Hull New Theatre – until 19th February 2022
Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams
5*****
I shall start at the end – with an audience buzzing with joy, laughing and chatting as they left the packed theatre, the noise carrying far into the night and still to be heard as we got into the car some distance from Hull New Theatre. The audience were a little tentative at the start, with no singing along to the overture of Abba tunes but they soon got into the swing of things and were clapping and up on their feet to give the cast a well-earned standing ovation and then singing loudly for the finale. The tentativeness is no reflection on this excellent cast but more a reflection on the last two years, Mamma Mia was the production that was playing at the Hull New Theatre as the first lock down was announced, so this was a very welcome return on our road to “normality”.
With deceptively simple sets (designed by Mark Thompson) and stunning lighting (Howard Harrison) Mamma Mia whisked us away to a sunny Greek island with shimmering Mediterranean light and the tale of Donna (Sara Poyzer) and her daughter Sophie (Jena Pandya) and Sophie’s rather rash attempt to track down her father before she gets married. With music composed by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson for Abba and with the book by Catherine Johnson, Mamma Mia was first staged in 1999 but is still a fresh and vibrant show.
One of the joys of Mamma Mia is its portrayal of relationships, whether it is the mother/daughter relationship, the exuberance of youth, the rekindling of relationships from the past, or the joy of long-lasting friendships like that of Donna and her friends. All are skilfully and believably created by this cast.
Sara Poyzer was a perfect fit as Donna, whether worrying about her daughter, having fun with her friends or regretting lost love. Her performance of “Slipping Through My Fingers” was both beautiful and heartbreakingly poignant, the audience were absolutely still throughout. The full range of emotions were on show in “The Winner Takes It All”, we felt the passion and her pain and regret, surely this is how this song is meant to be sung. In total contrast Donna and the Dynamos and “Super Trouper” was full of fun and joy.
Helen Anker as Tanya and Nicky Swift as Rosie were fabulous, they really bounced off one another and their friendship was totally believable. They provided many of the laugh out loud moments with Tanya (Helen Anker) making mincemeat of Pepper (James Willoughby Moore) in her rendition of “Does Your Mother Know” and Rosie (Nicky Swift) delivering the come-on to Bill (Phil Corbitt) in “Take A Chance On Me”.
Richard Standing makes an excellent Sam and his relationships with Donna and Sophie are very believable as he tries to make sense of seeing Donna again and finding he may have a daughter. I loved his rendition of “Knowing Me, Knowing You” Daniel Crowder as Harry and Phil Corbitt as Bill provided excellent support and much laughter.
Jena Pandya was just right as Sophie, full of sweetness and of course the arrogance of youth. As things did not turn out as expected her distress and inability to see how to sort things out was plain to see. Her relationship with Sky (Toby Miles) was spot on. All of the younger members of cast were superb.
The full company pieces were fabulous, “Voulez-Vous” performed by the entire company was a stand out for me, providing the heat and frenzy of the night as they danced. Also, a total joy was the choreography as Sophie dreams and sings “Under Attack”, the costumes are totally inspired.
Mamma Mia needs a superb ensemble as well as its leading cast and this ensemble were indeed superb. There is not a cast member who did not fit perfectly into their role and in the encore, it is clear to see the joy the company get from performing in Mamma Mia.
The music is vital in any production of Mamma Mia and The Band led by Musical Director Carlton Edwards were outstanding.
Forget the film of Mamma Mia – it is good but this production is far superior. There are no beautiful Greek backdrops just the simplest of scenery but this extremely talented cast will make you believe you are on that Greek island watching the story unfold.
In the midst of a long winter Mamma Mia provided sunshine, light and joy and left us feeling so much better about life. With all that life has thrown at us recently never have these words been more apt “What would life be without a song or a dance, what are we?”. So, thank you for the music and the joy you brought us.