Mary Poppins (character) of the stage musical, the Mary Poppins character is more deliberately mysterious than in the movie version. She is slightly stricter with the children (who are also naughtier than their book and movie counterparts) but only because she wants them to become the best they can be. Mary in the stage version is also more aware of Bert's feelings towards her. Mary Poppins first appeared in the short story "Mary Poppins and the Match Man" in 1926, and in several early bits and pieces of the first novel. P.L. Travers later changed the story of the character's origins, stating that
Mary Poppins is the youngest and is born midway through the second book. Though the ages of the children are never made explicit, Jane is estimated to be around seven years old in "Mary Poppins", and John and Barbara have their first birthday in the same book and appear to be around two years old when Annabel is born. Only Jane and Michael appear in the film and stage musical. In the film they are portrayed by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber; in the 2018 sequel, they are portrayed by Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw. George Banks is Mary Poppins's employer. He