REVIEW: The Winner Takes it All! - MAMMA MIA! captures hearts and minds at Scarborough Open Air Theatre

A good-natured crowd of all ages gathered to watch the performance, a wide-ranging mix of old and young, with many in brightly coloured outfits befitting of one of the most colourful musicals to hit the stage in recent years. The irresistibly funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island idyll has been popular with audiences around the world since it began, even sparking a movie spin-off and sequel, such has been its popularity. The show is told in a mix of prose and song, with many of Abba’s best-known songs worked effortlessly into the dialogue to aid the story telling. The show centres around Donna (Nicky Swift), her daughter Sophie (Jess Michelmore) and the three possible dads Bill (Phil Corbitt), Sam (Richard Standing) and Harry (Neil Craig). It would be easy to say that Nicky Swift stole the show with her incredible vocal performances, but that simply isn’t true. Every single member of the cast had show-stealing moments of their own, perfect comedy timing from Dynamos Claire Greenaway (Rosie) and Sarah Earnshaw (Tanya) had the audiences in fits of laughter, while members of the supporting cast effected scene changes and performed dance moves that Ashley Banjo himself would have been proud to choreograph (special mention should go here to Jayden Oshenye as Pepper for his superb moves during Does your Mother Know?). As for the dads, Richard Standing’s smooth voice and charismatic personality is certain to have many of the audience dreaming of a Greek Island getway in the near future. Jess Michelmore, who holds the show together as the charming Sophie, captured the audiences hearts from the first moment she walked on stage. Pitch-perfect renditions of much loved classics, coupled with a cheeky and cheerful disposition helped endear her to the crowd, and you can’t help but root for her to get the outcome she wants throughout the show. Regular visitors to the OAT may find it hard to keep themselves in their seats as top-chart tunes rain down from the stage, but this is, after all a theatre production and the aim is to watch the story unfold, not party your way through it. That said, the cast know their audience well, and the crowd were encouraged to their feet (not that it took much doing) – to dance away during the show’s rip-roaring finale. It’s rare for the West End to visit a venue like Scarborough Open Air theatre, and a pleasure to have a high quality performance with such a large cast on our doorstep. Tickets for the remaining performances are available for a little over £20 each (£28 for weekend shows) to find out more visit: https://scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/whats-on/