Mamma Mia! at the The Civic

By SHELLEY HOWELLS

You'd have to be a career curmudgeon to not fall for the lightweight, campy, good-humoured charms of musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!

They took a couple of dozen Abba songs, including hits like I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do; Chiquitita; Dancing Queen and the rest, plonked them in a Greek island setting, and built a storyline around them.

Miraculously, and hilariously at times, it works. Half the fun to be had is trying to figure out how they'll segue from a moment of drama into a perky and, yes, cheese-like pop moment.

The slightly soppy story is as simple and silly as the tunes, with themes of friendship, love and lost youth. Sophie (Kellie Rode) is about to get married on said Greek island.

There's only one thing missing from love's young dream: a dad to give her away. Her solo mum Donna (Silvie Paladino) is keeping mum on his identity, so Sophie sneaks into Donna's old diaries and invites a shortlist of possible paters.

Which one of mum's old bonks will give Sophie away? No-strings, all-Aussie bloke Bill (Peter Hardy), poncy pom Harry (John O'May) or twitchy architect Sam (Bruce Roberts)?

Who cares, when there are wittily contrived excuses to whip out the platforms and lycra jumpsuits and let rip?

To take a fistful of 70s pop songs and merge them into a cohesive, contemporary narrative is a tall order, so you forgive the storyline's wafer-like qualities.

What was hard to forgive on opening night was the wonky sound which drowned out the vocals at the start, and perforated the odd eardrum after the interval.

The standout performers were Paladino as Donna (a ripper rendition of The Winner Takes it All) and her highly talented comic sidekicks, played by Emma Powell and Jennifer Vuletic.


It's the show's knowing, ironic good humour that gives you the excuse to let loose without too many glances over the shoulder to make sure no one has spotted you cheering like a happy idiot.

Mamma Mia! turned out to be as infectiously catchy as the hits it's based on.