MAMA hits 75 with Shrek
Musselburgh company celebrate 75 years
MAMA, the Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association, will celebrate its 75th year with a production of Shrek the Musical at the Loretto School Theatre, from 12 to 15 February 2025.
Things are a bit different this year – usually they would have already had a variety show under their belt with their annual Winter Revue. But with the discovery of RAAC at the Brunton theatre and subsequent permanent closure, that has been shelved until April and the annual production brought forward.
The cast of Shrek the Musical, from MAMA.
Shrek the Musical, of course, features an unlikely hero in big green ogre, Shrek, who sets of with his sidekick a talking Donkey off to save Princess Fiona, so that shrill wee baddie, evil Lord Farquaad, will take back the fairytale characters he has banished from the Kingdom of Duloc and leave Shrek to maunder in glorious isolation on his swamp.
The production will run from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 February, with performances nightly at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2pm.
Entry to the Loretto Theatre is in Millhill, Musselburgh EH21 7RG – through the gate opposite the Musselburgh racetrack entrance. Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting at £18 for adults and £15 for children.
Proud
A spokesperson for MAMA said: “We’re incredibly proud to be celebrating 75 years of bringing musical theatre to Musselburgh, and we can’t think of a better way to mark this milestone than with Shrek The Musical.
“It’s a show that the whole family can enjoy, with memorable songs, a fantastic cast, and a heartwarming message about embracing what makes you unique. We can’t wait to share it with our audience!”
They add that what with Shrek The Musical being a favourite with both young and old audiences, this is an ideal opportunity to introduce children to the magic of live theatre while enjoying an evening out.
Di Rollo
Ice-cream fans are in for an even bigger treat. The company has collaborated with local ice-cream makers Di Rollo, who have created a special ice-cream for the show.
MAMA was formed in the autumn of 1950 when a few members of staff at the Musselburgh and Fisherrow Cooperative Society, along with some friends, got together to discuss the possibility of forming a company to perform a musical stage show, a popular and expanding form of entertainment at the time.
successful
Their successful meeting led to the decision to recruit interested local residents and start rehearsals for A Country Girl, which they planned to perform in the spring of 1951. So the Cooperative Musical Association came into being. The name was later changed to Musselburgh Amateur Musical Association.
A Country Girl duly opened at the Stoneyhill Community Centre in April 1951. The show was an immediate success and plans were soon made to establish a musical production as an annual event.
The company has staged a musical every Spring since, missing two years in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, but staging two shows in 2022. In recent years it has added an annual Winter Revue, and a Christmas concert.
MAMA is renowned for keeping a strong core of local production members, while brings through a large number of youngsters.
Shrek – The Musical
Loretto School Theatre, Millhill, Musselburgh.
Wed 12 – Sat 15 Feb 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm, Sat mat: 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
MAMA 2025 Annual Variety Show!
Loretto School Theatre, Millhill, Musselburgh.
Fri 11/Sat 12 April 2025
Evenings: 7.30pm, Sat mat: 2pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
ENDS
