THEATRE REVIEW: Mam! I'm 'Ere - The Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool.

A comic spin on the classic tale Mamma Mia (Abba), in which a young girl looking for her father invites all three potential men to her upcoming wedding in the hope that she will find out which one he is.

"Mam! I’m 'Ere" has a strong cast from some of Liverpool’s finest. Set on a rundown disco caravan park in Wales the show begins. Sally, who was left on her dad’s doorstep in Liverpool one windy night is due to get married and really wants the mum who abandoned her as a baby to be there on her wedding day, and so the fun begins. She writes to three women who, from speaking to her dad's best friends, could all have been “the one” and invites them to come along for an “all expenses luxury spa break”, which they’ve all won in a “competition” with the idea of finding out which one her mum is.

From the outset the show was upbeat and the '70’s disco vibe that runs throughout with everyone’s favourite classic tracks was guaranteed to get you tapping your feet and clapping along in your seat.  The one-liners and references to local scouse humour never failed to stop the laughs coming. The cast was well chosen and brought out the personality of each character brilliantly.

Hayley Sheen played the abandoned daughter Sally, depicting a sweet girl about to marry the love of her life and determined at whatever the cost to have her mum there on her big day. A strong expressive voice, giving some powerful solo performances as well as showing good comedy timing.

Her father Dave was played by Andrew Schofield, a lovable but hapless guy who had obviously been a groover in his day but wasn’t much of a site manager, being too fond of a drink. He was a brilliant mover and pulled some great facial expressions, giving a really strong comedic performance overall.

Teddy (Alan Stocks) and Alfie (Liam Tobin), his best friends and site management team, both dreamt of the day when they could move on and fulfill their own ambitions, both were a wonder in marigolds and fantastically funny in their disco diva costumes as girls from Dave’s past.

The potential mums had vastly different personalities and their characters were skillfully and comedically different. Julie (Lindzi Graham) played a working class, brash ‘n' brassy scouser brilliantly. A woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it. Mystic Mandy from the Wirral (Lynn Francis) played the part of a cool ageing hippy and had an amazing ability to see into the future, which eventually came in quite handy. Brenda (Kacie Ainsworth) was the sophisticated, independent one from “down south” who had a softer, more vulnerable side.

Then there was Charlie (Michael Fletcher), Sally’s devoted fiancé, a strong vocalist with some great moves who didn’t want Sally to get hurt from uncovering her past.

All this was supported by the glamourous divas Mollie Cranmer, Shannon McFadden, Mia Molloy and Natasha Gooden singing and dancing in their shimmery silver sequined outfits.

The show, which provided a real spectacle on stage, along with the groovy music and dancing and laughs aplenty makes for a really great night out and is highly recommended especially if you’ve never been to The Royal Court before.

Reviewer - Catherine Gall
on - 10.6.22