Mamma Mia! musical FAQ

Yes, MAMMA MIA! is a musical. The award-winning show is packed with ABBA's greatest hits. The Swedish superstars earned nine UK #1 singles in the 70s and 80s, these were; “Waterloo”, “Mamma Mia”, “Fernando”, “Dancing Queen”, “Knowing Me Knowing You”, “Name Of The Game”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “The Winner Takes It All” and “Super Trouper”, and they’re all featured in MAMMA MIA! All ABBA songs were composed by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, together they won the Touring Broadway Award in 2003 for Best Musical score for MAMMA MIA!.

MAMMA MIA! The Musical features a book written by Catherine Johnson. Johnson also wrote the film's screenplay and helped co-write the film's sequel, MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. The stage musical features music and lyrics by ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.

 

Set on a sun-drenched island paradise in Greece, MAMMA MIA! Is the ultimate feel-good story of love, friendship, and identity, cleverly told through the timeless hits of ABBA. 

An independent hotelier, Donna, is getting ready for her daughter Sophie's wedding after enlisting the help of her two old and closest friends. Meanwhile, Sophie is on a quest to find her real father, and on the eve of her very special day, she secretly invites three men from Sophie's distant romantic past in the hopes that one of them will be her dad, and he will be able to escort her down the aisle.

 

The smash-hit London production of MAMMA MIA! is currently playing at the Novello Theatre in the West End. MAMMA MIA! The Party, an interactive dining experience, takes place at The O2 and the ABBAtars can be seen in ABBA Voyage at the purpose-built ABBA Arena.

MAMMA MIA! The Musical received its world premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre in London on 6 April 1999, before moving to its current home at the Novello Theatre in 2012. The musical later crossed the pond and opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on 18 October 2001.

MAMMA MIA the Musical is kid-friendly but recommended for ages 5 and up. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.

It would be quicker to answer which ABBA songs aren’t in MAMMA MIA! the Musical! The musical features 22 ABBA hits, these are; "Honey, Honey", "Money, Money, Money", "Thank You for the Music", "Mamma Mia", "Chiquitita", "Dancing Queen", "Lay All Your Love on Me", "Super Trouper", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", "The Name of the Game", and "Voulez-Vous" in Act I and the songs "Under Attack", "One of Us", "SOS", "Does Your Mother Know", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Our Last Summer", "Slipping Through My Fingers", "The Winner Takes It All", "Take a Chance on Me", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", and "I Have a Dream" in Act II.

The MAMMA MIA! London cast stars Izi Maxwell as Sophie Sheridan, Harriet Samuels as Ali, Zaynah Ahmed as Lisa, Kate Graham as Tanya, Nicola-Dawn Brook as Rosie, Mazz Murray as Donna Sheridan, Ben Irish as Sky, Thomas Watson as Pepper, Jamie Landmann as Eddie, Christopher Dickins as Harry Bright, Stephen Beckett as Bill Austin, Luke Jasztal as Sam Carmichael, Matthew Barrow as Father Alexander, and Natalie Langston as Alternate Donna.

The cast is completed by ensemble members Mia Anthony Coffield, Jack Bromage, Timmy Driscoll, Andrew Gallo, Samantha Ivey, Hayley-Jo Murphy, Emma Odell, Tom Parsons, Adam Scotland, Jonah Sercombe, Ella Tweed and Maisie Waller.

The running time for the London production of MAMMA MIA! is approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes including an interval.

London matinee performances of MAMMA MIA! begin on Thursdays and Saturdays and every other Tuesday at 3pm and finish at approximately 5.35pm whilst evening performances from Monday through Saturday begin at 7.30pm and finish at approximately 10.05pm.

In addition to showing at London's Novello Theatre, MAMMA MIA! has also enjoyed a number of international runs.

To date, the show has been seen in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lituania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Yes. The musical premiered in 1999 in London, whilst the film starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Amanda Seyfried was released in 2008.

The MAMMA MIA! creative team includes director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, production designer Mark Thompson, lighting designer Howard Harrison, sound designer Andrew Bruce, sound designer Bobby Aitken, producers Judy Craymer and Richard East, and musical supervisor Martin Koch. It features a book by Catherine Johnson and music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Kristian Ulvaeus.

There is no official Novello Theatre dress code in place and patrons are recommended to wear smart casual clothing. Some people choose to wear more formal attire, such as dresses and button-up shirts, whilst others choose to wear jeans and a t-shirt. As long as you're dressed ready to party to the music, you’ll be fine!

Affordable tickets to see MAMMA MIA! in the West End are available through London Theatre Direct, with tickets starting from just £18. Try our interactive MAMMA MIA! seating plan to find affordable options without sacrificing good views!