Mamma Mia! at The Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham.
30th September 2026.
Since it first opened in London in 1999, this gloriously sunny celebration of the music of ABBA has become one of the world’s biggest theatrical successes, spawning productions across the globe not to mention two hit films. The story is wonderfully simple: set on a Greek island, young Sophie is about to get married and invites three men from her mother Donna’s past, any one of whom could be her father. Cue the revealing of secrets, rekindling of old romances, all accompanied by an enormous number of ABBA bangers. This touring production arrives at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall with exactly the right attitude. It is bright, brash, knowingly silly and completely unashamed of its campy charms. And I love it from the get go.
At the centre of everything is Jenn Griffin as Donna, and she is terrific. There is a lovely warmth to her performance, but she also throws herself enthusiastically into the comedy as well as the emotional moments. Her relationship with daughter Sophie gives the story its heart, while her scenes with her pals (the Dynamos) are some of the funniest parts of the evening. Her voice is absolutely magnificent. Speaking of the Dynamos, Sarah Earnshaw’s Tanya is a particular delight. She brings bags of personality and comic timing to the role, while Lauren Woolf’s Rosie is wonderfully chaotic. Together, the three women have the kind of chemistry that makes their friendship feel completely believable, even when the plot becomes increasingly bonkers.
Hazel Baldwin makes an engaging Sophie, balancing youthful excitement with the uncertainty of a young woman trying to work out who she is. Samuel Downey is excellent as her husband-to-be Sky, while Richard Taylor Woods, Simon Victor and Arvid Larsen provide plenty of charm and chuckles as the three potential fathers. The huge ensemble deserves enormous credit too: the energy never drops, and the stage feel constantly alive.
The production team understands exactly what Mamma Mia! needs. The direction (Phyllida Lloyd) and choreography (Anthony Van Laast) keep everything moving at a wonderfully brisk pace, while the simple set (Mark Thompson) transports us effortlessly to that familiar (we wish) Greek island world. Nothing here is remotely subtle and nor should it be.
And then there is the iconic music. From ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Super Trouper’ to ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’, ‘Voulez-Vous’ and, inevitably, ‘Mamma Mia!’, this opening night audience is rendered incapable of sitting still. The band, under the direction of Carlton Edwards, sounds fantastic, and the performances of the songs have enough energy to turn the Royal Concert Hall into one enormous powerhouse of a party.
What makes this production so irresistible is that it understands exactly what its audience wants: escapism, laughter, romance, great tunes and the freedom to be just a little bit ridiculous for a couple of hours. There is nothing remotely cynical about it. Instead, it throws itself wholeheartedly into the camp, the glitter and the sheer joy of ABBA, and the audience happily comes along for the ride.
I leave the Royal Concert Hall grinning from ear to ear, surrounded by people who have been doing exactly what musical theatre should encourage us to do – forgetting about everything else and having a brilliant time. Mamma Mia! is exuberant, unapologetically silly and gloriously good fun. Frankly, what’s not to love?
