Alinta Chidzey won a scholarship to attend the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, from where she graduated in 2001. She has since trained at The Howard Fine Academy and 16th Street Actors’ Studio under several tutors including Howard Fine, Larry Moss, Elizabeth Kemp, Anthony Wong and Noni Hazelhurst.

Alinta’s screen credits include Winners & Losers, the U.S. Telemovie The Frontier for Sony, the ABC series The Dr Blake Mysteries and Neighbours for Fremantle.

Alinta has become a fixture on The Production Company stage, playing Magnolia in Show Boat, Kathy Selden in Singin’ In the Rain and Svetlana in Chess. For Chess Alinta was honoured with a Green Room Award for Best Female Artist in a Supporting Role. During both Christmas 2012 and 2013 she was the featured soloist in The Spirit of Christmas at QPAC performing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Prior to this, Alinta played sassy Anita in West Side Story, for which she received nominations for a Helpmann Award, Green Room Award, Sydney Theatre Award, two GLUGS Award nominations and won the Australian Dance Award for Most Outstanding Performance. Earlier stage credits include the Australasian Tour of Mamma Mia!, where she worked in the Ensemble and covered Ali/Lisa, Mickey in Leader of the Pack, for which she was honoured with a Green Room Award for ‘Best Featured Ensemble in a Musical’, understudy to the role of Reno in the premier cast of Dusty: The Original Pop Diva, Demeter in Cats, understudy to the role of Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar, the Holland season of Dirty Dancing, a tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Closer at Chapel off Chapel. Alinta is frequently asked to perform at special events and concerts, both solo and with her band Alinta and the Jazz Emperors.

Shaun trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Australia. He has just been seen in Love Bites at The Hayes Theatre for Wooden Horse Productions.

Shaun has recently returned from 18 months living and working in the UK. Whist in the UK his theatre credits include: Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel in Grease (Ljubljana Festival, Slovenia), Rock in But I’m A Cheerleader (workshop) directed by Jerry Mitchell and Burke in the UK premier of the Australian musical Once We Lived Here directed by Dean Bryant. Before leaving for London his credits include; The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Australia/Asia Pacific Tour), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Parade Theatre, Sydney), Chris in The Lunch Hour (Darlinghurst Theatre), Doris Day - So Much More Than The Girl Next Door (Sydney Opera House), George in She Loves Me (Neglected Musicals), Munkustrup in Cats (Australia/Asia Pacific Tour), Fyedka in Fiddler on the Roof (Australia Tour), Pepper in Mamma Mia! (Original Australian Cast) and Sir Lionel in Camelot (The Production Company).

Workshops include: The Hatpin and The Windows Project. In 2003 Shaun won the Sydney Cabaret Convention. This led to a year living and performing in New York City and ultimately to a Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) Nomination for Best Male Debut.

Shaun is Producer and Artistic Director of Light the Night, an Annual Benefit Concert for Leukaemia research. This year will be LTN’s 10th Annual Event. Shaun was also Co-Director on A Christmas Carol (Tabard Theatre, London).

Colin’s Dad took him to see the Mary Poppins film when he was ‘just a wee lad’. This magical experience sparked Colin’s love of musicals, so he is delighted to be bringing the character of Mr Banks to the Canberra stage. 

After training as a singer, Colin combined theatre pursuits with a diplomatic career for many years. He first sang professionally as a permanent extra in the Opera Chorus at the State Theatre in Pretoria, South Africa. His many roles include Higgins in My Fair Lady and Glossop in the Australian premiere of Jekyll and Hyde, both under Ian McLean’s baton at the Canberra Theatre. Colin most recently appeared as Chater in Canberra Repertory’s production of Arcadia, directed by Aarne Neeme, for which he has received the latest of his three CAT Award nominations.

Colin dedicates his performance to the memory of his parents, both of whom have died in recent months.

Christine is a coloratura soprano with many years of experience in classical and contemporary vocal performance and drama.

Most recently, Christine appeared as ‘Carlotta’ in the Free Rain production of The Phantom of the Opera, winning a Canberra Area Theatre Award for the role. She has also performed as a guest soloist with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Australian Ruby Choir, Woden Youth Valley Choir and the University of Canberra Choir.

In 2008, Christine received a scholarship to undertake a post graduate diploma of vocal performance with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, after studying for a year at the Australian National University School of Music. Christine also holds an AMUSA in vocal studies through the Australian Music Examination Board. In 2007, Christine starred alongside Jon English in the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Birds and Beast concert, and played ‘Cosette’ in the Canberra Philharmonic Society’s production of Les Miserables. In earlier years, she performed as the lead singer of the popular Bathurst-based NSW cover band ‘Nothing too Serious’, sang the Australian national anthem at the 2002 Bathurst 1000 and played leading roles in a number of Riverina community and Shakespearean productions.

Christine is delighted to be back on the Canberra Theatre stage and is very much enjoying ‘Being Mrs Banks’.

Anita started performing at the age of 11, and has been involved on and offstage in many productions in Canberra and New South Wales. She's performed extensively with various musical theatre companies, with notable roles being Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Nancy in Oliver! and Annie in Annie Get Your Gun. Previous roles with Canberra Repertory include Lucy in Secret Bridesmaids Business, Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice and Elvira in Blithe Spirit. When not performing on stage Anita works in other aspects of theatre production including costumes, baking, crew and set construction and design with her husband Steve in the form of SteNita Sets.

Treading the boards of the Canberra Theatre in this fantastic production of Mary Poppins is a dream come true, and she's enjoyed the fun of working with such a wonderful cast and production team!

Born in Sydney, Bronwyn studied music and drama before moving to Canberra.  She established herself as an outstanding song stylist and music theatre leading lady and in 1978 won the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s Entertainer of the Year.  In the same year she made her stage debut as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof.  Since then she has performed many leading roles including Julie in Showboat, Grace Farrell in Annie, Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music, Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street, Golde in Fiddler on the Roof for which she won a Canberra Area Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Mama Morton in Chicago, Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!, Marion Woolnough in The Boy from Oz and last year as Madame Giry in The Phantom of the Opera.  She also appeared as Vanessa in the Australian premiere of Careful He Might Hear You and as Emma in the Australian premiere of Jekyll and Hyde.  A highlight was to perform the title role in the Argentinian opera Maria de Buenos Aires. In 2014 she appeared as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard for which she is nominated for Best Actress in a Musical in the Canberra Area Theatre Awards.

Bronwyn is equally at home in cabaret and has had seasons at The School of Arts Café, The Hyatt Hotel and Teatro Vivaldi both solo and with her daughter Fiona.  She was the vocalist with jazz band Swing in Style and has appeared at many concerts including as a soloist with the Canberra Pops Orchestra, the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon and the Australian Army Bands Melbourne and Sydney. 

A prolific performer on the Canberra Theatre scene, Steve has been an apostle in Jesus Christ Superstar, one of Joseph's brothers in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a bible basher in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He's also danced his way through The Boy from Oz, Jazz Garters and Oklahoma, and played a lovable dupe as Amos in Chicago. His favourite recent role was that of the engaging and caring elephant Horton in Seussical the Musical. In what little free time he has left he's designed and built sets for shows such as Grease, Chicago, Oliver!, Cinderella and High Fidelity with his wife and their design company SteNita Sets.

Some very close ties to Mary Poppins have made this show very special to Steve, and he's enjoyed working with this talented cast and production team.

A graduate of WAAPA (Bachelor of Arts – Dance) and NIDA (The Presenters Studio), Jamie Winbank is an independent dance artist, choreographer and teacher.

Jamie's performance credits include: Meryl Tankard’s VX18504 for (ATYP and Carriageworks/Sydney), Deviator (Enlighten Festival/Canberra), Kate Champion’s My Mutation (Sydney Opera House/Sydney Spring Dance Festival), Macavity in Cats (Free Rain), Lyle in Footloose (Supa Productions) and as Mercedes in La Cage Aux Folles (Supa Productions).

His choreography credits include: couch (Dance On The Edge/Belconnen Arts Centre), The Chance for Peace and sonder (Short + Sweet Dance/Canberra Theatre), Everyday Play (Art, Not Apart/New Acton), A Winner Is Someone Who Wins (For The Win/QL2 Dance) and was the Movement Director for Canberra’s first FASHFEST. Jamie was also Assistant to the Artistic Director for the 2013 Australian Dance Awards; Technical Manager for CSIRO’s DANscienCE Festival and is co-conceiver and co-producer for Strange Attractor. Jamie is a Reebok Sponsored Athlete and an International DVD Presenter and National Trainer and Presenter for Les Mills SH’BAM.

Keren Dalzell graduated from the Australian National University’s School of Music in 2012, where she majored in Performance (Classical Voice). Keren has performed in various operas at the Street Theatre in Canberra. In 2012, she was cast as Cis in Benjamin Brittan’s comedic opera Albert Herring. Keren was cast as Spring in the 2010 world premiere of Geoffrey Lancaster’s historically informed reconstruction of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Keren also played the role of the Female Owl in the world premiere of Joshua McHugh’s Grimm and the Blue Crown Owl in 2009.

In 2014, Keren was accepted to participate in the Tyrolean Opera Program in Austria.  This prestigious program enabled her to perform around Austria and study extensively with accomplished voice teachers, coaches and directors from America and Europe.

Keren is excited to make her debut in Canberra’s musical theatre community, and to be cast in one of her all time favourite musical productions, Mary Poppins!

Janelle is thrilled to be part of Mary Poppins with it’s catchy songs and fun, positive message.

With a passion for musicals she has performed the lead role of Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (for which she was nominated for a CAT Award) as well as lead & supporting roles in many other theatre productions including Les Miserables (Fantine Cover/Ensemble), CATS (2007) (Exotica), Oliver!, Tarantara Tarantara (Rose Hervey) (Canberra Philharmonic), Kiss Me Kate (Lois Lane/Bianca), Eurobeat (Estelle LaCroix) (Phoenix), Titanic – The Musical (Kate Murphy), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Satellite Sister) (Supa), Department of Heaven (Eve/Cleoptatra) (Sevenonesix) and Chicago (Sassy Sinner) (Free Rain). Janelle’s more recent performances include the role of Grizabella in Free Rain’s CATS and as a soloist in both Jazz Garters IV and Showtune (Canberra Repertory).

She has a background in music and acting including live bands, jingles, corporate DVD’s, TV commercials, short films, voiceovers and regularly works as an improv actor for the ANU and the Canberra University.

Janelle is thoroughly enjoying working with such a lovely, talented cast and production team and hopes when you leave the theatre you can’t wait to step in time, dance on rooftops and go fly a kite!

Linda developed an enthusiasm for being on stage at an early age having spent many years performing with the Woden Valley Youth Choir.  Having studied classical singing for many years, she has performed with most of Canberra’s amateur theatre groups including Free Rain and Canberra Philharmonic Society. 

Her most recent productions include Sunset Boulevard, Forbidden Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Cats, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Mikado, Annie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Oliver!, Grease, Les Miserables, Cabaret, Hello, Dolly! and Jesus Christ Superstar.  She’s also had the pleasure of performing as part of the chorus in the Melbourne Opera’s Canberra production of The Merry Widow. This year Linda will be working with her singing teacher Sarah Darnley-Stuart towards completing her AMusA in Singing through the AMEB.

Linda is delighted to be performing Mary Poppins on the Canberra Theatre stage with Free Rain.

Maddison’s true passion in life is performing and bringing characters to life. Maddison’s love of theatre began when Stephen Pike and Coralie Wood, OAM (Pee Wee Productions) cast her in her first musical, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat at age eight and since then has appeared in several local productions with Canberra Philharmonic, Ickle Pickle, Queanbeyan Players, The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, St Clare’s College and Everyman Theatre Company.  Maddison was cast in her first Free Rain production in 2012 playing Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird for which she was nominated for a CAT Award.

Maddison made her professional stage debut in 2012 at the Lyric Theatre playing the role of the orphan Friday, in Gordon Frost's production of Annie the Musical which starred Anthony Warlow and Nancye Hayes.

Maddison also made her feature film debut in 2012 (released 2014) playing Kerri Walters in the independent Australian film, Backyard Ashes, written by Mark Grentell and Peter Cox and produced by Crow Crow Productions.