Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reviewed Saturday 24 May 2025).
I must have been hiding under a rock all this time because I thought Mamma Mia! was a production about the formation of ABBA. So what a lovely surprise to discover a completely different storyline connected to it, inspired by an ABBA soundtrack. Blackout Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia! is delivered with soul, and I am not usually a crier, but damn, I was crying. The life experience of the cast shines through, delivering performances that touched my broken heart in ways I didn’t expect. Now I’m crying again.
So, if not ABBA, then what’s the story? We have a young couple about to get married in a gorgeous villa in Greece run by the bride’s mother. The bride to be wants to invite her father to walk her down the isle…except she isn’t exactly sure who her father is. Her mother is a free spirit, never married, and there are three possibilities according to her secret diary. All three men are invited, unknowing who actually sent them the invite, and clueless about why they are there. As events unfold, we learn that time is a gift, and how it shapes and changes people.
The music and lyrics of ABBA (composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus) provide the soundtrack to this musical with some songs by Stig Anderson (ABBA’s manager), hence the title, Mamma Mia!
Judy Craymer’s concept and Catherine Johnson’s book provide authentic reflection and empowering statements for an older woman, that she can be seen and be successful with or without a man, and that is never too late to find love on her own terms.
The credits for cast and crew is enormous, so I will just say that everyone is a committed superstar on stage and behind the scenes. The gorgeous set, the stagecraft, the thumping music (that had us all dancing!), the energy, the costumes, the clear enunciation of a very witty script was in a league that surpassed some of the bigger shows we reviewed this week.
Loved the idea of a media wall! It really feels like a red carpet moment.
You don’t have to be an ABBA fan to enjoy this. But you probably will be afterwards.
Mamma Mia is playing at Pioneer Theatre in Castle Hill til 1st June. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://www.pioneertheatre.com.au/whats-on/mamma-mia
Image Credits:
Cam McCredie & Maria Gorelik