"Mamma Mia!"
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall.
You just can't beat a really good feel-good piece of theatre, and this is one that I wouldn't take a chance on missing. I don't need to have a dream to predict how successful this show is going to be over the next couple of weeks.
This 2022 tour also celebrates 22 years since "Mamma Mia!" first appeared on the London stages, and it's still as much fun and irresistible as ever. You can feel the warmth of the Grecian sunshine emanating from the stage.
20-year-old Sophie is about to say I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do to the love of her life, Sky, and be his Dancing Queen. The invites have been sent out and the stage, quite literally, is set to host the most idyllic wedding ever on a fictional Greek island, in the sun. But Sophie is also on a mission to discover who her real father is, as she wants him to give her away at the ceremony.
At the moment there seems to be a showcase of local talent on stage and this show features the lovely local lady Sara Poyzer, who I've had the pleasure of seeing on stage in several productions locally.
Sara Poyzer (Donna Sheridan), is Sophie's mother. Sara's vocals are spot on, and her great range is on show in this jukebox musical. From the tender "Slipping Through My Fingers" to the powerhouse of a ballad, "The Winner Takes It All". In any other circumstances, this rendition would have had the audience on their feet, but as it was part of the musical, we had to wait until the bows to show our appreciation of Sara's vocal ability until the end. For me, Sara is Donna as no one, in my head would be able to top her performance.
Nicky Swift (Rosie) and Helen Anker (Tanya) play the former band members of the band Donna & The Dynamos; Donna being the third of the trio. What a pairing! Brilliant comedy, Great timing and wonderful voices, especially with Tanya, who combines all three in "Does Your Mother Know".
Richard Standing (Sam Carmichael), Phil Corbitt (Bill Austin), Daniel Crowder (Harry Bright), are the three prospective fathers. Sophie had found their names in Donna's diary for around the time of Sophie's conception and had sent them invites to the wedding. Does Her Mother, Donna, Know? No, she doesn't until they are already on the island! What a wonderful trio of actors, and what a performance, and they can all sing better than their film counterparts. Then again, even I can sing better than Pearce Brosnan!
Jena Pandya (Sophie Sheridan), is blessed with a beautiful voice and throughout you find yourself having her back, willing her to tie the knot with Sky. For anyone who has seen this musical, or the film, we all know how that ends, albeit a happy one. There is a real mother/daughter chemistry between Donna and Sophie, and that is thanks to the obvious chemistry between Sara and Jena. And the wedding dress is gorgeous, by the way!
Toby Miles (Sky), the fiancé. Well let's face it, a lot of ladies in the audience will have gone home very happy tonight for watching Toby in just a pair of pants. It's one of those musicals that everyone is beautiful, a bit like a Grecian Baywatch but without the slow motion running on the beach. But seriously, Toby is another well matched actor and you believe that his character is madly in love with Sophie, and his voice isn't bad either!
Jasmine Shen (Ali) and Mariella Mazzilli (Lisa), play the bridesmaids. What a bundle of fun these two are. They bounce onto the stage, full of energy and cheekiness, injecting their energy, fun and cheek into the first full song of the show, "Honey Honey" along with Jena.
James Willoughby Moore (Pepper) plays Sky's best man. Here is an actor who knows how to have fun on stage and he shows this by always having a cheeky look on his face and a twinkle in his eye. His dance moves are not only athletic and energetic, but amazingly good fun to watch, especially in the "Does Your Mother Know" section, where Pepper gets to be up close and personal with Tanya.
Corey Mitchell (Eddie)plays Sky and Pepper's friend. Another ladies' man, but then again aren't all of these lotharios on this Greek isle? This musical is definitely one for the ladies. Another fun character.
A large ensemble who dance their socks off, if they wore them, they would have been danced off, and creating, when all is said and done, a Taverna load of fun and energy. You just want to get on that stage and party with them, they are that kind of crowd.
You may have already surmised that the choreography in this show, by Anthony Van Laast, is some of the best on stage at the moment.
We can thank Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus from Abba for the music and lyrics. "Mamma Mia!" is written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. 
The set is designed by Mark Thompson, simple by design with two main pieces of scenery which is rotated for alternate scenes. Simple but very affective and easily moved into place.
The lighting design by Howard Harrison, and sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken, help create this incredible party atmosphere. It's almost like being at a concert.
Musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch. It's these arrangements which bring out the wonderful lyrics of the Abba songs and, unlike many jukebox musicals, the words fit well into the story, whereas some jukebox musicals seem to add the songs for no particular reason, maybe to fill a gap. Here it's different because listen to any Abba song and they tell a story, and that is what is so special in "Mamma Mia", it tells a story. 
Ramping the volume up also made it feel like a concert, and by the end of the show, where we were treated to three Abba classics with all the cast, that is how it felt with everyone on their feet singing and dancing along.
I've seen "Mamma Mia" a few times previously but just adore the music of Abba and this musical story, so for me it never gets old. There was one bit here though that I couldn't recall from the last time, and that is the nightmare sequence to open Act Two, to the song "Under Attack". If it is an addition, it's a welcome one in my book, and if not an addition, it was a lovely surprise, which goes to show that you have to see this musical several times over, as there is so much fun jammed into just over two hours of warm fuzziness.
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