“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” A big fan of the film Mary Poppins(1964) may remember this line and feel nostalgia for the family movie that warmed many hearts. Mary Poppins is one of the most famous musical fantasy films based on the novel of the same title. The story of the film revolves around some eccentric experiences of a very special nanny named Mary Poppins and two children, Jane Banks and Michael Banks. Originally a typical family film, Mary Poppins*has since been dramatized as a thriller musical in 2012, Black Mary Poppins.

After Black Mary Poppins was nominated as the best original Korean musical in 2012, it was then performed in Japan for the first time in 2014. In 2018, it was also performed in China and has held a grip on the Chinese audience. The reservation rate for the performance at the Great Theatre of China averaged 90 percent over 10 days. After its triumphant performance abroad, a large audience was looking forward to the homecoming of Black Mary Poppins.

Black Mary Poppins is set after a fire at the mansion of Dr. Grachen, who is found dead. Mary Schmitz, the secret research assistant of Dr. Grachen and the nanny of his four adopted siblings, rescues four of those siblings — Hans, Hermann, Jonas, and Anna. Mary Schmitz disappears the day after the fire, but the four siblings cannot recall what happened that night. After that mysterious night, the four siblings pursue separate lives, readapting themselves to different families. However, after 12 years, Detective Balter delivers a secret research note from Dr. Grachen to Hans, which is the starting point of the narrative.

The Projection of Emotions

Unlike other mystery performances, Black Mary Poppins does not only focus on the criminal's identity. Instead, this performance places importance on the emotions of each character. Because Dr. Grachen's mansion is where the story starts and the entire memory of the night is hidden, the mansion itself is at the heart of the production. At the same time, it symbolizes both redemption and nightmares for the siblings. Thus, the conflicting emotions of each character about their home attract the audience’s attention, in addition to the details of that mysterious night.

The main narrator in the story changes with each season. Until the third season, Hans is the main narrator. In the fourth season, Hermann becomes the main narrator, followed by Jonas in the fifth. The music composition also varies for each season. Switching the main narrator shines a light on each character's emotions through expressive dialogues and lyrics, which intensifies the audience’s reaction to the characters. This unique dramatic composition makes the audience anxious to see the different versions of the main narrators.

Shadows: a Projection of Oneself

The musical starts with the stage covered with a curtain and all the venue lights turned off. The actors start to move behind the curtain like a shadow play. Soon after, dim lighting creates shadows, projecting the movement of each character. The shadows create a gloomy and foreboding atmosphere that continues throughout the performance.

The constant shift between the past and present in the performance is presented using a spinning stage. On this stage, there are only four chairs and a desk, which eliminates any distractions, drawing the focus closely to the psychological changes to the characters. As the stage spins, the time and spatial background changes. According to OSEN, the stage director of Black Mary Poppins Seo Yoon Mi applied cinematic techniques on stage — quick scene changes and overlaps — to render different timelines on the same stage. Consequently, due to these cinematic techniques, the changeover between the timelines and the background does not confuse the audience. Rather, the stage design intensifies the understanding of the story.

Home — The Immortal

For the four siblings, the mansion vanished in a moment because of the fire, but it never disappeared from their hearts. In other words, the four siblings kept their physical distance from the mansion but maintained some emotional distance. Their close connection to the mansion is revealed through their trauma. The actors’ expression of their traumatic reactions towards their home makes the audience feel as if they are in the mansion with the characters.

For instance, in the fifth season, the emotions of Hans towards the mansion stands out. At first sight, Hans is cold-hearted and simply immersed in solving the crime, suspecting their beloved nanny, Mary. However, Hans wants to escape from his childhood traumatic experiences in the mansion more than anyone. Although the main narrator of the fifth season is Jonas, the overall structure of the play appears to focus on Hans. Even though the main narrator Jonas endeavored nominally leads the play and convey his thoughts to the audience, Hans appears more attractive.

For each character, even though they cannot fully remember anything about their home, it remains carved into their hearts, leaving the vestige of trauma. This creates suspense as the audience waits for something to happen to break the dramatic tension. In other words, despite their physical distance from the mansion, their hearts never left, which suggests that it is their genuine home. Likewise, the musical Black Mary Poppins creates a connection between home and the hearts of each character in a unique way. By following the emotional changes throughout the story, the audience can sympathize with the characters and feel all of their joy and sorrow.

Performance Information

Venue: Daehakro TOM theater, Hall 1

Date: From October 27 to December 31

Running Time: 100 minutes

Ticket Price: R Seat: 44,000 won / S Seat: 66,000 won