Unless you had spent the summer sitting on a beach, you couldn’t help but notice that the spectacular Disney and Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins arrives this August. Ahead of its second visit to Southampton, our Head of Sales & Marketing, Robin Hancox, attended the British Sign Language performance of Mary Poppins in Birmingham.
The signed performance featured a talented signer, using British Sign Language (BSL) to bring the production to life for D/deaf audience members in an energetic, expressive, and deeply integrated way.
From the moment the show began, the signer became a vital part of the performance – not an add-on, but a participant in the story’s rhythm and emotion. Positioned on the right-hand side of the stage without distracting hearing audience members, she mirrored every nuance of dialogue, song, and feeling with clarity and charisma.
Numbers like Jolly Holiday and Let’s Go Fly a Kite were particular highlights, as the BSL interpretation amplified the joy, pace, and playfulness of the lyrics in a way that captivated everyone. I couldn’t believe how many times “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was spelled out during the thrilling number – it was such fun to hear the company and then see the signer’s performance alongside them.
In short, the signed performance of Mary Poppins was more than just “practically perfect in every way” – it was a powerful reminder of how inclusive theatre can and should be. It provided an engaging visual complement to the stage action for D/deaf audience members, and an enhanced experience for the whole audience.
The BSL 
performance of Mary Poppins at Mayflower Theatre is on Wednesday 17 September at 7.30pm.
Other accessible performances:
Captioned: 16 September at 7.30pm.
Touch Tour: Wednesday 18 September at 12.30pm.
Audio Described: Wednesday 18 September at 2.00pm (with hearing loops).
Mary Poppins
27 August – 20 September 2025
Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s spectacular production of the classic multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins is flying to Mayflower Theatre from 27 August 2025 for four weeks only.
Acclaimed Australian stars, Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert, having both received critical acclaim and nightly standing ovations for their performances in the recent Australian production.
Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the World’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is even more magical than ever before featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.