September 9th… What a night.
After being a resounding hit in Stockholm, Mamma Mia the Party has come to the UK… In no other place than the O2 Arena. Promising a night of food, Abba and immersive theatre, Mamma Mia the Party seemed right up my street. However, there was one downfall: the hefty £160 minimum ticket price.
Though I didn’t get any sort of press ticket with my blog (I am definitely not fancy enough for that), I ended up lucking out anyway. Every so often with my “real life” job, we get given complimentary tickets to theatre events in London, and we just so happened to get Mamma Mia the Party ones. After a resounding yes and a rushed screamy phone call to my mum, I got ready for a night that I hoped would live up to both my expectations and the hypothetical price tag.
What is Mamma Mia the Party?
I feel like every time I gushed in anticipation of it, everybody replied with no idea what it was. Honestly, if I didn’t work at such a theatrey place who knows if I would have. But people deserve to, so I figured I’d start by answering some FAQ’s.
It’s a four course Medditeranean meal, set in a replica of the Greek Island from Mamma Mia, that you get to enjoy while an immersive theatre experience – set to Abba songs – takes place around you.
Plot-wise, it’s a completely different plot to the musical/movies (Although it certainly makes reference to them). However, all the classic songs that you know and love are still there (along with some extras) so you can sing along to your heart’s content.
The atmosphere
We all know by now that I’m a sucker for anything a little different, so I was in my element here. The second you walk through the big blue doors (Again, much like the ones from the film. Yes I did freak out.), you are transported onto a Greek Island – Even the cloakroom resembles the Mamma Mia film set.
Greek music plays softly as you walk into the main room and head to collect your free drink from the beach bar. A fountain flows from the middle of the room, and the waiters walk around pretending you’re on a beach resort – it’s a good laugh and a lot of fun, and I was ready to live my Mamma Mia fantasy. Honestly, I was blown away by the attention to detail and how movie-like it all felt, plus the free glass of alcohol and the bread and dip mezze on the table sure didn’t hurt.
The Food
In all honesty, the food was the bit that I was most worried about. All the information on the website really said was that it was a “four-course Mediterranean meal”: I had no idea what that would entail (Or, if I’m being honest, what four courses really meant… I’m very used to three courses being the highest.) In the end, the food consisted of:
Course 1: Mezze
3 different kinds of bread (A sweet one, a normal one, and a cracker)
(Super juicy and fresh) tomatoes and olives
A trio of dips, consisting of Tzatziki, Red pepper hummus and Taramasalata.
Course 2: Starter
Grilled octopus
A tomato, lettuce, olive and feta salad
Spinach pastry things
Course 3: Main
Beef and lamb with pesto and roasted peppers
Couscous salad with pomegranate, roast potatoes with tomato sauce, feta and olives and courgettes in tomato sauce
Course 4: Dessert
Polenta and orange cake
Cream on the side
Coffee served a little bit later
I won’t lie, I didn’t know what to expect food-wise, but I was pretty impressed. It was all served family-style, so you helped yourself in the middle but there was definitely enough to go around. On entering, you also got a free drink, but you had to purchase anything else after that (other than tap water).
The Performance
We all know that Mamma Mia is cheesy, that’s one of its main qualities. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a whole lot of fun. The performances were fun and (mostly) lighthearted and the storyline that accompanied the music was interesting, but also basic enough that you could keep up with it as you were drinking and eating. The actors did a phenomenal job, and the immersive aspect of it was fresh and fun. Also, at one point there was aerial dancing – which I both didn’t expect and was incredibly impressed by.
So, is Mamma Mia the Party worth it?
I was torn on this one, because it does come with quite a hefty price tag and we all know I love a bargain. However, I would say that yes, it is. If you can deal with parting with that much money, then you definitely do get what you pay for. It’s a lovely night of singing and dancing and eating and drinking, and simply feeling like you’ve escaped to somewhere else. If you are a theatre fan, or just a Mamma Mia fan, it’s the chance to do something a little bit different, and you really are paying for the unique experience.
It’s around until at least February 2019, so it would make a great Christmas gift if you’re thinking of saving it for a special occasion! If you do want to purchase tickets, you can do so here.
Have you been to Mamma Mia the Party? Do you want to go? Let me know in the comments!
Lots of love,
Jas xx
I think you should pin this post. Take a chance on it 😉
There’s so many billboards for this all over the city and just the other day I was wondering what this is? It sounds like such a good evening – I guess the hefty price can only be expected for something that would be so popular in the city!? X
It’s such a fun evening! And yeah, I suppose the hefty price tag is expected xx
Thank you – this had helped me decide whether or not to go through with it. I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews, which terrified me.
Ah I’m so glad to hear that this helped!