Mamma Mia! West End Review | An Unforgettable Experience

Why the Mamma Mia! West End show still brings the house down after 27 years

After watching Oliver!, Sinatra The Musical and The Pianist, I was ready to see the high energy Mamma Mia! West End show. It did not disappoint. I saw it from the very front: row C, seats 15 and 16, the first row of the stalls at London's Novello Theatre.

The view looking up was not bad. I barely had to tilt my head back to follow the action. The real reward was how close we were to the performers. You could see how hard they were working, sweat running down their faces, in a way you simply cannot see from further back.

There were practical perks too. After being cramped into two other West End shows earlier in the week, the extra legroom was a gift. But the biggest reason to sit in that front row came at the very end, and I'll get to that.

A theatre with a past

My travels are about experiences. The theatre is an experience on its own. The Novello opened on Aldwych on May 22, 1905 as the Waldorf Theatre. It was built as a twin to the Aldwych Theatre on either side of what is now the Waldorf Hilton. It went through several names (the Strand, the Whitney, then the Strand again) before being renamed in 2005 for Ivor Novello, the Welsh star and songwriter who lived in a flat above the theatre from 1913 to 1951. So tonight's ABBA hits were sung in Ivor Novello's house.

A little-known fact: on October 13, 1915, a German Zeppelin dropped two bombs on Aldwych and damaged the theatre. Later, the comedy No Sex Please, We're British ran here for more than a decade. Mamma Mia!'s West End run moved here on September 6, 2012, after eight years at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

The new Mamma Mia! West End cast: the women steal the show

A brand-new Mamma Mia! West End company took over on October 12, 2026, so we caught them in only their second week. You would never have guessed.

The story, for anyone who hasn't seen it - Sophie is about to get married on a Greek island, and after reading her mother's diary from two decades earlier, she secretly invites the three men who could be her father. Ellie Gilbert-Grey's Sophie was riveting. But for me, the three older women stole the show.

Donna (Sara Poyzer). Her whole performance was great, but "The Winner Takes It All" felt made for her voice. She belted it with a strength and range that left me, and plenty of others, stunned. She knows this role inside out: she has played Donna for more than 12 years across the UK, internationally and in the West End, and has also been seen in Come From Away and Coronation Street.

Rosie (Laura Medforth). It's as if the role was written for her. It gives her room to play, and her "Take a Chance on Me" was an improvisational masterpiece.

Tanya (Vivien Carter). She brought levity and humour to every scene she was in.

Together, the three Dynamos changed the temperature of the room. When they launched into "Dancing Queen," the energy in the theatre rose instantly. A 10 out of 10.

Sam and Donna: a real-life love story

The potential dads. Richard Standing (Sam), Daniel Crowder (Harry) and Rakesh Boury (Bill) played their parts brilliantly, especially Sam. The chemistry between Sam and Donna felt like two people who truly know each other. They do. Standing and Poyzer are married in real life. He has played Sam opposite her before, and when they reunited in the West End he called sharing the stage with her again a dream come true. Watching Sam win Donna back means a little more when you know that.

Note: Emma Odell plays Donna at certain performances. Check your programme or the cast board for who's on.

Save your singing for the end

As you take your seat, a sign asks you not to sing along with the cast, and to save it for the end. Now I know why.

Once the curtain call turns into the encore, the whole theatre gets on its feet. The cast belted out "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen," and the place was rocking. This is where the front row really pays off as you have room to dance.

It's a feel-good story from beginning to end, and it's impossible to walk out without singing ABBA. Plenty of people didn't stop, still singing as they made their way out into a torrential London downpour.

A souvenir from the pit

The front row also sits right on top of the orchesta. Before the show I had a chance to mingle with the musicians, including Ben, a guitarist filling in that night. He's from Scotland and now lives in London.

Look down into the pit and you'll see a wall of electric guitars, a bright red bass, an acoustic or two, and, on one music stand, a copy of Steven Tyler's memoir Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? A little rock 'n' roll hiding under an ABBA show.

Before I left, Ben handed me his guitar pick. For me, the night was all about the music, and now I have a small piece of it to take home.

Know before you go: Mamma Mia! West End tips

• Where: Novello Theatre, Aldwych, London WC2B 4LD. Nearest Tube: Covent Garden or Holborn. Nearest rail: Charing Cross.
• Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes, including an interval.
• Ages: 5 and up.
• Booking: now through 2 October 2027.
• Front-row seats: a great view up close, extra legroom, and space to dance at the end.
• Singing: hold it until the encore. The show asks you to.
• Photos: keep your phone away during the show. The curtain call and encore are the time for pictures. All of my pictures came during the encore and the party atmosphere afterwards.
• Bring an umbrella in October. You'll be singing ABBA hits all the way to the Tube, rain or shine.