Well, that was a lot of fun. The stage adaptation of Mamma Mia arrived at the Lyceum last night in a glorious blaze of spangles and sequins.
There’s a simple reason this musical behemoth has successfully filled theatres across the world for over two decades, well before the star-laden film went potty in 2008, and it is thus: people like to have fun. No pretence; no chin-stroking; no self-consciousness – just an enjoyably daft story set to songs that take you back to your childhood, adolescence and multiple dancefloors at various nostalgic family functions.
For those not familiar with the story (an ever-shrinking percentage of the populace, surely?), the action all takes place on an idyllic Greek island. We’re introduced to Sophie (Jena Pandya), who after stalking the pages of her mother’s diary discovers three potential fathers, and then – here comes drama – she decides to invite the trio to the wedding with hopes of finding the truth in time for Dad to walk her down the aisle. As if weddings aren’t stressful enough already…
Photo credit: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Naturally, when Sam (Richard Standing), Bill (Phil Corbitt) and Harry (Daniel Crowder) all show up unannounced, it sends hard-working mother Donna (Sara Poyzer) into something of a tizzy, one that can only be purged by belting out a series of Swedish pop bangers in cathartic fashion – something Poyzer does with great aplomb, captivating the audience with particularly impressive renditions of ‘The Winner Takes It All’, ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ and ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’.
Comedic relief arrives in spades from Donna’s wingwomen Rosie (Nicky Swift) and Tanya (Helen Anker); but the jokes and shenanigans are shared out evenly across the whole cast, supplemented by gleeful choreography and innuendos galore.
Photo credit: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Of course, the star of the night is the music. Never mind how wedged into the script a song may feel, as soon as the opening bars begin you can sense the audience sitting up a tad straighter in their seats – and for the closing three-song finale they were vacated altogether as 1,000 standing Sheffielders danced and sang in unison (on a Wednesday night, no less!).
In times like these, when our screens and airwaves are peppered with a seemingly relentless wave of bad news and cynicism, the ability of theatre to provide wholesome fun and entertainment cannot be underestimated. So, if you’re looking for a pick-me-up, I’d highly recommend grabbing some Lycra and platform boots (optional, of course) and heading down for two hours of pop-drenched enjoyment. Go on, take a chance (take a chance, take a chance, take a-take a chance-chance)…
