There are parties and then there are parties, and nobody has a party quite like Abba.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abba’s Eurovision win – where Benny Bjorn, Agnetha, and Frida won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with the endlessly repeatable hit song Waterloo – I was invited to the 02 Arena in London to experience Mamma Mia! The Party.
Situated inside the Greenwich Peninsula’s towering indoor multi-purpose arena, Mamma Mia: The Party is an Aladdin’s cave for all Abba fans.
Set against the Greek backdrop of Nikos Taverna, visitors are immediately transported away to the sunny Mediterranean, where they are served a three-course meal between three musical acts comprising of Abba’s classic songs – including Mamma Mia (appropriate given the title), Does Your Mother Know, and Dancing Queen.
It’s a completely unique experience – not the concert setting of Abba Voyage – instead more theatrical, focused on the love life of a family who run Nikos Taverna on the island of Skopelos, where the first Mamma Mia film was made.
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The cast of the show – which includes Blue’s, Antony Costa as Nikos – weave past tables and interact with unsuspecting members of the audience throughout the near three-hour performance – though there are three 30-minute breaks for you to enjoy your meal.
The food consists of traditional Greek cuisine, with a sharing salad to start, braised lamb stifado and slow-cooked beef for main, and a light lemon cake served with Greek yoghurt for dessert.
For what is quite an intimate show – without a main stage area – there’s still room for pyrotechnics and fire affects.
The experience is also notable for showcasing some of Abba’s lesser-known tunes – if there is such a thing – including So Long, I Let the Music Speak, and Bang-a-Boomerang.
With the taverna doors opening at 6.30pm and the main show beginning at 7.30pm, proceedings come to a close a little after 10pm, but it doesn’t end there.
Within seconds of the cast taking their final bow, Abba’s original recordings are played throughout the taverna, allowing the audience to stick around long into the night dancing away to their favourite tunes – in a disco type setting.
For anyone wanting the Abba concert experience, Abba Voyage is still the place to go, but for an out of this world experience and a pure celebration of Abba – Mamma Mia! The Party is a sensational feat of theatre – perfectly blending the dining experience with a musical show.
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