Mamma Mia!

Mamma Mia! is a record-breaking musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson with music composed by ABBA-members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

The musical is often billed as Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus' Mamma Mia!

The original text

Referred to as a "jukebox musical", it is based on songs recorded by Swedish group ABBA and was first produced in London, directed by Phyllida Lloyd with choreography by Anthony Van Laast, the original cast featuring Siobhan McCarthy, Lisa Stokke, and Hilton McRae. It opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 April 1999, and went on to play various other London theatres and become one of the longest running shows on the West End.

The show closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, but reopened at the Novello Theatre on 25 August 2021.

Its North American production opened in Toronto, Canada, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in May 2000, in San Francisco, at the Orpheum Theatre from 17 November 2000, Los Angeles at the Shubert Theatre from 26 February to 12 May 2001, Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on 13 May 2001 and finally on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on 18 October 2001.

Touring versions of Mamma Mia! have been played in more than 60 countries in all 6 continents, including South Africa (with an all local cast).

Translations and adaptations

In 2008 a film version of the musical was released, starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård and Julie Walters.

Two South African productions inspired in turn by the 2008 movie-version are Mamma Mia, a Child is Born, (December, 2008) and Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again (December, 2009), both was written by René van Zyl and produced by the Christian Musical Theatre in Hartebeespoort.

Performance history in South Africa

2005: An international touring version of the show toured South Africa.

2010: Produced by concert promoter Attie van Wyk of BIG Concerts and theatre producer Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management in association with Nick Grace of NGM (U.K.), it was performed at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, opening at the Artscape Opera House, in Cape Town on Sunday, 15 August 2010 for a limited season. Thereafter the production moved to The Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg, opening on Tuesday, 05 October 2010. The all South African cast included Kate Normington, Ilse Klink, Gina Shmukler, Anrich Herbst, Carmen Pretorius, Neels Clasen, Murray Todd

2024: Performed at Cape Town’s Artscape Opera House (to 7 April) and at The Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg (from 12- April) Directed by Janice Honeyman and choreographed by Duane Alexander, with a cast that includes Ilse Klink, Gina Shmukler, Kate Normington, Kiruna-Lind Devar, Gianluca Gironi, Emmanuel Castis, Matt Newman and Tiaan Rautenbach.