The musicals

It might, as Julie Walters said, be “very Greek” but who wouldn’t rejoice at more ABBA tunes belted out in the sunshine?

The first was full of delights, some intentional, some probably not so. The sheer exuberance of Meryl Streep and co leaping off the pier to Dancing Queen was balanced by Meryl and Amanda Seyfried’s wistful Slipping Through My Fingers. And then there was Pierce Brosnan’s SOS. Enough said. More joy – Ma m m a Mi a , here we go again!

The song Windy City takes me back to being a little girl “cooried” in beside my gran on the couch, singing along with Calamity Jane.

As someone who was raised in denims and d u n g a re e s , I admired pistol-wielding tomboy Calam’. Doris Day’s performance as the feisty frontiers- woman is nothing short of exhilarating.

As a child, this was my favourite musical, and as an adult the love has never waned. The late, great Gene Wi l d e r as Wi l l y Wonka is an absolute marvel.

It’s packed with catchy songs. What’s not to love about The Candy Man Can, I’ve Got the Golden Ticket and Oompa Doo-Ba-Dee-Doo?

Loompa

There’s something strangely comforting about watching John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as two loved-up