Dreaming about going on summer holiday and living your best life? You will be.
Mamma Mia has arrived at the Liverpool Empire and it's just as dazzling, entertaining and exhilarating as expected. The feel-good smash-hit is on tour to the city until April 9.
Set on a Greek island paradise, Mamma Mia is a story of love, friendship and identity, which is cleverly told through the timeless songs of ABBA. Sophie’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings her mother face to face with three men from her distant romantic past on the eve of a wedding they’ll never forget.
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As a big - huge - ABBA fan I knew the show wouldn’t be anything less than impressive, but I had never seen the stage musical until now. And it did not disappoint.
The show starts slowly but fairly quickly turned itself around with ensemble performances and an all singing-all dancing routing of Money Money Money. By the time the first notes of Voulez Vous were heard, the party was in full swing and I dreaded it having to stop for the interval.
Created by Judy Craymer and writer Catherine Johnson, the story revolves around the wedding of 20-year-old Sophie played by Phoebe Roberts who made the character sweet, earnest and cheeky.
Sara Poyzer as mum Donna provided incredible highlights, giving us tender, emotional moments with songs such as Our Last Summer and Slipping Through My Fingers. Did I want to cry? No. Did I cry? Yes.
The most hilarious moments came from James Willoughby Moore as bartender Pepper and Helen Anker as Tanya, along with Nicky Swift as Rosie and Phil Coritt as a very Geordie Bill, one of Sophie’s three potential dads. The hijinks between the two couples made the performance just as funny and boisterous as expected.
The stand-out star could only be Nicky Swift, who played Rosie with every bit of hilarity, sarcasm and slapstick comedy you’d expect from Donna’s lone-wolf long-time best friend.
A finale of colour and 70s glam left the audience on their feet, smiling, cheering and, no doubt, with ABBA songs stuck in their heads all night. I’d see it every night this week if I could.
Mamma Mia runs at the Liverpool Empire until Thursday, April 9. You can get tickets here .
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