Dancing in the aisles with Mamma Mia
Chris’s Score: 3.5 Stars
It’s hard to have a theatre miss with this jukebox musical Mamma Mia. Hitting the semi-pro and amateur circuits for the first time this year in Australia, the joy expressed by both performers and audiences everywhere was on full display at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta for Packemin Productions’ Mamma Mia, co-directed by Jessica Fallico and Jordan Vassallo.
Mamma Mia uses well-loved songs of ABBA to tell the story of Sophie, played by Courtney Bell, and her mother Donna, played by Louise Symes, a single parent family living in the Greek Islands. The musical opens on a sunny jetty where Sophie (Bell) is posting three letters, which she later reveals to her friends (Megan Stack, Kira Leiva), to be wedding invitations to three men (Scott Irwin, Mark Simpson, Blake Erickson) one of whom must be her father—she just doesn’t know which one. What ensues is a hijinks of activity propelled forward by the timeline of the impending wedding and the discovery of which man is Sophie’s father.
Louise Symes performance as Donna was simple and understated and enjoyed a nice easy chemistry with her on stage daughter Courtney Bell. Bell did well as the fresh-faced Sophie and was consistent and lovely, although no doubt due to first night jitters shied away from the vulnerability that may have leant Sophie’s (Bell) character more depth. Chris White as Sky was a picture of cookie cutter perfection, exhibiting almost no on stage chemistry with his onstage fiancé (Bell). The favourites of the night were the two trios, Mark Simpson (Bill), Scott Irwin (Sam), Blake Erickson (Harry) and Rachael Gillfeather (Rosie), Debora Krizak (Tanya) and Louise Symes (Donna), who all brought depth, nuance and humour to the stage. Years treading the boards translated to a surefootedness and complex character construction that engaged the audience. The breathtaking Debora Krizak towers over almost everyone else on stage. Brilliantly cast Krizak brings her long-leggedness and perfect hair to bring Tanya to life in the form of a blonde bombshell who charmingly doesn’t take herself too seriously. Scott Irwin is handsome and nauseating in his chiselled perfection as Sam, but manages to imbue the character with just enough humility that he becomes multi-dimensional and lovely. Rachael Gillfeather as Rosie is warm, agile and lovable. Mark Simpson (Bill) was convincingly she’ll be right mate Aussie and Blake Erickson’s slightly camp Harry brought the house down with every unsubtle hip-swing and eye-roll, although his fake guitar playing needs work.
Set design by Josh Mcintosh did an admirable job at utilising the large vertical space of Riverside Theatre as well as creating the indoor outdoor space of the Greek Island location. Costume design by Audrey Currie was not over the top, but was enough to imply authenticity. The lighting by Sean Clarke was nicely done, supplying a lighting schema that added to the production by not drawing attention to itself but left us to admire the beautiful sunset. A special mention to Musical Director Peter Hayward and Associate Musical Director Rachel Kelly under whose direction the musical landscape of the show formed a flawlessly solid bed of sound, successfully replicating the full harmonic vocal schema that is associated with the ABBA sound.
I was surprised at the decision to use Australian accents, but after the initial adjustment it didn’t draw my attention again. The lack of the contrast between the residents of the Greek Island and the foreign visitors was another thing that leant itself to the lack of nuance in the created story-world.
Packemins’ Mamma Mia is simply good fun. It is not ground-breaking or amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but, I don’t believe that was ever the intention by any of the original creators, nor was it in this version. It is simply good humoured with lots of bright colours and energetic dance numbers. If a production is to be judged by the reaction of the audience, audience members laughed out loud and could be seen smiling and mouthing the words to every song. The music of ABBA has such an individual bond and history with almost every audience member as part of the soundtrack of our lives. In the case of Packemins’ Mamma Mia I will judge it purely by the entire audience who by the end were standing up dancing and singing with the cast during the final reprise. For a short time Mamma Mia was the site of a dream where the human community sang and danced together in the velvet lined rows of the Riverside Theatre, on the banks of the Parramatta River qualifying it as a great night for all.
Christina Donoghue – Theatre Now Sydney
Photography: Grant Leslie
Mamma Mia
by Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
2 – 17 August 2019
Friday 2 August at 11am – Preview/Schools Performance
Friday 2 August at 7:30pm – Opening Night
Saturday 3 August at 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday 4 August at 3pm
Wednesday 7 August at 7:30pm
Thursday 8 August at 7:30pm
Friday 9 August at 7:30pm – Audio Described Performance
Saturday 10 August at 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday 11 August at 11am & 4pm
Venue: Riverside Theatre
Theatre Company: Packemin Productions
Duration: N/A
Wednesday 14 August at 7:30pm
Thursday 15 August at 7:30pm
Friday 16 August at 7:30pm
Saturday 17 August at 2pm & 7:30pm
Packemin Productions, the team behind the hit productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Shrek, Wicked, Legally Blonde and The Phantom Of The Opera, will transport you to a Greek island paradise at Riverside Theatres, bursting onto the stage with a brand new production of one of the world’s favourite feel-good musicals… MAMMA MIA!
Starring Scott Irwin (Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story) as Sam, Debora Krizak (Sweet Charity, Anything Goes) as Tanya, Courtney Bell (Madiba The Musical) as Sophie, Blake Erickson (Madiba The Musical, Les Miserables) as Harry, Mark Simpson (Hairspray, Kinky Boots) as Bill, Louise Symes as Donna, Chris White (Hi-5) as Sky, along with a large cast of upbeat, energetic musical theatre performers, Mamma Mia promises to be an entertaining night out at the theatre.
Featuring hit after hit from the incredible songs of ABBA including Dancing Queen, Voulez Vous, S.O.S, Take a Chance On Me and The Winner Takes It All, MAMMA MIA tells the hilarious and heart-warming story of a young woman’s search for her birth father. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.
A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget! MAMMA MIA is the perfect musical for the whole family.
Ticket Prices
PREVIEW
Adult: $49
School Groups: $35
Groups 10+ $47
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FRI/SAT/SUN
PREMIUM
Adults $65
Concession $60
Youth 30&U $60
WED/THUR
PREMIUM
Adults $62
Concession $57
Youth 30&U $57
A RESERVE
Adults $52
Concession $47
Youth 30&U $47
Groups 10+ $47
A RESERVE
Adults $55
Concession $50
Youth 30&U $50
Groups 10+ $50
Transaction fees apply
Phone $4.60
Web $3.60
Counter $2.60
School Bookings $3.30
