Mamma Mia!

‘Here we go again!’ sing the company, and off round Australia again they head to great acclaim, no matter the multitude of times the songs of ABBA’s composers, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, have been heard and heard again. With 22 ABBA songs in their luggage, a rocking 8-piece band and an all-singing semi-clothed company (it’s set on a sun-drenched Greek island), they surely can’t go wrong.

There are a couple of Australian mentions. Bill Austin, one of the three possible fathers of bride Sophie, says he’s from Sydney’s Marrickville, and a fuzzy-haired member of the Ensemble says he’s from Wagga Wagga (yells and whistles from the audience). But the people that turn up for Sophie’s wedding are otherwise English or Greek (or Swedish).

Sophie (Sarah Krndija) has invited all three paternal possibilities to her wedding to make her mum (Elise McCann) happy, a ridiculous idea, and one that is bound to fail. Nevertheless the mum, armed with two firm and randy friends from 20-odd years ago, Rosie (Bianca Bruce) and Tanya (Deone Zanotto), has a pretty good time making her way through the mess, helped by song after ABBA song, some ever-so-slightly doctored to fit.

Elise McCann has the best role as mother of the bride, the actual Mamma Mia!, and she revels in the popular power ballad The Winner Takes It All, which pretty much brought the house down. Deone Zanotto and Bianca Bruce make the most of every opportunity, as do the three possible-fathers, Martin Crewes, Drew Livingston and Tim Wright, each with plenty of confused appeal. 

Sophie’s choice for marital duties is a bare-chested hunk called Sky (Lewis Francis), who family and friends are gung-ho for, but I was glad to see him delegated at the end and replaced by another round of ABBA-mania.

The last ten minutes of the show have to be viewed on your feet, the entire audience having risen to the pounding beat of yet more Andersson and Ulvaeus songs, ending with Waterloo, unheralded in the program. Swept away by the simple yet amazing song, the audience gave thanks to the ABBA men in spectacular fashion. Coming up to their 80s now, having sold over 350 million records, they are truly great.

Frank Hatherley

BOOK TICKETS HERE.

Photographer: David Hooley.