Reviewed by Cate Norris
When Sophie Sheridan (Lucy May Barker) discovers her Mum’s old diary, all she wants is to find out who her Dad is, but with three possibilities she is optimistic she will know her Dad when she meets him. Hoping her Dad will give her away at her wedding, Sophie invites all three potential Dads to her big day and keeps it a secret from her Mum, Donna (Helen Hobson) and her fiancé Sky (Phillip Ryan). What could possibly go wrong?
Sharing the news of the diary and her plan with her friends Ali (Fia Houston Hamilton) and Lisa (Blaise Colangelo), we see a friendship between the three girls’ that is genuine. Honey Honey is sang beautifully by Lucy May Barker who delivers an exceptional vocal throughout the entire show.
When Donna Sheridan (Helen Hobson) gets together with her friends Tanya (Emma Clifford) and Rosie (Rebecca Seale) we see a similar friendship as with Sophie, Lisa and Ali. When Tanya and Rosie perform Chiquitita it’s comic genius at its best However, both are entertaining on their own too. Tanya was very amusing with Pepper (Louis Stockil) performing Does Your Mother Know and Tanya and Bill’s (Christopher Hollis) Take a chance on me was hilarious.
Helen Hobson showed great range, coming across as feisty in Money Money Money, which despite this being a busy scene she held her own and took command. We then saw more of a comedic side in Mamma Mia and then very emotive and touching in the tracks Slipping Through My Fingers and The Winner Takes it all, which really showed the beauty of her voice.
It’s hard to believe that it has been almost nineteen years since Mamma Mia first opened in London. Who could have anticipated the worldwide phenomenon that the show would become? It’s easy to see why the show was described as being likely to put Prozac out of business. It is so colourful and high energy it’s like getting a shot of adrenalin. The atmosphere is contagious, so sitting still and straight faced are not optional. Benefiting the show’s success has to be the perfect balance between comedy, drama and sentiment. There is something that appeals to everybody whether that be first love, lost love, friendship or mother/daughter relationship. Tie in some ABBA classics and there is a winning combination. This was an excellent production not to be missed. I would recommend it to all dancing queens and super troupers.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £15 to £66 (booking fees may apply).
Mamma Mia! is at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 6-24 February 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01902 429 212.
The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton, Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DE
