Mamma Mia – Thursday 12th February
Invited| Review by Robyn Watson
Here we go again… Mamma Mia storms into Newcastle Theatre Royal this week and is running until Saturday 28th February. If you want a real feel good evening, transport yourself to a Greek Getaway jam packed with ABBA’s iconic hits. Undeniable talent merged with high energy choreography. There’s laughter, tears and happiness laced throughout the whole performance perfectly taking you away from the drizzly, cold February weather. Seen by 70 million people in more than 450 cities I can clearly see why Mamma Mia is a firm favourite loved by so many especially after the smash hit movie musical starring Queen Meryl Streep as the beloved Donna.
A simple yet heartwarming storyline capturing love, friendship and navigating life- it is easy to follow and a real thrill throughout. For those who have never seen it, think of a stunning Greek island, a wedding and the mystery of Young Sophie finding out who her father really is. Imagine waiting your whole life to find out who your father is and three come along at once.
The staging was magically carried out through the use of two large set wagons depicting the typical Greek Taverna buildings of course painted in the iconic blue and white. It was expertly moved to create different sets and could have looked cumbersome but never did. A true credit to the cast and stage hands.
The show opened with a wonderful overture led by Carlton Edwards in the show pit. The band were well put together and led the musical arrangements well. The opening number introduced us to the stunning Lydia Hunt who made for the most incredible Sophie. She was loveable, breathtakingly beautiful and had the voice of an angel. Opening with one of my favourite ABBA songs – I Have a Dream which we hear again at the very end of the show creating a full circle moment. Then the energy hit the stage with her two best friends Ali, played by Bibi Jay and Lisa, played by Eve Parsons. The girls filled the stage with vibrancy and their version of Honey, Honey made me smile.
Soon after we meet the one and only Donna Sheridan, Sophie’s Mam in the show. She was a true standout throughout the entire performance with that amazing curly hair and bold attitude. We see her struggle with her emotions throughout the show which Jen Griffin handled delicately. She had a huge job on her hands with the amount of songs she is involved in but we were definitely in safe ones. Clearly a true master of her craft. I just adored her version of Slipping through my fingers- which is a song I hold very close to my heart. There were many tears shed by her passionate performance of the number. She led straight into The Winner Takes it All where she really showed off her vocal prowess and impressed the audience especially with those end notes. Most certainly the loudest cheer of the evening.
Two more wonderful performances came from the Dynamos Tanya and Rosie. Sarah Earnshaw gave a stellar performance as the insatiable Tanya blowing me away with her dancing and comedy chops. It was so lovely seeing her character be made so likeable with all of the young men swooning over her in Does Your Mother Know. She had strong vocals which she showed off well within all of her numbers alongside her sexual prowess showing the boys exactly how it is done. The young Joseph Vella played Pepper incredibly well in this number and his dancing was incredibly impressive especially those high split jumps – what a sensation! A name to watch out for in the future I think.
Starring alongside Earnshaw, as Tanya was the bubbly, outspoken Rosie played by Rachel Oates. I adored their on stage interactions and you could see just how much fun they were actually having. They truly are a dynamic duo lifting the show as a whole. Her rendition of Take a Chance on Me with Bill Austin, played by Mark Goldthorp was a masterclass of a comedy number with the set movement upon stage. Their version of Chiquitita was properly hilarious too and they made the most of every single prop given to them which is not an easy thing to do!
I loved the clever choreography and movement throughout these numbers set by Director Phyllidia Lloyd and Choreographer Anthony Van Laast. Their use of the stage was just so seamlessly thought out and not a stone had been unturned when movement was involved. Keep a close eye out for the chorus in Money, Money, Money and Mamma Mia – both cleverly and hilariously entwined in the performance. I loved how they kept some iconic choreography whilst making it their own too and the Dynamo’s performance of Super Trouper was everything I had hoped it would be.
The arrangements of some of the songs within the show were so special and I loved the seamless, purposeful flow into songs from the script. The songs aren’t just elbowed in for any old reason but give purpose to the storyline. Harry Bright played by the effervescent Richard Meek led us in Thank You For the Music on guitar and it was just so special singing alongside his soon to be daughter Sophie. His vocals impressed me the most out of all of the men paired with that adorable stage presence, he was onto a winner. The three men worked so well as a team and literally captured the hearts of the audience with their wonderful acting. We saw William Hazell as Sam Carmichael and to say he is a swing he really did a stellar, believable job of this part. His vocals in S.O.S were charming and he acted the part well.
The huge ensemble performed their socks off throughout this show with mesmerising harmonies and impressive dance routines. There are some real show stopping numbers in this show particularly with the seamless, high energy choreography which all of the cast had mastered. Gimme Gimme Gimme and Voulez- Vous were just a perfect ending to the first half of our show and led it out with a bang. Their use of partner work was a joy to watch especially some of those tricky lifts and shapes they managed to create on stage. I adored the rotating circles they created within these numbers – very cleverly done. A special mention has to go to the male ensemble for dancing so effortlessly in those flippers however. Creatively genius but that must be tricky!
My only gripe of the evening was the other audience members singing along very loudly. These kind of jukebox musicals often have that happen in the audience and I was dying to sing along too but we need to remember theatre etiquette as the performers have packed so much into rehearsals they deserve their time to shine – do you agree?
I have to say I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do. I recommend you come to see this thrilling show packed with energy, uplifting storylines and outstanding musical performances from the whole cast. Add some sunshine to your drizzly February!