Eyre Leads Can-do Creatives for Mary Poppins???

The creative team behind the planned stage adaptation of classic movie musical Mary Poppins is looking ever more impressive (See The Goss, 22 Oct 2002). According to this week's Variety, Richard Eyre will direct, with George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Honk!, Peter Pan adding to the Sherman Brothers' score and Julian Fellowes (who won an Oscar for his Gosford Park screenplay) penning a new book. Eyre, of course, is a former artistic director of the National Theatre, where his musical forays included the multi award-winning revival of Guys and Dolls while more recently his screen and stage credits have included Iris and the Olivier Award-winning play Vincent in Brixton, now on Broadway. Mary Poppins will mark the first collaboration between impresario Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Productions. The production is expected to open in 2004, first in the West End before transferring to Broadway. There's been no confirmation of who will take on the parts made famous - or, some Cockneys may say, infamous - by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in the 1964 film, although a spokesperson told Variety that, contrary to earlier rumours, Kate Winslet is not in the frame for the title role.

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