Mamma Mia! The Musical

In the nearly twenty years since its inception, Mamma Mia! has become far, far more than just one of the many immortal smash hits launched into the unsuspecting world of the 1970s by Swedish popmeisters (and Eurovision Song Contest winners) ABBA. It is a ‘jukebox musical’ whose success with the public has reached phenomenal proportions, going on to spawn not just a blockbuster onstage run, plus a movie adaptation (which set its own U.K. box office record as the most successful British cinema release in history), but also a recently released original screen sequel.

This reviewer appreciates the music of Benny & Björn (& Stig) enough to make room for about twenty of their songs on his iPod of 11,000-plus tracks, and finds Mamma Mia! enjoyable enough as a story/concept/spectacle for the movie version to enjoy pride of place on his Blu-Ray shelf. Is it one of the best-written, most socially significant, or intellectually-deepest shows ever conceived? Absolutely not. Is it an ultimately enjoyable experience that cannot help but put a grin on one’s face and elicit heartfelt cheers by the end? Definitely yes.

Even aside from the appeal generated by ABBA’s marvellous music, there are several fundamentally solid reasons for the connection that this show has made - and continues to make - with audiences of all ages around the globe. Maternal bonds, family mysteries, generational differences, weddings and everything that they entail...These are themes universal and powerful enough to potentially succeed at drawing smiles and tears alike from even the most hardened and cynical of theatre diehards.

This particular production takes until a few numbers in to really warm up properly, but a hard-working, always-smiling chorus of accomplished ensemble players do an expert job of keeping things bright, perky, and sunny on stage. Natalie O’Donnell brings a strong vocal ability, as well as impressive dramatic nuance, to her central character of single mother Donna, while Sarah Morrison plays the young bride-to-be smoothly and sweetly, though seems unable to bring much in the way of distinctive personality to the character as written - a problem that goes double for Stephen Mahy as the groom.

Donna’s best friends (Rosie & Tanya) are ideally and delightfully embodied with rousing high energy by Alicia Gardiner and Jayde Westaby, though the three ‘mystery men’ all tend to be played at least a little too far on the side of ‘broad’; Phillip Lowe’s take on the timid Harry Bright is the most charming in the group.

While the majority of songs selected from the ABBA vaults for this show do indeed work exhilaratingly well in a musical theatre setting (“Dancing Queen” and “Does Your Mother Know” being two of the best examples), there are some that end up feeling out-of-place, a tad undernourished, or unimaginatively staged and arranged (“SOS” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You” are the most noticeably so).

Linda Bewick’s set design is simple and supportive rather than aiming for a spectacular quality. Costumes (by Suzy Strout) are appropriately colourful without feeling the need to be distractingly garish or silly. Gary Young has directed with the kind of breezy pace and lightness of touch that best serves this material on stage - though a ‘heart-attack warning’ ought to be issued for the opening of Act Two; surprises are one thing, but extremely loud surprises out of nowhere can be less than welcome experiences!

As easy as it may be for the whole family to have a happy time at Mamma Mia!, this reviewer is eagerly awaiting the day when Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical - a somewhat similar show, but braver, smarter, and stronger in almost every sense - becomes just as well-loved and widely-performed.

Anthony Vawser