Hāwera Repertory's production of Mamma Mia! The Musical is a fantastic, feel-good show. Photo / supplied
Review:
Featuring plenty of incredible music from ABBA, Mamma Mia! is a popular musical that has won fans worldwide since it debuted in 1999. Packed with feel-good songs, energetic choreography, dazzling costumes and a fun storyline, the team at Hāwera Repertory certainly picked a great show to put on and an equally fantastic cast to truly do the musical justice.
From the opening moments of the show to the final curtain call, the entire cast kept the energy level high, the dancing in flawless sync and the singing in perfect tune.
Based on a book by Catherine Johnson and preceded by a movie adaptation, the stage show centres on Sophie who is living with her mum Donna at their taverna on a scenic Greek island. A cold, wintery June night in Hāwera might be a long way away from the Greek Isles in reality, but for a couple of hours it's possible to almost feel the sun on your shoulders, and the warm sea breeze in the air, so convincing were all the cast in their roles.
As always, there has been a lot of work behind the scenes and the backstage crew of this production have clearly been busy. The props, staging, costuming and lighting are all extremely well done and all play their part in transporting the audience to the fictional island of Kalokairi. While there were some teething problems with sound at times on Friday night, the occasional speaker squawk didn't detract from the brilliant vocal work and music the audience were treated to.
Director Clive Cullen put together a brilliant, well balanced cast for this show, and brought out the best in each of them.
Tayla Steele (Ali) and Samantha Hatcher (Lisa) were the perfect foil to Sarah Bird's Sophie, playing the giggly young bridesmaids with a great energy that fizzed off each other and really set the pace for their scenes.
Sarah herself was an exceptional Sophie. She managed to give her character real depth without taking away from the youthfulness and naivety of the role.
Pairing Sarah with Paula Frearson as Sophie's mother Donna was a case of excellent casting choices, with the duo creating some truly emotionally powerful moments as they navigated through their relationship. Their duet "Slipping Through My Fingers" was a real highlight of the show, combining a beautiful, emotional part of the plot with some great vocals.
Donna's sidekicks Rosie and Tanya, played by Deb Thomas and Emily Davidson respectively, were great fun to watch, especially in their individual moments on stage, with Deb's performance of "Take a Chance on Me" bringing some of the best comedy, along with excellent vocal skills, of the night. Emily's moment to shine came in her performance of "Does Your Mother Know", again matching comedic timing with a great voice.
Both of these numbers were elevated by the choreography put together by choreographer Greer Anderson, who has used her considerable talent to create some excellent scenes in this production. From the energetic, dancing, flipper-wearing group of young men, to the brilliantly performed dream scene featuring plenty of glow in the dark gloves, Greer has created watchable routines that capture the energy of the show perfectly.
While many theatre companies will tell of the difficulties in finding leading men for their plays, Hāwera Repertory has managed to find not just one, nor two leading men for this show, but a talented quartet of actors, all of whom did a sterling job.
Hayden Baylis, Shaun Campbell and Richard Baylis, (Sam, Harry and Bill) were all on top form in their roles, while Regan Tate gave his character Sky a bit more depth than the role sometimes has. They were well matched by Cody Ogle (Pepper) and Aries Poutu (Eddie) who also brought some great energy, and talent, to the stage.
With plenty of big numbers, this show needs a strong ensemble to keep the energy and pace going, and the ensemble cast do not disappoint. It is safe to say Clive Cullen was spoilt for choice when it came to talent, because the ensemble features some stand-out performers, many of whom are well known to Taranaki audiences. There's also some great up-and-coming talent to be seen in the ensemble, indicating years to come of excellent future productions from Hāwera Repertory judging by the talent they have coming through the ranks.
This show is amateur theatre at its very best, packed with talent, energy and some great songs that will have you singing in the car all the way home.