Review: Mamma Mia! at The Civic

Mamma Mia! delivers plenty of surprises. Photo / Supplied

With more fizz than an exploding champagne bottle and enough feel-good factor to fuel a cheerleaders' convention, Mamma Mia! thoroughly justifies the exclamation mark that is part of the show's title.

Anyone who has spent the past three decades trying to get Abba tunes out of their head will be amazed at the persistence of memory. These songs have permanently insinuated themselves into our collective subconscious.

The lyrics are vague enough to carry whatever meaning we project on to them and the music has a resonance that connects with our most intimate personal dramas. As with all great pop songs, they create an individualised soundtrack that encourages us to believe that our everyday lives are part of a Hollywood epic.

But the stage show is much more than a tribute to the Swedish quartet who brought us some of the 70s' most finely crafted pop songs while routinely committing some of that decade's most egregious fashion crimes.

Most of Abba's hits, along with some lesser-known gems, have been artfully welded into a tightly plotted romantic comedy that manages to deliver plenty of surprises even as it approaches the inevitable climax with I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.

The story hinges on a real and emotionally convincing exploration of inter-generational conflict. A feisty solo mother and her pals are desperately trying to relive their misspent youth while mocking the conservatism of the younger generation.

The children of these hedonistic baby-boomers are represented by a vivacious 20-year-old who longs to connect with her absent father and yearns for the wholesome family values she never knew.

The lead role is carried off with panache by Miria Parvin, who captures the innocent enthusiasm of a high school musical in a dazzling version of Voulez-Vous but also displays an impressive emotional range in numbers like I Have a Dream and Slipping Through My Fingers.

In the role of the mother, Jackie Clune seemed to be sleepwalking through the lycra-fest of Super Trouper but movingly conveys her character's emotional turmoil and connects with the raw power of the divorce ballad The Winner Takes it All.

The superbly choreographed chorus and supporting cast provide plenty of exuberant humour, most notably in Michael Beckley's brilliant display of physical comedy in a hilarious rendition of Take A Chance on Me.

What: Mamma Mia!
Where: The Civic, to October 18