Review: Mamma Mia! at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Now a global phenomenon, in its 26th year, Mamma Mia! is exactly what we needed on what feels like the millionth night of rain in 2026. The perfect mother-daughter night out, my mum and I jumped at the chance to be transported to a Greek island paradise on a drizzly Thursday.

I’m not a fan of jukebox musicals, but I make an exception for this one – it has a story with heart but the ABBA soundtrack is a huge bonus! We love the star-studded film adaptation, with Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan to name just a few, and its sequel. In fact, we recalled heading to cinemas when the first was released in 2008, and singing along (perhaps a little too loudly) in the back row. On our best behaviour at Newcastle Theatre Royal, we’re quiet as the cast tell the tale of a mother, a daughter and her three possible dads.

When you love a film so much, there’s always the worry that the stage version might not live up to your expectations – but we had no reason to fear. There’s a reason it’s enjoyed more than 10,000 performances in the West End. The Grecian white and blue sets and summery costumes instantly added the warmth we needed to the auditorium and complemented the heartfelt relationship between mother and daughter Donna (Jenn Griffin) and Sophie (Lydia Hunt). Their vocals throughout are faultless – Jenn’s particularly so in act two’s Slipping Through My Fingers, the most emotional number of this fun-filled show.

Both Donna and Sophie are accompanied by hilarious but always caring friends and each one of them adds their own humour to the story. Sarah Earnshaw as Tanya is our favourite. She’s playful with her characterisation and her performance of Does Your Mother Know has the audience cheering and laughing in equal measure. The three possible dads are equally charismatic – Mark Goldthorp is both charming and chaotic, exactly what we expect from Bill. His hilarious Take a Chance on Me scene with Rosie (Rosie Glossop) is our highlight.

The perfect night out for mums, daughters, ABBA fans, musical fans, and anyone who’s up for being a Dancing Queen, you won’t want to miss it. We did manage to hold our singing to a minimum but it’s absolutely worth sticking around for the sparkling ABBA medley at the end!

Sunny, funny and ABBA-solutely not one to miss, Mamma Mia! plays Newcastle Theatre Royal until 28th February.