‘This is why we’re performers’
‘‘It’s not every day Mary Poppins pops in to visit,’’ a delighted nana said when the famous nanny dropped in at New Plymouth’s hospital.
Mary Poppins, aka Bryony Williams, came to brighten the day for residents of the Taranaki Base Hospital children’s ward yesterday, drawing smiles wherever she went.
Her visit went down in the most delightful way as she posed for photos, gave out treats and said ‘‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’’ backwards.
Hannah Watkins, 10, said her favourite part of the Mary Poppins show was ‘‘the part where she flies and when she sings supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’’.
Hannah had been allowed out of hospital for a couple of hours to see the show at TSB Showplace. Mum Vanessa said she had seen Mary Poppins walk across the car park on her way to visit the ward where Hannah is being treated.
‘‘But I thought I’d better not say anything because I didn’t want to get her hopes up.’’
Delma Pike, who was visiting grandson Xavier, said the nanny’s visit was ‘‘really cute’’.
‘‘It’s not every day Poppins pops in to visit.’’
Xavier’s favourite part of the show was seeing Mary Poppins flying with her umbrella. Four-yearold Kera Olliver had just had her tonsils removed, but was happy to see Mary Poppins and get a poster. ‘‘That’s you,’’ she said to Mary, pointing to the picture.
Williams was a massive hit with the children and said representing Mary Poppins was ‘‘so rewarding’’.
‘‘This is why we’re performers. This is why we do it,’’ she said. ‘‘It gives so much joy to these kids.’’
She said that was also why she enjoyed performing – seeing the looks on the faces and the joy it brought people.
‘‘It’s an show...amazing people.’’
She said she enjoyed doing something like this, where she could be Mary Poppins but be herself as well. She tends to morph into Mary Poppins when she puts the costume on, she said.
‘‘You find you start to walk like her and talk like her. Mary amazing