium Dance, her other roles include playing Sailor Girl in Nunn’s production of Anything Goes at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, (she also understudied and performed the role of Hope in that production) and appearing in the ensemble of Nunn’s workshop production of Victoria Wood’s Acorn Antqiues. She also played the role of Copa Girl in the Scandinavian premiere of Copacabana and was a featured dancer and vocalist in Showtime at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Her dance credits include the role of The Unicorn in Alice and the Others (at Sadler’s Wells); Acrid Avid Music and The Hunt of the Shark at the Royal College of Music and Defile at the Royal Opera House.
Strallen, who has played the title role since 31 October, 2005, is leaving to begin rehearsals for the RSC’s production of Merry Wives – the Musical, which director Gregory Doran is staging as part of the RSC Complete Works season at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It plays there from 2 December to 13 February. Strallen will play Anne Page. The cast also includes Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly, Desmond Barrit as Falstaff, Haydn Gwynne as Mistress Page, and Alistair McGowan as Frank Ford.
In addition to O'Hare, Mary Poppins will have more new cast members on 6 November. Rebecca Thornhill taking over the role of Winifred Banks, Zee Asha as Mrs. Brill, Romy Baskerville becoming Birdwoman and Howard Jones playing Robertson Ay. Thornhill was nominated for a 2001 Olivier Award for Singin’ in the Rain and also starred in the West End productions of Chicago, The Witches of Eastwick, Les Misérables and Beauty and the Beast. Asha stared as Mama Morton in the West End production of Chicago and has been seen in the U.K. national tours of Blood Brothers and Beauty and the Beast. Baskerville has worked extensively in theatre throughout the country and was in Naked at the Almedia Theatre and The Tempest and Bingo at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Jones, who is currently playing Northbrook and understudying Bert in Mary Poppins, made his West End debut in Chicago and has subsequently appeared in Germany in Tranz der Vampire.
Continuing in their principal roles are Gavin Creel as Bert, Aden Gillet as George Banks, Louise Gold as Miss Andrew and Ray C. Davis as Park Keeper.
Mary Poppins is also currently previewing at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, where the title role is being played by Ashley Brown.