Review: Mamma Mia! the musical, UK Tour | King's Theatre, Glasgow
Updated: Aug 19
The new UK tour production of ABBA jukebox musical Mamma Mia! has arrived at Glasgow King's Theatre where it plays until Saturday 29 August. Read my review below.
Mamma Mia! the musical UK tour ★★★★☆
Review: 18 August 2026 | King's Theatre, Glasgow
Twenty-year-old Sophie (Hazel Baldwin) is about to be married on the tiny Greek island where she lives with her fiercely independent mother Donna (Jenn Griffin), who runs the island taverna. Sophie would love for her father to walk her down the aisle, but the problem is, she doesn't know who he is. But Sophie has been reading her mum's old diary and has narrowed it down to 3 candidates. Behind her mum's back, Sophie sends a letter to each of them and invites them all to her wedding. Cue fireworks between old flames, revelry in the sunshine and a glorious bounty of ABBA songs with which to tell the tale.
Admittedly, the storyline for Mamma Mia! the musical is silly and, at times, it's obvious that it has been written around the lyrics of unrelated ABBA hits, but Catherine Johnson's book is not the draw of this jukebox musical. Hopefully you knew what to expect when you Took A Chance on booking a ticket for Mamma Mia! the ABBA jukebox musical? Lots of ABBA hits!
Mamma Mia! doesn't have the deepest of plots, and the book is clearly just a vehicle for ABBA's music, but they do a remarkable job of shoehorning in more than 20 ABBA pop classics, with the audience often erupting with laughter as they recognise the opening line of the lyrics and realise how they are to fit into the storyline. It's all presented with tongue-in-cheek good intentions, and the result is a whole heap of merry musical fun.
An impressive production with a young, talented cast
The production values for the new UK tour production of Mamma Mia! the musical at Glasgow's King's Theatre are immaculate; the sound design, thankfully, is crystal clear and we don't miss a word or a beat of the ridiculous fun. At times the live band borders on loud, but that only helps to elevate the energy in the already bouncing auditorium.
The energy on stage is likewise incredible. Glasgow is the first venue for the new cast of the 2026 UK tour of Mamma Mia! the musical, and the talent is impressive, with the powerhouse vocals of the lead cast and Anthony Van Laast's showstopping choreography prominent highlights.
Ashton Sharp displays outstanding physicality and charisma as Pepper; his effortlessly funny antics are only bested by his jaw-dropping dance skills. While Hazel Baldwin's vocals and stage presence make her the perfect, likeable Sophie.
Although the story of Mamma Mia! centres around Sophie's wedding and the search for her real dad, it's the older generation of characters who are the real stars of the show. Mum Donna used to be in a girl group, Donna and the Dynamos, with pals Rosie (Lauren Woolf) and Tanya (Sarah Earnshaw.) So when they arrive on the island just before the wedding, the trio soon get up to more mischief than the youngsters.
Earnshaw is stunning as the confidently glamorous Tanya, stealing every scene she's in. While Jenn Griffin's commanding performance as Donna is up there with the best Donna I've seen. She breathes life into the complex character; her emotional scenes with Sophie are heartfelt, and her powerful vocals are flawless.
The three dads are comedy gold. Richard Taylor Woods as Sam, Simon Victor as Bill and, at this performance, Richard Vorster as Harry, all do a fine job with the characters, though they do stay true to the film version of Mamma Mia! with charming but unstable vocals occasionally.
As always, when a production of Mamma Mia! tours to Glasgow, the crowd delights when Donna and the Dynamos sing the infamous lyric from Super Trouper "... when I called you last night from Glasgow" True to form, it raised the roof off the theatre at this performance and made my heart soar. Kudos to the professional cast who kept going unfazed.
With a feel-good finale full of sequins, platform heels and a special performance from Donna and the Dynamos, Mamma Mia! the musical delivers exactly the kind of lighthearted entertainment that I want from a jukebox musical. This new UK tour production, with its impossibly young, energetic and talented cast, is a brilliant production of one of the best modern jukebox musicals currently playing in the UK. It's the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
Mamma Mia! the musical is hard to beat for an irresistibly joyous night out. ★★★★☆
Mamma Mia! the musical UK tour plays at Glasgow King's Theatre until Saturday 29 August
Book tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mamma-mia/kings-theatre-glasgow/
More Mamma Mia! UK tour tickets via ATG tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/mamma-mia/
See Mamma Mia! the musical in London, where it's now in its 26th year in the West End. Tickets from LOVETheatre: https://www.lovetheatre.com/shows/mamma-mia-tickets/
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