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BrumHour saw Mamma Mia at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
By Dave Massey
Mamma Mia at Birmingham Hippodrome: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐”Packed with loads of brilliant ABBA hits”
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, book by Catherine Johnson
Sophie (Lydia Hunt) is getting married to Sky (Joe Grundy) and wants her father there. Her mother, Donna (Jenn Griffin) has never confirmed who her birth father is. So Sophie invites three possible fathers, Bill (Mark Goldthorp), Harry (Richard Meek) and Sam (Luke Jasztal) to her wedding to Sky.
The set consists of two large stone-style walls that rotate depending on the room or courtyard being shown. The costumes look modern and fun, and there are even some 1970s retro outfits to glam rock the theatre.
I’m not a huge fan of the film myself, and the actual is pretty secondary, but it has some nice touches about love, life and bowing to pressure around you. However, the audience’s excitement and the cheeky way the music is shoehorned in actually drew me into the performance here at Birmingham Hippodrome. The audience loved it, and patiently waited until the encore to get on their feet and dance.
Why didn’t Sophie just ask for a DNA test? Why do they all have South East England accents (apart from Bill) on a Greek Island? These questions were all fading as I started singing Dancing Queen at the end! The music is great, so many tracks I knew from the ABBA back catalogue.
This production runs for two hours and thirty-five minutes, including a twenty-minute interval. The production does ask that you avoid singing and taking photos or videos during the show and the curtain call.
Packed with loads of brilliant ABBA hits, Mamma Mia is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 30th May 2026. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/mamma-mia-three.
