Mamma Mia is one of those shows that I've wanted to see for a very long time but never got round to it in my 27 years. Now I've seen it, I'm wishing I'd seen it a whole lot sooner because let me tell you - it is a seriously fun, feel-good masterpiece. And if you like white lycra and flares, you're in for a treat.
If you're an ABBA fan, no matter how big or small, you need to go and see this show. Whether you're partial to a night on the town, boogying in a club to 'Dancing Queen', or you're an 'I made a dance routine to every ABBA song ever when I was 12' sort, it'll satisfy the needs of everyone, and make you want to belt the tunes out at the top of your lungs.
Set on a beautiful Greek island, with a simple set that you won't pay much attention to thanks to the amazingly flamboyant costumes, and pitch-perfect singing, Mamma Mia is a story of love, friendship, and identity, with the ABBA songs you know and love cleverly interwoven throughout.
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Predominantly a story about main character Sophie Sheridan, played by Jess Michelmore, trying to find her real dad before she gets married, the real joy of this show is witnessing female friendships, and how they never really change, despite getting older.
It highlights the goofy silliness of youth never really leaves us, giving young people hope that they'll never change as they age, and reassuring older people that they're still the same person they were years ago, despite the fact that things may change around us.
Whilst the fun of friendship plays out hilariously, Sophie is searching for her father from a line-up of three men from her mother's past - but will her mum ever forgive her for betraying her trust and reading her diary to find the names of her potential father?
I have to give a special mention to actress Sarah Earnshaw, who played Tanya, as the number of laughs she received from the audience was phenomenal - she really immersed herself fully into the character and it paid off. I also particularly enjoyed her cheeky rendition of 'Does Your Mother Know', which is also one of my favourite karaoke songs, so I was right there in the moment with her.
Finally, I got my time to shine alongside the cast at the end thanks to a finale filled with 70s fun and glamour, where the whole audience was keen to get onto their feet for a boogy. I'll now be singing ABBA songs for the rest of the week (and trying to book tickets for next week)!
Mamma Mia will be at the Opera House until February 11, and you can get tickets here.
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