Mamma Mia!
Finished 11 Mar 2023
Manchester Opera House
This is a show that you cannot get close enough to so front row seats are highly recommended.
Sheer enjoyablility... a 5-STAR experience!
The Daily Mail
Sheer enjoyablility... a 5-STAR experience!
The Daily Mail
Mamma Mia!
Finished 11 Mar 2023
Manchester Opera House
This is a show that you cannot get close enough to so front row seats are highly recommended.
Why see Mamma Mia!?
Thank You For The Music!
The ultimate feel-good musical is heading on a brand new UK tour, bringing the sunny climes of Greece to you in 2025! The ABBA-tastic jukebox musical that started it all back in 1999, Mamma Mia! tells the story of single mum Donna and her daughter Sophie as the latter plans a scheme to find out who her real dad is before her wedding. With some of the Swedish pop group's most beloved songs including 'Dancing Queen','I Have A Dream',' Super Trouper' and many more to groove to, discover for yourself why Mamma Mia! remains a firm favourite both in the West End and around the world.
The show was originally conceived by English producer Judy Craymer and written by Catherine Johnson. With the blessing of Abba's songwriters, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the show premiered in London 1999. It's infectious mixture of classic pop songs, skin-tight Lycra outfits and unabashed positivity was a runaway success, confounding the creator's own rather humble expectations and launching a franchise that includes two hit films - with a third in the works.
What Is The Story of Mamma Mia!?
Sophie is preparing for her wedding to fiancee Sky on a sunny Greek Island. The one problem is that she doesn't know who her father is. Leafing through her mother's diary, she discovers that it could be one of three men. Taking matters into her own hands, she invites all three to the ceremony, hoping that she'll spark up an instant connection with whoever is meant to walk her down the aisle.
So, the big day approaches and all the guests arrive. Sophie's mother Donna is horrified at the sight of her former lovers, never suspecting that she would ever set eyes on them again. Sophie meanwhile is unable to pick out her biological father from the trio. Confusion, farcical misunderstandings and a whole lot of singing ensues as Sophie tries to figure it out, all the while fighting her nagging doubts about the wedding itself.
Key Information
Audience
Age recommendation 5+. Mamma Mia! is good for late junior school, secondary school and college age kids and anyone who likes ABBA.
Run Time
Two hours 35 minutes including a one intermission
Dates
Finished 11 Mar 2023
Creative
- Music & Lyrics by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus
- Book by Catherine Johnson
- Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
- Choreographed by Anthony van Laast
- Production Design by Mark Thompson
- Lighting Design by Howard Harrison
Reviews
Our review
Fun, musical, LOUD
This is a party and if you're not on your feet dancing along to the big finale then you went to the wrong theatre!
Natalie Vincent
Customer reviews
84 reviews, average rating: (4.8 Stars)
Angela Beaumont
Mamma Mia
This was the first time I'd seen a show at the theatre all I can say os I'm hooked
Loved the atmosphere, the actors/singers were all fantastic
This was better than the film everyone in the theatre was up dancing and singing and it was electrical .
Thank you to all the cast and the opera House staff for an amazing first experience of musical theatre ... Read more
Yasmin Al-Sheklly
Mamma Mia is a jukebox musical delight
Mamma Mia is a musical based on the 2008 hit film of the same title starring Meryl Streep.
What is the plot?
Mamma Mia is about Sophie Sheridan who is about to get married to Sky on the Greek island. She wants her father to take her down the aisle but the problem is that she does not know who he is. However when looking inside her mum’s diary with two of her friends she discovers that there are 3 possible candidates who could be her father. As a result she invites all 3 and when met face to face they have no idea that she existed in the first place. They then all turn up thinking that they can recover their past with Donna. Donna gets so scared and ignores them. This is when friendship and love become strong.
What are the themes of the musical?
Love, family, female empowerment and friendship
Cast
Sara Poyzer as Donna was excellent. She was funny and feisty. Her chemistry and mannerisms with all cast members were so special. She made the role her own. She was a natural on stage and her acting was so real especially in the emotional scenes when she comes face to face with the 3 men who she has not seen for a long time.
Her version of The Winner Takes It All was exquisite to watch. Her vocals were angelic and it was full of emotion. The lyrics had a great meaning and the way she conveyed it was so genuine from the heart. We also see the infectious chemistry that she has with Sarah Earnshaw as Tanya and Nicky Swift as Rosie. They were the highlight of the show with their constant humour and their comedic timing was second to none. You could not stop laughing when they were on stage.
The way they sang songs as a three some was great to watch especially in Chiquita and Dancing Queen. They definitely gave us that empowered feeling and it is clear to see the strong bond between them. Swift’s performance of Take A Chance On Me was genius. I loved how she started it off as a dialogue to which later it hits to the beat. Her hilarious expressions throughout add a spark of vitality here. She has bags of charisma and is a joy to watch on stage.
The performances given by the three fathers were amazing to watch. Richard Standing as Sam, Noel Craig as Harry and Phil Corbitt as Bill. It was great to see how each one had their own distinct personality and their acting was brilliant. We witnessed the serious scenes between Standing (Sam) and Donna. Craig (Harry) was incredibly funny. The romantic chemistry was evident between Corbitt (Bill) and Donna in Our Last Summer.
Jess Michaelmore as Sophie and Christopher Foley as Sky had brilliant chemistry with each other particularly when they were on stage together. Their presence on stage gave a sense of innocence and a youthful edge to the show. Their roles had lots of energy and charm. It was great to see how Jess (Sophie) role develops from a young girl who is worried and has no sense of identity in terms of who her father is to being a strong woman who knows exactly what she wants.
Jaden Oshenye as Pepper was amazing. He was funny, had lots of energy with his moves on stage and touches your heart.
The ensemble cast whom are Tanisha Butterfield as Ali, Freya Humberstone as Lisa and Archie Flynn as Eddie brought other ABBA tracks to life especially Voulez-Vous and Does Your Mother Know where the stage was on fire with their energy and lively performance.
Sets
We were transported to Greece in the sets of this energetic musical especially the beautiful blue sea vibe in the opening of the show. It was simple and effective but was on point with the plot. I loved how it matched the colours of the Greek flag having the blue chairs and white walls. I also loved how it was used to create different aspects of the stage such as the hotel, church, beach bar and everything else in between.
Music and soundtrack
The ABBA medley was beautifully performed in the opening sequence of the show . It gave us positive vibes and I am sure that the audience were pumped up for the action. Every song by ABBA featured in this musical was done to perfection and so I could not pick out a favourite as they are all great whether slow ballads or fast tracks. It was great to see how the songs were intertwined into the plot of this musical.
It also ended on a high with a mini concert finale with Donna and the Dynamos performing Dancing Queen and Waterloo giving us Eurovision vibes. We all got up and had a proper boogie not having a care in the world.
Costumes
The costume choices were simple but classy. We saw lots of white lycra worn by the cast. The wedding dress worn by Sophies on her big day was gorgeous and brings out emotions of such an important day. In addition the black dress that was worn by Donna was effective and was poignant.
Thank you for the music Mamma Mia. It is a super trooper of a show and if you have not seen it then Take A Chance on it.
Plot 4/5
Humour 5/5
Sets 4/5
Acting 5/5
Choreography 5/5
Costumes 4/5
Lighting 4/5
Music 5/5
Vocals 5/5
... Read more
Tracey
Fabulous
What a brilliant night out, I'd happily go again.
Laughed, danced and sang along. ... Read more
News
Daniel, September 17th, 2024
The beloved ABBA musical Mamma Mia! is set to delight audiences across the UK once again with a brand-new tour kicking off in 2025. This tour marks a significant milestone as the show celebrated its 25th anniversary on April 6, 2024, cement...
Read more Mamma Mia Announce New 2025 UK Tour!
Daniel, September 17th, 2024
The beloved ABBA musical Mamma Mia! is set to delight audiences across the UK once again with a brand-new tour kicking off in 2025. This tour marks a significant milestone as the show celebrated its 25th anniversary on April 6, 2024, cement...
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