Mamma Mia the Musical Review

I went to see Mamma Mia the Musical in the Novello Theatre, London, for my Silver Arts Award.

About the show

I watched Mamma Mia the Musical. It is all based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. The musical includes hit songs such as ’Super Trouper’, ’Lay All Your Love On Me’, ’Dancing Queen’, ’Money Money Money’, ’Voulez-Vouz’, ’Mamma Mia’, and more. Currently, in 2020, the show has productions in London’s West End, in which it is the seventh longest-running show in West End history.

The storyline

The musical is set on a Greek Island and it tells the story of Sophie, a bride-to-be. For her wedding, she only wants her unknown father to walk her down the aisle. She boldly invites three of her mother's previous lovers in the hope that she will find out who her father is, has a great wedding and lives happily ever after, but she doesn't realise how that could make or break her special day.

Light

* The lighting is used really effectively to reflect the mood of the scene, for example, in the song ’Thank You For the Music’, a very natural is projected onto the stage. This shows the simplicity of the song.
* Disco lights for songs such as ’Voulez-Vouz’, and ’Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’, shows the party fun mood in the musical.

Music

* The musical performances we're all entertaining and so fun to watch.
* All the performers had extremely strong and clear voices and the mood was portrayed accurately onstage according to the song.

Dance

* The dances were all very enjoyable to watch.
* It included a small amount of disco dance and jazz.
* Most of the dances reflected excitement and passion from the leaping movements and small stunts, such as somersaults.

The backdrop

* The backdrop is a two-piece stage prop structured as a building which is used as a cafe, bedroom, outside area, post box and more throughout the show.
* Behind the 3D prop was a 2D backdrop which was either painted or printed onto the wall. The scene was a house with white stairs coming down and the sea in the background.

What could be improved?

During the show, there were some incidents in which the performers were slightly organised onstage and their positioning was a bit odd. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

What I enjoyed

What I liked about the show was how each character was portrayed in a very prominent way, regardless of whether the role was major or minor. Each character had an impact on the show and all the acting, dancing and singing together was very powerful and strong.

Why I would recommend the show

I would recommend this musical because of its great interesting storyline and the stunning performance in the Novello Theatre. I would recommend it for 12 years and above since there are a couple of scenes unsuitable for smaller children. Overall Mamma Mia the Musical is a great musical.

Author

Megha Sahu

Megha Sahu

Silver art award

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6 Comments

  • Emma Beaton

    On 2 March 2020, 11:38 Emma Beaton commented:

    Hi Megha. This sounds like a brilliant production! Your review highlights some really interesting features. Could you see or hear the live band that was playing? I wonder if you have seen the film version of this show whether you felt it was similar or better/worse and why?

  • Megha Sahu

    On 2 March 2020, 20:44 Megha Sahu commented:

    Thank you Miss Beaton. Yes I could see and hear the live band playing and it was incredible. I have seen the movie and I love it but I prefer the musical because it gives the audience a feeling as if they are there and it is a very fun experience.

  • Olivia Leigh

    On 2 March 2020, 21:01 Olivia Leigh commented:

    A great review Megha, it really explains thoroughly about the production and what you enjoyed. I was wondering, Which would you recommend more, the production or the film? Also, how was the atmosphere different in comparison to the film?

  • Megha Sahu

    On 2 March 2020, 21:43 Megha Sahu commented:

    Thanks Olivia. I would probably recommend the musical more than the movie although they are both good. The atmosphere was different than watching the movie because the mood was created with the different light and music which could only be shown on a screen in the movie since it isn't live.

  • Samantha Skerry

    On 11 March 2020, 21:13 Samantha Skerry commented:

    This is a really detailed review - well done! Would you recommend this to only people who have either watched the movie or enjoy musicals/songs/dancing or do you think all over 12s will enjoy the performance?

  • Megha Sahu

    On 11 March 2020, 21:33 Megha Sahu commented:

    Thanks Samantha. I would probably recommend it to all people over the age of 12 although people who enjoy musicals would like this, in my opinion.

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