FOR three weeks only this summer the Echo Arena will be transformed in a way it never has before.
The stage will be moved to the middle of the auditorium and carpets installed as the 10,500-seater is converted into a more intimate theatre-style space.
Global hit Mamma Mia is coming to town and it’s not doing it by halves.
“Nobody’s that far from the stage and the sightlines are fantastic,” says executive producer Nick Grace.
“We like going into arenas because to us Mamma Mia is an event. The Echo Arena is a very nice one to play in as it’s not a cavernous 20,000-seat arena that we have to cut down to 3,000 seats.”
“The show that we’re presenting is exactly the same as you would see in London or on Broadway. We haven’t compromised on it.”
The original jukebox musical, Mamma Mia is one of the most successful. There are currently 10 productions across the globe. The one coming to Liverpool has already toured to Shanghai, Capetown and Tel Aviv.
“Everywhere we go the show is incredibly well received, says Grace.
“It’s a very universal theme. I think you can look at the characters and think ‘I’ve got a friend like that’.
“In some countries we have surtitles that we put at the side of the stage and people can read them if they don’t understand English.
“It’s not like touring in the UK where you can get home every Sunday. When you’re on the international tour you’re on the road most of the time. It’s a long time to be away from home.”
This gruelling lifestyle means that the cast is usually changed on an annual basis.
“The Mamma Mia philosophy is not to put stars into the show because the show is the star, but we do cast it from the West End,” adds Grace.
Thanks to 2008’s film version, which did have a star-studded cast including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Julie Walters and Colin Firth, the story of the daughter who tries to discover who her father is by inviting all three candidates to her wedding has reached an even greater audience.
“Our audience before the film came out was mothers and daughters but there is much more of a younger audience now,” says the producer. “In the UK, one in four households has a copy of the Mamma Mia DVD, which is quite amazing.”
And of course there’s the soundtrack – a huge list of Abba songs as well as new music composed by band member Benny Andersson.
“Every song in the show moves the story along,” explains Grace. “There’s a huge different between a jukebox musical that just has songs that aren’t integral to the plot but with Mamma Mia they help to draw you into the story.”
MAMMA Mia is at the Echo Arena, Liverpool, from June 3-20. Tickets on 0844 800 3680.
