Mamma Mia!
★★★★☆ Super Douper
Playhouse Theatre: Tues Dec – Sun 4 Jan 2025
Review by Sophie Good
Mamma Mia!, the ABBA jukebox musical, shimmies its way from a small Greek island into the Playhouse where it it will stay over the Christmas season and into the New Year.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary and having played to over 70 million people worldwide, Mamma Mia! led the way and very much set the standard for a surge in popularity of jukebox musicals.
Lydia Hunt as Sophie and the cast of Mamma Mia!. Pic: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Two things set Mamma Mia! apart in the now tried and tested formula and keep it as one of the best.
The first is not just that the music is by ABBA but that it was developed creatively with the band’s Bjorn and Benny. And yes, their back catalogue means there’s a song for every occasion with enough disco, tales of heartbreak and everything in between to slot into a story.
The second is that it has an actual proper plot. Catherine Johnson’s book – originally directed by Phyllida Lloyd – takes us to a Greek island where Sophie (Lydia Hunt) is about the get married at the tender age of 20. Wanting her father to be there, but not knowing who he is, she invites the three possible candidates to the wedding, without telling her mother, Donna (Jenn Griffin).
Cue a classic caper in which all three men turn up to meet their old flame.
At its heart, this is a story abut a mother-daughter relationship, as well as enduring female friendships – both Sophie and Donna’s closest girlfriends travel to witness the nuptials. The bond between Donna and Sophie is crucial to the audience caring about what happens.
engaging and authentic
Hunt and Griffin realise that well: they are engaging and authentic; while their acting chops meet their vocal talent. Griffin’s Donna, in particular, brings the house down with her heart-rending version of The Winner Takes it All.
Sarah Earnshaw as Tanya, Jenn Griffin as Donna and Rosie Glossop as Rosie. Pic: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Rosie Glossop and Marisa Harris who play Donna’s besties Rosie and Tanya, do equally well. Glossop’s imploring of potential dad Bill (an entertaining Mark Goldthrop) to Take a Chance On Me is a real crowd pleaser. Harris brings much glamour and power to the role of rich and intimidating Tanya, particularly in her star number Does Your Mother Know.
When the three women come together on numbers such as Dancing Queen they really do bring the disco and fun of the original Abba numbers to life.
female friendships
This is very much a story about female friendships, and where the men appear – potential dads Luke Jasztal as Sam and Richard Meek as Harry joining Goldthrop’s Bill – they are less impactful. Much like his film counterpart Pierce Brosnan, Jasztal lacks the exuberance or vocal range to really make the role as enigmatic as it could be.
Mark Goldthrop as Bill, Luke Jasztal as Sam and Richard Meek as Harry. Pic: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Joe Grundy as Sophie’s boyfriend, Sky, does his best to be appealing. Perhaps the role is underwritten as he fails to give much depth to his character.
However, the lads in their diving gear at the stag do are highly entertaining and Joseph Veller as Pepper and Ehtan Casey-Clothier as Eddie do a great acrobatic and energetic turn in Lay All Your Love On Me. Where the piece struggles more is in creating authentic dialogue or believable moments between characters. These are simply too short or leading into the next song but the memorable hits are where this show really thrives.
sing-along sing-song
The ensemble numbers are where the high notes are hit and where you find the story of Sophie trying to discover who her real father is; woven into the disco classic Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! as the hen and stag dos collide on the dancefloor. That’s where the magic happens and everyone wants to be in amongst the action.
And of course, let’s not forget that there is an almighty sing-along sing-song at the end where everyone can enjoy the sheer campness of grown men and women in shiny jumpsuits belting out Waterloo and Super Trouper.
Is it festive? Not especially. Is it fun for all the family and total escapism? Absolutely. Did our eight year old reviewer leave belting out Abba tunes? Of course she did.
Mamma Mia! remains a really enjoyable all-rounder that is crowd pleasing and toe-tapping throughout.
Running time: Two hours and 35 minutes (including one interval)
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA.
Tuesday 9 Dec 2025 – Sunday 4 Jan 2026.
Tue – Sat, & Mon 29 Dec: 7.30pm; Thurs, Sat, Sun Mats: 2.30pm
No show 25, 31 Dec & 1 Jan; Extra mat: 24 (no 7.30pm show), 30 Dec & 2 Jan.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Joe Grundy as Sky and the cast of Mamma Mia!. Pic: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.
ENDS
