Perfect show to lift the blues
SIMON DUKE TAKES A CHANCE ON MAMMA MIA!
A BLUE carpet welcomed revellers to the Theatre Royal on Tuesday night but, fast forward three hours, and its latest star attraction Mamma Mia! left them feeling anything but.
The hit musical based on the timeless tracks of ABBA kicked off its three-week run in Newcastle in front of a capacity crowd full of would-be dancing queens and super troupers who were ready to “take a chance” on a show that has quite simply become a worldwide phenomenon.
Much like We Will Rock You and The Bodyguard which also have an enviable selection of classic hits to call upon, with its pick of the Ulvaeus and Andersson back catalogue, Mamma Mia! can’t really fail to impress.
That said, with such famous songs in their repertoire the pressure is on for the cast to do them justice.
Thankfully, the current touring cast manage that with ease.
The story of bride-to-be Sophie, who throws her mother’s life into chaos by inviting three former flames to her wedding, is the perfect springboard for ABBA’s music.
As Sophie’s mum Donna, Helen Hobson is a real scene stealer. While playing her slightly more subtly than Meryl Streep in the much-loved 2008 film version, Helen brings great sincerity to the role, switching gears from the frustrated yet vulnerable putupon single mother to a singer keen to glance back at her glory days with ease and real finesse.
Her shining moment came courtesy of one of ABBA’s finest songs – The Winner Takes It All – which saw her douse every line with real grit and passion.
Helen was in great form when collaborating with fellow dynamos Tanya and Rosie, played by sizzling siren Emma Clifford and the absolutely hilarious Gillian Hardie. The trio shared some great moments together with Dancing Queen and Super Trouper real highlights, but also seized their solo moments in the spotlight with Emma like a predatory cougar playing with her victim in Does Your Mother Know and Gillian showcasing her impeccable comic timing in Take A Chance On Me. On to the men of the piece, and Jamie Hogarth, Christopher Hollis and Alex Bourne, like their female counterparts, had infectious chemistry as a trio but also had their individual moments to shine. Their respective characters Harry, Bill and Sam all had one thing in common – the fact they could be Sophie’s dad, but were very different in every other respect. As the man still deeply in love with Donna, Alex smouldered, while Jamie was brilliantly bumbling as Harry and Christopher played Bill with real cockiness and swagger. Taking the part of Sophie, Lucy May Barker was sweet yet spirited, delving into the different layers of her character, who was at the centre of the plot, while, as her other half Sky, Philip Ryan was dashing and dynamic, particularly in Lay All Your Love on Me. A supporting cast which produced star turns from the likes of Louis Stockil, Brad Veitch, Fia Houston-
The songs and the story have real vigour, getting hands clapping and heart strings tugging
Hamilton and Blaise Colangelo really helped to bring the music of ABBA to life in the best way possible.
With songs as diverse as Gimme Gimme Gimme and Slipping Through My Fingers at their disposal, the cast and fantastic band under the leadership of MD Richard Weeden, help the songs and the story have real vigour, getting hands clapping and heart strings tugging in the change of a melody. Let’s face it, there are so many bad things going on in the world at the moment that we all could do with an escape that can’t fail to raise a smile.
And with classic songs and some top drawer performances, fun is most definitely the name of the game with Mamma Mia!.
The musical will run at the Theatre Royal until April 15. Limited tickets are still available. Check the box office and www.theatreroyal.co.uk for availability and prices.