Review: Mamma Mia! at the Edinburgh Playhouse

The international smash hit returns to Edinburgh, proving the winner that takes it all when it comes to Jukebox Musicals.

It is a rare thing for a stage musical to outshine its Hollywood counterpart so definitively, yet the international tour of Mamma Mia!—currently docked at the Edinburgh Playhouse—does exactly that. While the film may have offered star power, this stage production offers something far more vital: a cast that can sing.

For a first-time viewer of this global phenomenon, the experience is startlingly cohesive. It looks good, sounds good, and feels good from start to end. But the secret to its endurance isn’t just the Abba back catalogue; it is the craft with which that catalogue is wielded.

Constructing the Chaos

The premise is by now pop-culture folklore: on a sun-drenched Greek island, 20-year-old Sophie is about to marry Sky. In a bid to have her father walk her down the aisle, she invites three men from her mother Donna’s past, having pilfered their names from a diary written during a fateful summer decades prior.

It is a simple setup, but the execution is sophisticated. Director Phyllida Lloyd deserves immense credit for overseeing such a joyful, naturally flowing story. She delights in the romantic muddle of Catherine Johnson’s book, yet keeps things ticking along with such precision that the ultimate crisis feels like an inevitable consequence of the characters’ actions, rather than a contrivance enforced by the tracklist.

It is a rare thing for a stage musical to outshine its Hollywood counterpart so definitively…

In a genre often plagued by shoehorned hits and clunky transitions, the segues here feel bespoke. Abba’s songbook is wide and deep, but the inclusions feel almost made for the drama, aided by the occasional lyric swap or well-judged tempo change. The first act is particularly strong, pacing Sophie’s earnestly naive conspiracy from hopeful letters to the chaotic arrival of her three potential fathers. While the second act is a little slower—allowing the wedding preparations to take centre stage—it is never unforgivably so.

Leading Ladies: Vocals and Verve

The production is anchored by Jen Griffin, the unquestioned star of the show as Donna Sheridan. She brings a perfect pop mezzo-soprano voice to every track she touches, infusing the matriarch with genuine grit and heart. Her majestic take on The Winner Takes It All in the second act is quite simply spine-tingling, a moment where the “jukebox” label falls away to reveal genuine theatrical power.

Leading the younger contingent is Lydia Hunt as Sophie. Charming and energised, Hunt possesses the youthful verve required for Abba’s more playful numbers. Her rendition of Honey, Honey is cleverly used to soundtrack the exploration of Donna’s diary with her friends, while The Name of the Game is deployed with sweet precision as she begins quizzing her potential fathers.

Donna’s dynamos—her former backing singers and best friends—provide sterling support. Rosie Glossop brings classic sitcom energy to Rosie, while Marisa Harris (covering for Sarah Earnshaw on press night) creates a witty siren as Tanya. Nowhere is this clearer than in her rendition of Does Your Mother Know. Fizzing with martini-dry wit, Harris turns the number into a masterclass of physical comedy, fending off her youthful admirer with playful disdain. It is a moment of pure camp perfection that rightly has the audience roaring.

**Joe Grundy as Sky and the cast_c_Brinkhoff-Moegenburg**

The Men of the Island

The male principal cast generally keeps pace with the women, though with varying degrees of success in the sound mix. Luke Jasztal makes a quietly charming Sam Carmichael, the architect who got away, though his voice was often under-amplified on press night. It is a pity, as his Knowing Me, Knowing You sounded good if you listened carefully. His wasn’t the only voice a little lost, but was certainly the most noticeable.

Richard Meek makes a suitably boyish Harry ‘Headbanger’ Bright, while Mark Goldthorp brings serious comedy chops to the likeable, slightly dishevelled adventurer Bill Austin. Goldthorp shines in a comedy highlight opposite Glossop, who sets her amorous eyes on him during a sensationally fun rendition of Take a Chance on Me.

As Sky, Sophie’s fiancé, Joe Grundy is suitably tall, handsome, and likeable, holding his own in the romantic stakes and contributing well to their duets.

Design, Choreography and Musicality

Visually, the production is a masterclass in creating a sense of place without excessive architecture. Mark Thompson’s design centres upon the bleached walls of Donna’s tavern which swivel easily to become bedrooms or winding island streets complete with a fateful post box. Bathed in Howard Harrison’s gorgeous, evocative lighting, the stage radiates the heat of the Mediterranean.

Musically, the show is in safe hands. The tight band, under the baton of Carlton Edwards, is in superb form. They deliver Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’s iconic songs in full-bodied style, adhering to the clever arrangements of Martin Koch. Listen out for some particularly superb synth keyboard action underlining those iconic bangers.

The big set pieces are sensational, driven by Anthony Van Laast’s joyful choreography and a super ensemble who belt out the hits with polyphonic joy. Highlights include a disco-infused Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! and a wonderfully comic Lay All Your Love on Me, where a romantic moment is interrupted by a snorkel-and-flipper-wearing stag party.

The production is anchored by Jen Griffin, the unquestioned star of the show as Donna Sheridan.

However, the spectacle truly peaks as the first act closes with Voulez-Vous. Exploding onto the stage as a high-octane assault on the senses, the movement shifts gear from sunny idyll to a frenetic dizziness that perfectly mirrors Sophie’s confusion. The ensemble, tightly drilled and electric, delivers a kinetic spectacle that leaves the audience breathless for the interval.

The Verdict

One might note with some chagrin that Abba’s finest song, Head Over Heels, is absent from the setlist—I will accept no dissent on this evaluation of their work. However, I am prepared to forgive originating producer Judy Craymer for allowing this, as it was her vision and tenacity that convinced Benny and Björn to let her conjure a musical around their beloved, guarded songbook in the first place.

It is easy to see why that gamble has paid off with such longevity. Injecting Abba’s music into a romantic comedy was a safe bet, but embracing the meaning and heart in those compositions is what gives the show soul. The intimate pairing of their music with a funny, captivating rom-com makes for melodious, unvarnished, and delicious escapism.

If that’s not enough then there’s always the encore as the cast re-emerges in blinding neon-spandex for a medley of Dancing Queen and Waterloo. The theatre promptly transforms into a glitter-bombed mini pop concert ensuring even the most cynical observer floats out into the night on a wave of unadulterated joy.

Featured Image: Sarah Earnshaw as Tanya, Jenn Griffin as Donna and Rosie Glossop as Rosie_c_Brinkhoff-Moegenburg