The brainchild of creator/producer Judy Craymer, “Mamma Mia” is a thundering juggernaut of a success. Running on the West End for over 20 years (and 14 on Broadway), it boasts audience figures in the multi-millions, two movie spin-offs, and grossing over £3billion in its near-quarter-century lifetime. “Mamma Mia” translates to “Mega Money”, and this doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, as theatregoers continue to flock to it in their droves. For anyone wanting to banish the January Blues and escape to a Greek island for a fraction of the price, the current UK tour is playing right now at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre.
“Mamma Mia” sees bride-to-be Sophie (Jess Michelmore) needing answers around her father’s identity which has remained a secret for 20 years. On finding the diary of her mother Donna (Sara Poyzer), she learns of various romantic trysts over one fateful summer in Greece and decides that she needs to know the truth before she gets married. Inviting the three potential fathers (Sam – Richard Standing, Harry – Neal Craig, and Bill – Phil Corbitt) to her wedding, but keeping it a secret from Donna, the scene is set for a trip down memory lane and old feelings to be rekindled (and wounds reopened), all scored to prime selection of pop legends ABBA’s greatest hits.
It goes without saying that musically, “Mamma Mia” is near-faultless. Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are masters of song writing, with sublime melodies and memorable lyrics, and hearing these timeless songs is always a joy. ABBA’s fanbase remains strong some four decades on from their heyday, and it’s this legendary back catalogue which makes “Mamma Mia” work as a piece of entertainment. However, the strength of its music often hides weaknesses elsewhere within the show itself. We’re in jukebox musical territory, so plot and character development rarely rate very highly on the agenda with these types of shows, but everything feels particularly sparse here. The plot is paper-thin, little more than a loose framework on which to get to the next iconic (and often shoe-horned in) song as soon as possible and could logically be resolved with a blood test at the local clinic rather than a two and a half hour soap opera. Frustratingly, it doesn’t even reach a satisfying resolution by its end, which makes the whole journey pretty much redundant. Catherine Johnson’s book never delves particularly deeply into any of the characters, relying more on obvious “hen night” humour to get the audience on its side rather than saying anything hugely meaningful. Characters are two-dimensional and behave predictably, with no-one feeling massively fleshed out or layered. Of course, most audiences won’t care about any of this, because they’ve come for a good time and to hear these songs, but it does question why the creatives have chosen to stand on the shoulders of giants and use their material, without bringing anything particularly inventive of their own into the mix.
The production hasn’t changed since its 1999 inception, with Mark Thompson’s production design consisting predominantly of two large bits of typically-Greek architecture being rotated back and forth throughout the show, an oceanic blue backdrop, and little else. The lack of scenic changes does affect the pace of the show, making the audience feel like they’re watching the same visuals over and over again, with only the music changing. The bigger group numbers do help to compensate for this, bringing colour and energy along with some good choreography, but the show is also weighed down by too many slower songs which are performed simply standing still rather than having any sense of life about them, particularly in the second half where it starts to feel very “by the numbers” as if it’s just trying to get everything out of the way for the finale. There are undoubtedly enjoyable moments, namely the title track, along with “The Winner Takes It All”, “Does Your Mother Know”, “Dancing Queen” and the inevitable megamix finale, but there are longer stretches which definitely need to pick up the pace.
The cast work with what they’re given and deliver it well, although most characters are written too two-dimensionally to really let the actors break free. Jess Michelmore makes a warm and likeable Sophie, sounding like a Disney princess and carrying most of the vocal heavy lifting. Sara Poyzer also does well as Donna, particularly selling the heck out of “The Winner Takes It All” and having great chemistry with Michelmore as well as friends Rosie (Nicky Swift) and Tanya (Sarah Earnshaw, who steals every scene she’s in).
“Mamma Mia” is very much a two-sided coin of a musical. Is it a fun, warm, high-spirited piece of fabulous escapism? Or is in a thinly written, vapid, soulless cash-in which hides its shortcoming behind the mask of ABBA’s genius? To be fair, it’s probably both. There will be audiences who don’t care a jot about the artistic merit of the show, they just want to have a good time, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you like ABBA, “Mamma Mia” delivers it. It’s just a shame that as a piece of theatre (rather than just a great soundtrack), it’s as shallow and transparent as the imaginary clear waters that lap its shore.
‘Mamma Mia’ runs at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 28th January 2023. Performance run time 2 hours 35 minutes including interval. https://www.grandtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/mamma-mia/
Reviewer: Robert Bartley
Reviewed: 18th January 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★