Mamma Mia !

Grand Theatre Wolverhampton

4.5 stars “still a winner”

Mamma Mia needs no introduction as it has been a smash hit around the globe for the last 27 years and is still going strong.

This current UK tour is the latest incarnation of the popular show, dreamt up by Judy Cranmer to bring ABBA’s songs to the stage with the plot set on a tiny Greek island around Donna, played wonderfully by Ashleigh Jones, her daughter Sophie - Hazel Baldwin, who is about to get married to Sky, played by Samuel Downey, and the unfolding mystery of who out of Sam - Richard Taylor Woods, Bill - Simon Victor and Harry - Arvid Larsen is actually Sophie’s Father.

The tour version looks very like the ones we have seen previously in the West End with simple effective staging and lighting transporting us to sunny Greece.

The large cast were slick, well drilled and polished and there were some impressive impactful dance routines in particular that brought a smile to our facesThe pace of the dialogue and the songs seemed very fast particularly in the first act and at times almost erred on feeling slightly rushed, but again this settled in Act 2 and was a much more compelling pace allowing us to be drawn into the story.

Highlights for me, were Ashleigh Jomes singing The Winner takes it all with some lovely phrasing and feeling, and I also enjoyed the warm comic relationship between Lauren Woolf’s Rosie, and Sarah Earnshaw’s Tanya.Richard Taylor Woods made a believable Sam and there was nice chemistry between him and Donna towards the end as they reunited!

Mamma Mia is such a feel good show and brings so much joy wherever it goes and the MK audience were all on their feet at the end singing and dancing along to Waterloo. 

Long may this wonderful show keep touring and entertaining us allThanks as always to the wonderful team at The Grand for looking us so well.

David Robinson