REVIEWED BY ALEX LAWRY
EDITED BY CHARLOTTE FRASER
Bringing the sunny Greek islands to Melbourne’s winter, University College’s production of Mamma Mia was a refreshing change from the cold. The 1999 stage musical created by Catherine Johnson is built around music from the classic Swedish pop group, ABBA. Sophie (Catie Froelicher) was raised by her free-spirited mother, Donna (Luella Wyer) in an island taverna. On the eve of her wedding, Sophie investigates her three prospective fathers, Harry (Lochlann Philippi), Sam (Samuel Turner) and Bill (Marnie Allen).
The lights dimmed as the familiar tune of the titular ‘Mamma Mia’ played. Then, with a dramatic reveal of vibrant blue skies, Jack Weir, Margie McGlashan and Charlotte Funston’s Mamma Mia began. The set, designed by Stef Langenhoven, consisted of blue and white Greek-style tiles with bougainvilleas scaling white taverna walls. Three main set pieces were used for the duration of the show, with smaller pieces being added to convert the space into different scenes.
Froelicher was a clear choice for Sophie, matching her sunny and carefree disposition from the beginning. In addition, Krista Brandon as Rosie and Etse Imhagwe as Tanya, provided well executed comedic relief.
For numbers like ‘Money, Money, Money’, there were up to 25 cast members on stage at a time, creating excitement and reminding us that this island is bustling in preparation for the big wedding. Wyer particularly shone here, with her powerful vocals disguising some of the less experienced singers’ slip-ups. Funston, who also served as choreographer, incorporated accordion hand fans into this number, which visually distinguished ‘Money, Money, Money’ from other dances, though there were about three members of the company left without a fan and forced to mime, breaking the illusion somewhat. The company was at times unfocused, talking and laughing amongst themselves while performing choreography. However, ‘Money, Money, Money’ finished with a very striking effect of the company falling to either side of Donna just before the lights cut out, which I enjoyed very much.
The company mostly consisted of female-presenting members, some of which were gender swapped to play male roles. This brought a sense of humour and a dynamic energy to the entire show, as well as supporting Allen in her gender-defying role as Bill. Allen was incredibly confident and comedic in this role next to Philippi and Turner.
Lighting changes, designed by Cat Trahair, were precisely timed throughout the show and used in a myriad of ways, including representing Donna’s inner thoughts and Bill and Sophie’s quick comedic “are you my father?” exchange. I also recognised the dedication of the cast and company to go barefoot on the Union House floor, which must have been dusty and uncomfortable. Just imagining putting socks on afterwards makes me wince.
I noticed that Froelicher shines particularly in her chest resonance, delivering strong notes throughout the show. At times, the music was significantly louder than the actor’s voices, and vice versa, making it difficult to understand what was going on. The harmonies between singers needed more practice at specific points, although Donna and The Dynamos pulled off the iconic ‘Super Trooper’ intro exceptionally well. In future, I would perhaps have chosen a show with fewer or less challenging songs for this group so that they could focus on nailing the composition of the songs, like they did with ‘Super Trooper’. The Dynamos’ costumes, designed by Grace Holmes, were also exceedingly well fitted and eye-catching with 70s-style flared sleeves and legs in a shiny blue fabric and matching white Go-Go boots. Holmes’ costumes for Sophie were extremely fitting for her character with flowing skirts and boho vibes. Donna’s outfits were similarly effective, with her iconic overalls and white tee combo.
Other classic ABBA songs like ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ were highly entertaining, with Sky (Sean Tham) tearing away his shorts to reveal a bright sparkly pair underneath and Sky and Sophie executing a partner dance with a daring drop. ‘The Winner Takes It All’ was my favourite number from the performance with quality vocals from Wyer and a change of tone with acoustic guitar instead of electronic disco. Thanks to Wyer and Philippi’s proper enunciation, I finally understand the lyrics of ‘Our Last Summer’; that is: “Paris restaurants […] Morning croissants” rather than some gibberish. In ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’, I enjoyed the detail of the dads not knowing the dance when standing amongst the ensemble. Allen also pulled off the classic ‘how old are ya’?’ line that was a popular sound on Tiktok a few years ago. As they were setting up guest chairs for the wedding finale, Brandon and Allen’s ‘Take A Chance On Me’ delivered a spontaneous and dynamic spectacle. Brandon skillfully delivered a Julie-Walters-esque energy in the performance, reminiscent of the film adaptation.
During the wedding finale sequence, Sophie and Sky decide to postpone their wedding to travel the world instead. Since the priest and guests are already gathered, Sam proposes to Donna and they get married on the spot, requiring Wyer to have a quick change from a wedding guest outfit into a bridal dress. The audience stood for several encores, including the return of The Dynamos with yet another quick change into their iconic jumpsuits and the dads in matching red and white jumpsuits (reminiscent of Elvis) for an eye-catching and memorable finale.
University College’s Mamma Mia played at the Union Theatre 27-29 August 2026.
ALEX LAWRY is a Bachelor of Arts student based in Naarm/Melbourne. She has a passion for anything creative, especially visual media.
CHARLOTTE FRASER (she/her) is a writer, performer and editor based in Melbourne. She holds a BA in English and Theatre Studies and is currently completing her Masters degree at the University of Melbourne. Charlotte is also the 2026 Dialog Editor.
The Dialog is supported by Union House Theatre
