THE magic of Mamma Mia! can only have passed you by if you have spent the last decade on another planet... in another universe.
As if penning Abba’s massive playlist of hits wasn’t enough, composers Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus set about weaving the band’s back catalogue into a jukebox musical that takes audiences from their Swedish roots to a beautiful Aegean island.
The stage show spawned a massively successful film starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan and prompted a huge boost to the Greek tourist trade.
Its latest incarnation is a touring production which opened at Cardiff’s Millennium Centre recently. A delicious knickerbocker glory of terrific tunes, creative choreography and broad humour, the cherry on the top is its delightful - if sometimes loud - ensemble cast.
Energy, vibrancy and sheer joie de vivre
The story centres around the Greek wedding of Sophie (Miria Parvin) and Sky (Gary Watson), and Sophie’s search to find her father, but the story takes second place to the audience’s delight at the inventive way the tale’s twists are beautifully - if sometimes predictably - illustrated by the familiar tunes. Sophie’s mother Donna (Jackie Clune) belts out many of the show’s song highlights, but she’s ably assisted by Kate Graham as Tania and Leanne Rogers as Rosie, and of course the contenders for father of the bride, Harry (Matthew Cammelle), Bill (Charles Daish) and Sam (Cameron Blakely).
Sadly any production that follows in the wake of a film that starred Streep and Brosnan, but also catapulted Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper to stellar heights, and was even further enhanced by the likes of Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski and Stellan Skarsgard has got an uphill task to prevent the audience making unfavourable comparisons.
But while the star quality may have been a little less than Hollywood, the productions’s energy, vibrancy and sheer joie de vivre made it a singular delight that thrilled an appreciative audience on a cold November night.
For sparkle, big, bold brash fun and a fantastic trip back to your teenage years, when white Lycra and platforms were perfectly acceptable - even in broad daylight - all Dancing Queens need head no further than Cardiff Bay.
The show runs until January 23. For ticket availability, call the box office on 0292063 6464.
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