Mamma Mia! - Harewood House - Still A Super Trouper Of A Show

The sound of geese flying overhead and a quarter moon shining down upon the audience are not things you would experience when you go to see a theatrical show - until now.

Mamma Mia! the long running musical based around the songs of Abba has gone al fresco with a two week run in the grounds of Harewood House. The show is the full production version that will continue its theatrical run once the Harewood dates have finished.

The huge stage gives the impression that you are about to witness a rock show only this time the audience is seated in fold up chairs they have brought along or sat on blankets, all within their socially distanced spot.

You might have seen the show many times, however the story for me, never tires. On a small Greek island, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding — one which includes her father giving her away. The problem is that she does not know who her dad is.

Her mother Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Sneaking a peek in her mother’s old diaries, she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill and Harry.

She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it may not be as clear as she thought. How the show ends might not be what you expect, but if you have not seen the show I will not spoil it for you.

The cast work well together with the mother and daughter relationship between Sophie - Lucy May Barker and her mother Donna - Sara Poyzer coming across convincingly. Donna’s two friends level headed Rosie - Nicky Swift and man-eating Tanya - Helen Anker provide some of the evening's best comedy moments.

The three prospective dads are as different as chalk and cheese: the architect Sam played by Richard Standing sees his character warm as the story progresses, whilst Harry the former banker lets Daniel Crowder ease into the role effortlessly, add to that the independent Bill which gives Phil Corbitt the opportunity to try out his Geordie accent.

The songs though are really the stars of Mamma Mia! If you listen carefully some of the lyrics have been changed so that they fit within the dialogue of the show. If you didn’t know the songs first time round you could be forgiven to think that they were written for the musical.

If you do go to the show at Harewood one piece of advice - the story on stage might be set in the Mediterranean but remember Harewood is a lot further north so wrap up well.

By the end of the evening you will up on your feet dancing along to the finale quicker than you can say Mamma Mia!

Runs until 30th August 2021
https://mamma-mia.com/harewood-house/