It’s the world’s most-loved jukebox musical, but not as you know it.
Mamma Mia! takes to the stage at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre for the first time from 25 October to 9 November, courtesy of The Very Popular Theatre Company.
While hit after ABBA hit and an expertly crafted set imported from Sydney will sweep you off your feet and transport you to the Greek islands, you’ll have an inkling you’re not too far from home with hints of the Hunter peppered throughout.
“One of the dads says he grew up in East Maitland, then he later changes his story to say Bennetts Green,” says Daniel Stoddart, who plays Sam Carmichael – one of three potential dads to bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan.
“[Director] Erin James has really worked to give the show that Novocastrian feel, so, while you may have seen it before, you haven’t seen this version.”
Nick Stabler (Harry Bright) and James Chapman (Bill Austin) round out the cast for the three dads, joining Phoebe Bayliss as Sophie and Rachelle Schmidt-Adnum as her mother, Donna.
The heroines were most notably played by Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep in the 2008 film adaptation of Catherine Johnson’s play, in which Sophie invites three men from her mother’s past, any one of whom could be her father, to her wedding to Sky on the island of Kalokairi.
A series of events unravels on Sophie’s quest to unearth the truth, as she learns that family is about more than sharing DNA.
Produced in thousands of languages the world over, the musical was especially popular on Broadway, where it enjoyed a 14-year run that came to an end in 2015.
Layer upon layer of ABBA chart-topping hits (22, to be exact) will have you up on your feet and dancing the night away.
Tickets to Mamma Mia!’s Newcastle season are available through Ticketek.
– By: Georgia Osland
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