Review: MAMMA MIA! at the Isaac Theatre Royal

The international smash-hit musical Mamma Mia! opened last night in Christchurch at the beautifully restored Isaac Theatre Royal. It is the first of three hotly anticipated musicals to be put on by Showbiz Christchurch this year as part of a national consortium of theatre production partners.

Originally the brainchild of Judy Craymer, the concept for Mamma Mia! was to create a new musical based around the hit songs of the 1970s pop group ABBA. The playwright Catherine Johnson was brought onboard to create a modern story that could seamlessly mould with the pre-existing songs, many of which already contained inherently dramatic elements in the lyrics. Craymer herself had previously been the Executive Producer of the hugely successful stage musical Chess, the first musical to be written by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulaveus, which meant they already had a close working relationship when she began working on concepts for the show.

Set on a remote island in Greece, Mamma Mia! is a fun romantic comedy which tells the story of 20-year-old Sophie Sheridan and her search to find out who her father is before her upcoming wedding day. The catch is she has three possible fathers, and she has invited them all to the wedding (without knowing which one is her real father) and without telling anyone what she has done. Mamma Mia! looks at friendship, trust, the relationship between mothers and daughters, and at different generational views on feminism and marriage. The music of ABBA is fantastic and a real drawcard for the show, including hit songs such as 'Dancing Queen', 'Money, Money Money', 'Waterloo', 'Super Trouper' and the title song 'Mamma Mia'.

Juliet Reynolds Midgley has a standout performance as Donna Sheridan, the heart and soul of the show. Familiar to Christchurch audiences having performed the roles of Fantine in Les Miserables, Mrs Potts in Beauty and the Beast and most recently Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, her performance here is thoughtful and vocally compelling. 'The Winner Takes It All' is one of ABBA's most beloved and moving songs, and it is sung with sensitivity and power.

Mamma Mia! features a very strong ensemble cast with great actors, singers and dancers. While it is difficult to pick out individual performances, Emily Burns as Sophie Sheridan and Jason Reekers as Bill Austin are both excellent and leave their mark on their respective roles.

The sound design of any musical is of the utmost importance, and opening night was not free from its share of technical issues. Aside from missed microphone cues, much of the keyboard texture was thin and lost in the mix, and the backing vocals were often simply too loud, at times actually drowning out the leads. I'm sure these were just teething issues which will be resolved over the course of the season.

The set design by John Harding is excellent, recreating an idyllic Greek island paradise. And the costumes by Lesley Burkes-Harding are playful and joyously over-the-top, celebrating the 1970s in full spandex glory.

Mamma Mia! is a fantastic night out which literally has people dancing in the aisles. It is one of the longest running musicals in Broadway history and the music of ABBA is beloved the world over. It has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide, and has been translated into 21 different languages. Don't miss your chance to see this great show right here in Christchurch.

Mamma Mia! is on from March 31 to April 16 at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch.

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