Mamma Mia! – The Musical
Lyric Theatre
Sydney, Australia
27 May 2023
Memory tends to work either through the reverberation of strong emotions or through repetition, which is something that the Swedish supergroup ABBA had perfectioned ever since the quartet first incarnated more than five decades ago in Stockholm.
The fact that ABBA split up in 1982 has not changed their status as one of pop’s most triumphant acts with a sheer endless catalogue of ridiculously catchy wall-to-wall hits, proving that music is just as good a medium for all the significant feelings as written, metrical composition.
With no shortage of ABBA tributes, ABBAtars and the omnipresence of their tunes, the global musical phenomenon MAMMA MIA! has established itself as one of their more successful franchises centred around twenty-two of the most iconic and uplifting songs of the pop juggernaut.
Tonight’s Australian production features Donna Sheridan, known from her role as Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda The Musical, and the emerging Australian actor Sarah Krndija, who supported by an illustrious cast of talent are set in scene by Director Gary Young, sharp acrobatic choreography acts courtesy of Tom Hodgson and Michael Waters’ excellent bright sound design.
The result is an immensely contagious fun night of danceable rhythms with the storyline and symmetrical narrative being mere vessels for the music with the atmosphere that ensues being not a welcome side-effect but an integral component of the equation that provides a light-hearted forum for audiences to let their hair down.
