REVIEW: Mamma Mia! at Sunderland Empire ★★★★

 Last night I went back to Greece (Sunderland, really, which is quite a difference but there wasn't much difference in the temperature!) to see Mamma Mia, after seeing it in the first leg of the tour in 2020 before the pandemic postponed the rest of the tour. 

For those who don't know, Mamma Mia is a jukebox musical based on the songs of ABBA, including songs such as "Super Trouper," "Take a Chance on Me," and "Voulez-Vous." The show debuted in 1999 and has been a firm favourite since it hit the West End, with two films adaptations (released in 2008 and 2018 respectively). The story follows Sophie, who lives on the Greek island of Kalokairi with her mum, Donna, as she prepares to marry her fiancé, Sky. Its a comedic, feel-good musical (with a cracking encore!), one which I think absolutely everyone should love. I came out singing all the songs on the way back with a huge smile on my face.

The cast were really brilliant. They had plenty of energy and everyone was well cast for their roles. I particularly loved Phil Corbitt, who played Bill, who was Geordie! He brought loads of Geordie phrases to Mamma Mia which just made my day. I'm just a sucker when you hear a regional accent on stage, especially a Northern one! Like I said, I saw Mamma Mia in Newcastle before the pandemic hit, but it was so lovely to see some of the same cast still in the show. Harry, played by Daniel Crowder, and Pepper, played by James Willoughby Moore, were particularly lovely to see again as they're just so well suited to their roles. 

The music was obviously why most people were there and the cast sung their hearts out. My favourites from the show were "Voulez-Vous" and "Take a Chance on Me," as well as the whole encore - I sang and danced my heart out! I have to say while there were some issues with the audience (namely just people being a little bit merry and chatting), it didn't present too much of a problem for the majority of the show and those who were chatting were soon told to be quiet. Everyone got up and had a little sing-song during the encore though, and they boosted the sound right up so we could still hear what was happening on stage.

I was so glad to see this show again - it was just what I needed. A bit of fun and laughter and ABBA!

Tour Tickets: https://mamma-mia.com/uk-and-international-tour/