Topsy is a minor protagonist in the film Mary Poppins Returns and the cousin of Mary Poppins, who seeks her out to fix a broken bowl that's a Banks family heirloom, but makes the mistake of visiting her shop on the second Wednesday of the month, when gravity-challenged her life flips upside down.
Role in the film
When a fight over their late mother Kate's Royal Doulton Bowl accidentally causes it to crack, Mary takes the Banks children, John, Annabel, and Georgie, into town to have it repaired by "her cousin". With Jack along for the trip, they wind up on a street that looks like an offshoot of Diagon Alley. At the end, they find a tiny little door and a long name starting with "Topsy". This is how Mary addresses her too, "Cousin Topsy," a woman who can fix anything.
Topsy's song and (upside down) dance number is called "Turning Turtle", comparing herself to a turtle who has been flipped onto its back and is unable to function until someone comes along and rescues it. This being the world of Mary, she is having none of it. Her advice to Topsy is if life insists on turning everything upside down, she should stand on her head and be upside down with it. The change of perspective should solve everything.
Unsurprisingly, Mary is correct in her assessment as the group stands around on their heads discussing how much better the world looks from this angle. With Topsy's life righted for the moment she agrees to fix the bowl, to the great relief of John, Annabel, and Georgie. Also apparently, her house approves too because as the group leaves it turns itself back over, allowing her to work until the next second Wednesday rolls around.
Trivia
- Meryl Streep, who played Topsy, also portrayed the Witch in the film Into the Woods. She is also known for having the most Academy Award nominations.
- As Topsy is stated to be Mary's cousin, it's unclear if she is the daughter of Uncle Albert (another relative of Mary seen in the first film) or if she is the daughter of another unseen relative.
- She speaks with Eastern European/Slavic accent.
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