Mamma Mia at the Mayflower Theatre Southampton Review
Mamma Mia
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
13 September to 8 October 2016
Reviewed by Joanne Hughes
Absolutely Abba-licious!
On Thursday night we visited the lovely Mayflower Theatre in Southampton to see Mamma Mia, the stage performance. As most, we thoroughly enjoyed the film so were excited to see how this would be brought to life on the stage – and we were not disappointed in any way; the cast, the choice of songs and order in which they were presented, and the choreography, intertwined with comedy, all fitted together perfectly to create a magical performance and impart the feel-good factor one anticipates from this wonderful musical.
Set on a Greek Island, Mamma Mia is the story of a young, pretty, twenty year old girl Sophie, (Lucy May Barker). On the eve of her wedding to the handsome Sky (Philip Ryan), meeting her fathers, she had read her mother, Donna’s (Sara Poyzer), diary and wasn’t sure which of the three men is her father so had invited all three (in her mother’s hand and without her knowledge), in the hope she would know straight away which one he is. It then follows how confused she is as she still doesn’t know when they are all there; her mother is also confused as to why they are all there, and emotional as she still has strong feelings of love for Sam Carmicheal (Richard Strong). The men are equally confused until they each figure it out and each believe themselves to be Sophie’s father. Intertwined in this love tryst is the comedic shenanigans of Donna’s two best friends Rosie (Jacqueline Braun) and Tanya (Emma Clifford) who have also travelled to the island for the wedding.
The storyline is based around the songs of the world famous ABBA group. The show is spectacular and the production brings the characters to life, immersing the audience completely, bringing tears and laughter throughout the show. By the finale the audience was out of their seats, singing and dancing in the aisles.
An evening not to be missed.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £26 to £59.50 (booking fees may apply).
Mamma Mia is at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton until 8 October 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 02380 711811.
Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE | 02380 711811
