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Mamma Mia 2026 Tour - Greasepaint and Stage Lights - Theatre Radio Show

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Mamma Mia 2026 Tour

Mamma Mia
Milton Keynes Theatre (UK Tour)

Review Complete
“A wonderful Greek Island in Milton Keynes. Brilliant”
13th October 2026

If ever there was a musical guaranteed to send an audience home with a smile on their face, it is Mamma Mia! — but this latest touring production proves that even a show as familiar as this can still feel wonderfully fresh, vibrant and utterly exhilarating.
From the moment the first notes are heard, the audience at Milton Keynes Theatre is transported to the sun-drenched Greek island where friendship, family, love and a whole lot of ABBA collide. And on this first night, the touring company demonstrates exactly why Mamma Mia! remains such an enduring theatrical phenomenon.
This is a production bursting with energy, beautifully performed, superbly staged and packed with those moments that have audiences singing along, laughing together and, eventually, getting firmly out of their seats.

 
THE CAST
Jenn Griffin – Donna Sheridan
Jenn Griffin gives Donna a wonderfully rounded performance. There is a terrific mixture of toughness, vulnerability, humour and warmth in her portrayal of the single mother who has devoted her life to Sophie.
 
She particularly excels in the more emotional material, giving Donna a genuine sense of history and experience. There is real feeling behind her performance rather than simply playing the character as the stereotypical “strong woman”.
 
And vocally, Griffin is superb. Her performances of the show’s Donna-led numbers have both power and emotional depth, making her an extremely compelling centre to the story.
 
 
 
 
Hazel Baldwin – Sophie Sheridan
Hazel Baldwin brings a youthful freshness and infectious enthusiasm to Sophie. She captures the character’s excitement about getting married while also conveying the uncertainty and emotional confusion surrounding her search for her father.
 
Her chemistry with Jenn Griffin is particularly effective. The relationship between mother and daughter feels believable, which is vital to making the emotional heart of Mamma Mia! work.
 
Baldwin also handles the demanding vocal material with confidence and brings a lovely energy to the ensemble numbers.
 
 
Lauren Woolf – Rosie
Lauren Woolf is an absolute delight as Rosie.
Her comic timing is excellent, but what makes the performance work so well is that she never treats Rosie as simply a comedy character. There is a warmth and humanity underneath the humour.
 
Woolf gets some of the evening’s biggest laughs and delivers her musical numbers with tremendous personality. She is one of those performers who can walk onto the stage and immediately change the atmosphere.

 
 
Sarah Earnshaw – Tanya
Sarah Earnshaw’s Tanya is fabulous.
Confident, glamorous and gloriously funny, she gives the character exactly the right combination of sophistication and outrageousness.
 
Her stage presence is enormous and she commands attention whenever she appears. Earnshaw understands the comic rhythm of the character perfectly, while also giving Tanya enough warmth to ensure she remains likeable.
 
Together, Woolf and Earnshaw make an excellent partnership with Griffin, and their scenes together are among the highlights of the evening.
 
 
Samuel Downey – Sky
Samuel Downey gives Sky a likeable and energetic performance.
He brings genuine charm to Sophie’s fiancé while also giving the character enough emotional substance to make the relationship believable.
 
His chemistry with Baldwin works extremely well, and his physicality fits naturally into the production’s energetic choreography.
 
 
Richard Taylor Woods – Sam Carmichael
Richard Taylor Woods brings authority and warmth to Sam.
There is a convincing sense of a man confronting memories from his past while unexpectedly finding himself caught up in the emotional chaos of Donna and Sophie’s lives.
 
Woods also brings a strong vocal performance, particularly in the show’s more reflective moments.

 
 
Arvid Larsen – Harry Bright
Arvid Larsen provides a wonderfully charming Harry.
There is an endearing awkwardness to his portrayal, and his comic reactions throughout the show are beautifully judged.
Larsen understands that Harry’s humour comes from the character rather than simply playing for laughs, giving the performance a genuine warmth.
 
 
Simon Victor – Bill Austin
Simon Victor is excellent as Bill.
He brings an easy-going charisma and excellent comic timing to the role, making Bill immediately engaging.
His interactions with Sam and Harry create some lovely moments of male camaraderie, while his scenes with Donna have a natural chemistry.
 
 
 
 
Rachel Seirian – Ali
Rachel Seirian brings energy and personality to Ali.
She is an important part of Sophie’s friendship group and helps create the youthful atmosphere surrounding the wedding preparations.
Her vocal contribution is strong and she throws herself fully into the show’s choreography.
 
Lex Richardson – Lisa
Lex Richardson matches Seirian’s energy beautifully as Lisa.
The friendship between Ali, Lisa and Sophie feels natural, and Richardson contributes to the infectious sense of excitement that surrounds the wedding.
 

 
Ashton Sharp – Pepper
Ashton Sharp brings plenty of charisma and cheeky energy to Pepper.
There is a great deal of movement and personality in the performance, and Sharp makes the most of every opportunity to bring humour and enthusiasm to the stage.
 
 
Albert Green – Eddie
Albert Green is equally energetic as Eddie, contributing strongly to the ensemble atmosphere.
The friendship between Eddie and Pepper is entertaining, and Green’s commitment to the choreography adds considerably to the visual excitement of the production.
 
 
 
 
William Hazell – Father Alexander
William Hazell provides the perfect presence for the wedding ceremony and contributes to the show’s wonderful sense of occasion.
 
 
AN ENSEMBLE THAT NEVER LETS UP
While the principal cast deserve individual praise, Mamma Mia! simply wouldn’t work without its ensemble — and this company is exceptional.
The energy levels are remarkably high.
Whether they are dancing, singing, moving scenery or supporting the principal performers, there is a feeling that every member of the company is completely invested in the production.
The choreography is particularly demanding, yet the cast perform it with an apparent effortlessness. The big ensemble numbers are full of movement, colour and life, creating some genuinely spectacular moments.
And vocally, the company is equally impressive.
There is a wonderful richness to the group singing, particularly when the entire company comes together for those instantly recognisable ABBA anthems.
The audience isn’t merely watching this production — they are being invited into the party.
And by the time the finale arrives, resisting the urge to get up and dance becomes almost impossible.

STAGING
The production design by Mark Thompson is superb.
Rather than allowing the scenery to overwhelm the story, the design creates a beautiful theatrical representation of the Greek island setting while providing plenty of opportunities for the action to move smoothly from one location to another.
There is a lovely balance between the intimate moments and the much larger-scale musical numbers.
The staging also understands something very important about Mamma Mia!: this should feel like a celebration.
There is never a sense of the production becoming unnecessarily complicated. Everything is there to serve the story, the characters and, ultimately, the music.

LIGHTING
Howard Harrison’s lighting design deserves particular praise.
The lighting transforms the stage throughout the evening, moving effortlessly from intimate character moments to huge musical set pieces.
There is a wonderful use of atmosphere and colour, particularly during the big ABBA numbers.
The lighting doesn’t simply illuminate the performers — it becomes part of the storytelling and helps create the feeling that we really have been transported somewhere warmer, brighter and more carefree.
 
SOUND
The sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken allows the vocals and music to sit beautifully together. But initially was extremely loud making the audience jump when the production started and the  beginning of act two.
ABBA’s music is obviously the star of the show, but the production never allows the instrumentation to overpower the performers.
The vocals remain clear and powerful, while the bigger numbers have the punch required to make the auditorium feel as though it is part of a concert.
And when the entire company launches into one of those unmistakable ABBA classics, the effect is simply enormous.
 
 
 
 
THE VERDICT
There are musicals you admire, musicals you enjoy and musicals that completely sweep you away.
This Mamma Mia! belongs firmly in the third category.
The cast are superb, the energy is infectious, the choreography is exhilarating and the production values are first class.
But perhaps the greatest compliment is that despite knowing virtually every song, despite knowing the story and despite having heard these songs countless times before, this production still manages to make them feel exciting.

There is something wonderfully uplifting about sitting in a theatre surrounded by hundreds of people who are all experiencing the same thing — laughing at the same moments, applauding the same performances and eventually singing along to the songs they know and love.

By the time the final notes ring out, the Milton Keynes audience is left with exactly what Mamma Mia! promises:
the time of their lives.
This is a joyful, energetic and beautifully performed touring production that deserves to be seen — preferably with friends, family and anyone who loves ABBA.

Reviewer:  Mark Bilsby
Photography: Brinkhoff Moegenburg

We are Gifted tickets so that in return we may give an honest review. All comments are those of the reviewer and theirs alone.
Greasepaint and Stage Lights

Email: musicals@btinternet.com
website: www.greasepaintandstagelights.co.uk
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