After winning a Sydney Theatre Award for ‘Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical’ for her performance in the Australian of Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s production of Mary Poppins, Stefanie Jones is now established as one of Australia’s leading ladies. Currently starring in the UK tour of the production, Jones shares the secrets of her daily transformation into musical theatre’s magical nanny, ahead of the shows three week run at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre.
Can you describe your usual routine for a day on the tour and becoming Mary Poppins?
My usual routine for a show day on Mary Poppins is quite relaxed as it’s good to conserve energy before a show. I let myself sleep in as long as I need, and then continue to rest and prep my voice with lots of water and maybe a steam, especially in the winter months with the cold being so drying. I’ll eat a meal before heading into the theatre two hours before the show and do my makeup first and change into my warmup gear. We do a vocal and physical warm up on stage 90 minutes before the show and then if we need, we’ll run a few moments with the resident creative team for notes or if there’s a cast change. Then, I’ll be back in my dressing room at the hour call – this is when I’ll continue to warm up my voice while getting into my wig and costume. It’s really nice to have this routine to stick to and to not feel rushed before a show.
Do you have any pre-show rituals that you do to get ready and then into character?
In terms of pre-show rituals, I certainly have some exercises I’ll always incorporate into my warm up that can’t be beat for getting my voice warm, my diction sharp and my RP accent at the ready. It’s really important for me to feel vocally prepared not only for singing but for speaking, too, as Mary Poppins certainly isn’t the type to stumble over her words. I also do a few prop checks before my first entrance once I’m down on deck to ensure my first scene runs smoothly – it’s definitely rewarding to start the show strong!
At what point in the make-up/costume process do you stop seeing Stefanie and become Mary?
Feeling like Mary usually comes in waves and in different stages. The first step in the transformation is getting my wig on – something about the style and shape of it changes my face and I suddenly look less like myself when it’s on. And then of course the costume is so perfectly tailored and structured to show Mary’s iconic silhouette that seeing myself in the mirror once dressed is always very Mary, especially because the costumes in this show are so far removed from what we wear in our day to day lives. The final stage is stepping on stage as Mary – speaking and moving as Mary, with characters referring to me as Mary. It’s a wonderfully transformative three hours.
How do you feel making your first onstage entrance?
Mary’s first entrance in the show is quite magical and often takes the audience by surprise, so that very first moment is truly so enjoyable for me and feels so special to create. It always gives me a buzz and a rush of adrenaline hearing the crowd’s response which is a wonderful way to start the show.
How would you describe Mary in three words?
Mary in three words – nuanced, knowing and magical.
Mary Poppins runs at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 22 January-15 March. Tickets here.
Full tour details and tickets here.
