It doesn't take a lot to persuade to me to travel to see Sophia perform, so when Jasmine of the Lucy Harris fansite tried to lure me with the promise of two front row Mamma Mia tickets, I had to seriously think about it....two seconds later I was busy booking my train tickets to Euston.

The plan was to try and meet Sophia and Lucy before the show, as this being a Friday, they would be extremely busy with two back to back performances. OK, we weren't even 100% sure they would both be on stage but we bumped into Laura outside the stage door (check out her Daniel Reeves site) and she confirmed that they were both scheduled to be on, Lucy already being in the theatre, but Sophia yet to arrive. A minute later, Lucy appeared to make her way to the shop, and the first part of the mission was accomplished with her autograph on a Mamma Mia poster and a small chat in which she confirmed that she was on as Donna for both performances that day. Not long afterwards, Sophia arrived at the stage door and we unforgivably interrupted her chocolate bar, to ask for her autograph and a few photographs and she seemed only too happy to oblige. After a few more minutes of stage door stalking, we got to meet the fabulous Lara Mulcahy, who seemed as bubbly in real life as her character, Rosie.

Sophia meets a stage door stalker (I'm the one in blue).

So, onto the show, and there's things you notice in the front row that you never notice elsewhere. The band do a decent line in "Aha's" during the Knowing Me, Knowing You section of the Overture, and I never realised that Donna's diary was so, er, graphically illustrated 

Having seen the show quite on three previous occasions recently, we didn't feel the need to invest in another programme, but we already knew that Kelly Rainford was on as Tanya in place of Kim Ismay. No worries there as they are both equally brilliant in the role. The entrance of the three possible dad's threw us slightly - understudies on as Harry and Bill, and John Alistair, who usually plays Bill on as Sam! Once we sorted out getting used to a familiar face in the unfamiliar role we could settle down and enjoy the show. A bout of illnesses had enforced the changes according to Alf the Musical Director.

Maybe the illness curse struck again during the interval as Gareth Derrick took over as Sky from Fergus March for the second half.

But the show, as always was fantastic, everybody being on top form as usual, even the sleeping Japanese gentleman in Row C was awakened and he, along with the rest of the audience were on their feet for the finale.

This has got to be the ultimate feelgood show and only the fact that the last Manchester bound train leaves Euston an hour before the 8.30 show ends stopped me trying to get tickets for the second performance.

But there's always next time, and I'm definetely planning my fifth Mamma Mia visit, hopefully to be soon.

Iain C Sykes September 2005

Return to Reviews page