As you may know Geoff and I both enjoy so called “Feel Good” musicals and ‘Mamma Mia’ can certainly be classed as one of the best of these. When we first saw the show in London, some time ago, Geoff still had his reservations.  Being an ABBA fan and a purist he wasn’t sure whether he fully enjoyed it or not. I however loved it and got carried away on the wave of nostalgia and fantasy it showed us.  ‘Mamma Mia’ has started a run in the Playhouse Theatre Edinburgh, official opening night Tuesday 16^th November 2004, we went to see it on the first preview night and both thoroughly enjoyed it.  I can’t wait to get back and see it again.  The cast, enthusiasm, lighting, music, set and overall atmosphere are all fantastic.  It is yet another true ensemble show with no one out singing or out performing any other, although it is nice to see Helen Hobson back.

On Saturday 6^th April 1974, an unknown Swedish group called ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest, catapulting them into the stuff of legends and selling over 350 million records worldwide.  People of all ages and all nationalities enjoy the songs they left as their legacy when the group parted in 1982.

In 1997, fifteen years after that break-up, a spark of an idea was ignited in the imagination of Catherine Johnson. Joined with Judy Craymer (who had worked on ‘CHESS’, with Benny and Bjorn) producer and towards the end of 1997 Phyllida Lloyd as director.  We have the magic threesome christened ‘The Dynamos’ and possible inspiration for Donna, Tanya and Rosie, in no particular order.

The workshop production in 1998 proved that they could be on a winner and the basic story has remained the same up to the opening night on April 6^th 1999, the 25^th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision Song Contest triumph and continues unchanged in the various productions worldwide.

The premise is living your dreams and following your heart, also the importance of family and friendship, making peace with the past and embracing the future. 

In the idyllic setting of a small Greek island Donna Sheridan (Helen Hobson) a single mother, lives and works, she is looking forward to the wedding of her only daughter Sophie (Emily Dykes). Between them they have invited the whole Island plus old friends and thanks to Sophie one or two specters from her mothers flower-power free loving past.  Sophie lets her two closest friends Ali (Jayde Westbay) and Lisa (Kaisa Hammarlund), newly arrived from England, into her rouse.  She also introduces them to her fiancé Sky (Michael Xavier) and his two best friends on the island Pepper (Barnaby Thompson) and Eddie (Mark Willshire). Donna’s two best friends and former band members, Rosie (Joanna Monro) and Tanya (Geraldine Fitzgerald) arrive sweeping away the years. Acting like the teenagers they were when they lived and worked as cabaret performers on the mainland not far from the island. Finally apart from the other islanders and the live-in help, three men re-visit the island for the first time in about 21 years, Harry Bright (John Langley), Bill Meyer (Ulrich Wiggers) and Sam Carmichael (Cameron Blakely).

The scene is set for numerous shocks, surprises and suspense, punctuated with 22 well known numbers minimally adjusted to fit in with the storyline.  

The Set itself at times rivals the well loved songs and the sumptuous costumes getting over the feelings us Graecophiles all love about Mediterranean islands.  With two moving flats and a few items of flown in scenery it is surprising how many simple yet effective changes are made with a minimum of extra stage dressing.  The lighting effects throughout the show left me begging to own a seawall like the one used at the opening of the show.

The nine band members are well hidden and at times I wondered how the performers were able to keep in tune as the audience occasionally take over the musical numbers.  The wide variety of costumes from modern day via the late seventies psychedelia through to ABBA-esque costumes, brightening the monochrome set where needed.

The whole melting pot of performers, material, songs, music, costumes and technical effects blend together in a a tasty smorgasbord or me-ze to tantalise the palate of any connoisseur of either ABBA or good musical theatre.