Mamma Mia! hardly needs good reviews to survive.  Whilst other shows around London’s West End post up their closing notices, Catherine Johnson’s musical, shaped around no fewer than twenty two ABBA hits (as well as some lesser known ones), continues to sell out every night with audiences dancing nostalgically in the aisles by the curtain call.  Five years after its opening, and now with over a dozen productions worldwide, the London production of Mamma Mia! has transferred to the recently refurbished and renovated Prince of Wales Theatre where it looks set to enjoy a successfully enduring run.

The £7 million refurbishment of the production’s venue is a sight to behold in itself; luxurious, spacious bar facilities, ample lavatories (my female companion informed me she did not have to queue) and elegant art deco chic greet the audience upon arrival.  The wide auditorium has also been reconfigured to provide better sightlines, increased comfort (has a theatre ever offered so much legroom?) and a touch of class, with burnished reds, coppers and subtle lighting effects decorating the space.  Thanks to Cameron Mackintosh, we now have another West End theatre to be proud of, and the theatregoing experience is a pleasant one both inside and out of the auditorium.

Thanks to Phyllida Lloyd, her creative team and her sparkling, energetic cast, we also have a show to be proud of.  Unlike the soulless, mindless compilation musicals such as We Will Rock You and Tonight’s The Night also running, Mamma Mia! has a great deal of heart, thanks largely to Catherine Johnson’s touching, human, witty book.  Whilst cleverly incorporating ABBA’s songs into her tale of a mother whose daughter desperately wishes to find her father before she gets married on a Greek Island, Johnson offers a sensitive observation of youth, middle age and familial relationships.  Often hilariously funny, other times heartbreakingly moving, her achievement is to raise the book’s game above that of a standard tribute show.  At times, the narrative drive falters as the songs take over, particularly in the more low-key, emotionally complicated second half, but Johnson largely overcomes this with her intelligent treatment.

Lloyd’s production functions similarly well in its treatment of the material.  Her staging is handsome, colourful and energetic, full of quirky humour and affectionate touches and benefits from not taking itself too seriously; a few deliberately self conscious pauses indicate the launch into yet another ABBA number with a touch of comic irony.  Set against Mark Thompson’s flexible rustic Greek taverna setting and complemented by Howard Harrison’s gorgeously evocative lighting, the evening bursts forth with all the warmth and vibrancy of a summer’s day.

The cult 70s band’s songs may not be the easiest to deliver, and this shows in some of the vocals, many of which need to be beefed up with heavy backing.  This, however, is compensated by radiant performances by a uniformly excellent cast.  Vivien Parry lends a touching combination of single-mother toughness and sensitivity to Donna, and her rendition of “The Winner Takes It All” brings the house down.  As her daughter, Sophie, Alexandra Jay is winningly sweet, yearning and confused as she grapples to gain a sense of self-identity.  They are also have magnificent support, particularly from the hilarious Lara Mulcahy and brassy Kim Ismay as Donna’s former band member friends.

Mamma Mia! may have moved, but intact is the charm, vibrancy and camp sense of “feel-good” which make it a delightful evening’s entertainment.  Thank ABBA for the music, but also thank Lloyd, Johnson and their team for making their music into art.

For more info you can visit the MAMMA MIA! website: www.mamma-mia.com

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