CHRIS THURMAN: Winning Mama Mia production takes it all
Accomplished cast makes it easy for audience to accept illusion of frivolity, harmony and easy resolution
A friend of mine turned 60 a couple of years ago, when Covid-19 restrictions prevented her from marking the occasion in a suitable fashion. But recently she made up for that missed opportunity in some style, organising a belated 60th birthday weekend getaway with a multigenerational gang of family and friends — every member of the group a mensch, fully committed to honouring this special person, and to celebrating life in all its messy glory.
From the start it was clear that there was only one apt theme for such a gathering: it was to be a “Mamma Mia Dancing Queen Party”. The pop cultural status of Catherine Johnson and Judy Cramer’s jukebox musical has made Mamma Mia! shorthand not only for ABBA’s repertoire of songs but also for Greek island aesthetics and for high-spirited romantic comedy. You can’t bring a maudlin or cynical state of mind to a Mamma Mia event. Instead, you can bring a chaotic mélange of 1980s’ disco fashion and beachware. Dancing and singing are compulsory...
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