the interests of all marginalised workers, including the community of lamplighters. That community is led in the film by Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who is a friend of Mary Poppins – mirroring the friendship between Mary and chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke) in the original film.  

When Mary Poppins takes the children on an animated adventure into the picture on the side of a Royal Doulton bowl, and Georgie is kidnapped by an evil wolf, it is Annabel that launches the attempt to rescue him at great personal risk. This then inspires her brother, John, to step up too, and they ultimately work together as a team to free their youngest sibling from criminal clutches. By contrast, the young Jane of the original film is stereotypically inactive.

The one absolute constant is Mary Poppins herself, bec...

Please subscribe to keep reading.