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Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen If You Let It
Two veteran writers collaborate on this fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the journey that took the “practically perfect” nanny from the pages of P. L. Travers’s beloved novels to the stage.
Well-known British writer and radio personality Brian Sibley tells Mary Poppins’s story, from her obscure origins in Travers’s Australian childhood and her progress through the series of books Travers began to write in 1934, to her incarnation by Julie Andrews in one of the most successful Disney films of all time, to her long-awaited landing onstage in London’s West End. A long-time friend of Travers and co-writer with her of an unproduced sequel to the film, Sibley offers unique insights into the idiosyncratic author’s complex relationship to her heroine, and the decades-long series of proposals and negotiations that finally resulted in Disney Theatrical Productions joining forces with the Cameron Mackintosh Theatrical Group to realize Travers’s stories as a spectacular work of musical theater. Sibley’s details the entire development process of the show’s script, music, choreography, and design, culminating in a glorious opening night on December 15, 2004 in London’s Prince Edward’s Theatre, as Mary Poppins is met by cheering sold-out houses and critical raves. In the book’s second half, Michael Lassell gives a fascinating backstage account of the show’s transfer to Broadway, including the show’s American casting and important changes to its book, lyrics, and designs, as the creative team strives to “plus” Poppins to perfection.
Well-known British writer and radio personality Brian Sibley tells Mary Poppins’s story, from her obscure origins in Travers’s Australian childhood and her progress through the series of books Travers began to write in 1934, to her incarnation by Julie Andrews in one of the most successful Disney films of all time, to her long-awaited landing onstage in London’s West End. A long-time friend of Travers and co-writer with her of an unproduced sequel to the film, Sibley offers unique insights into the idiosyncratic author’s complex relationship to her heroine, and the decades-long series of proposals and negotiations that finally resulted in Disney Theatrical Productions joining forces with the Cameron Mackintosh Theatrical Group to realize Travers’s stories as a spectacular work of musical theater. Sibley’s details the entire development process of the show’s script, music, choreography, and design, culminating in a glorious opening night on December 15, 2004 in London’s Prince Edward’s Theatre, as Mary Poppins is met by cheering sold-out houses and critical raves. In the book’s second half, Michael Lassell gives a fascinating backstage account of the show’s transfer to Broadway, including the show’s American casting and important changes to its book, lyrics, and designs, as the creative team strives to “plus” Poppins to perfection.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 4, 2007
About the author
Brian Sibley
120 books101 followersBrian Sibley is an English writer, broadcaster, and award-winning dramatist.
The author of over 100 hours of radio drama and hundreds of documentaries and features for the BBC, he is best known for his acclaimed 1981 radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, co-written with Michael Bakewell, as well as dramatizations of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, and Richard Adams’s Watership Down.
Sibley has also written numerous original plays for radio, presented popular BBC programmes including Kaleidoscope and Talking Pictures, and produced documentaries on figures ranging from Lewis Carroll and Ray Bradbury to Julie Andrews and Walt Disney.
His contributions to broadcasting have earned him accolades such as the Sony Radio Award and the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Adaptation.
In print, Sibley is the author of many acclaimed film “making of” books, including Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey, as well as companion volumes for The Hobbit films, The Golden Compass, and Disney classics. His literary works range from Shadowlands to children’s books like The Frightful Food Feud and Osric the Extraordinary Owl, with stories appearing in official Winnie-the-Pooh collections.
A noted Disney historian, Sibley has contributed essays to The Walt Disney Film Archives and recorded DVD commentaries for classic films. He is the editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor, winner of the Tolkien Society’s Best Book award in 2023.
Sibley has served as President and Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is an honorary member of The Magic Circle, the Tolkien Society, and The Children’s Books History Society.
The author of over 100 hours of radio drama and hundreds of documentaries and features for the BBC, he is best known for his acclaimed 1981 radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, co-written with Michael Bakewell, as well as dramatizations of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, and Richard Adams’s Watership Down.
Sibley has also written numerous original plays for radio, presented popular BBC programmes including Kaleidoscope and Talking Pictures, and produced documentaries on figures ranging from Lewis Carroll and Ray Bradbury to Julie Andrews and Walt Disney.
His contributions to broadcasting have earned him accolades such as the Sony Radio Award and the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Adaptation.
In print, Sibley is the author of many acclaimed film “making of” books, including Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey, as well as companion volumes for The Hobbit films, The Golden Compass, and Disney classics. His literary works range from Shadowlands to children’s books like The Frightful Food Feud and Osric the Extraordinary Owl, with stories appearing in official Winnie-the-Pooh collections.
A noted Disney historian, Sibley has contributed essays to The Walt Disney Film Archives and recorded DVD commentaries for classic films. He is the editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor, winner of the Tolkien Society’s Best Book award in 2023.
Sibley has served as President and Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is an honorary member of The Magic Circle, the Tolkien Society, and The Children’s Books History Society.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 20, 2026
Love all the info, this book felt a little bit rushed compared to some of the other Disney theater books. I would’ve appreciated a little bit more detail bejng put into this book
February 10, 2014
This book was a Christmas gift from my husband. It is gorgeous to look at with wonderful art & pictures. I really enjoyed reading about the journey that Mary Poppins made from book, to film & finally to the stage. I love it in all forms & have bern enchanted by it from first viewing of the film, to multiple readings of the books over the years & to being lucky enough to have seen it on stage twice now.
June 18, 2020
The book was originally meant to include more information about the original, London production of the show. But, alas, it was published just two months before the show closed, so it mainly focuses on the Broadway production. Still, it is a great book full of lovely illustrations (especially Bob Crowley's designs). A must-have for all Poppins fans out there.
February 3, 2018
Review to follow.
October 28, 2020
Loved it!! I cried several times... There's so.many beautiful quotes!
March 18, 2014
Very enjoyable. Covers the books, film and stage play.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews