Latest news with #MammaMia!TheParty
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Antony Costa calls Mama Mia! The Party 'the best job I've had outside Blue'
Antony Costa leads the cast of Mamma Mia! The Party, starring as the owner of Nikos Taverna on the Greek island of Skopelos Antony Costa has branded his starring role in Mama Mia! The Party 'the best job outside of Blue I've ever had.' The boyband star, 44, is appearing as patriarch Nikos the co-owner of Nikos Taverna on the Greek Island of Skopelos in the hit show. Since opening in August 2019, Mamma Mia! The Party London has welcomed over 600,000 guests, delivered over 1500 performances, and has been visited by guests from 110 countries for an evening of dancing, dining and singing to some of ABBA's greatest hits. As the sun sets in Skopelos, guests take their seats at Nikos' family-run taverna where they enjoy a delicious four-course Greek feast, while an action-packed love story unfolds around them. Following the performance, which is filled with timeless ABBA anthems such as Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen and Waterloo, guests are encouraged to get up and sing and dance the night away as the taverna transforms into a glittering ABBA disco. "I absolutely love it because you just don't know what you are going to get from one night to the next," says Antony. Every audience is different. When you're in it, there's you can do other than just let go and enjoy yourself." Antony began entertaining crowds in the show in 2023 and said it was a no brainer to return. "When I got the call to come back I literally jumped at the chance. I was like, "Yep, I'm around Let's do it. Let's go!" The party also has the seal of approval from Abba royalty, including Björn Ulvaeus who helped mastermind the show. Antony says: "Bjorn's team had this idea of creating this immersive show because he said when you go and see Mama Mia! the West End show people are itching to get up and dance. You can't help it with Abba and that's where the idea for Mama Mia! The Party started," explains Antony. "There's something about ABBA songs that no matter how many times you've heard the songs, you still just want to get up and dance. I mean you look at the crowds we have and it's children with their parents, there's teenagers with their parents, adults with their mums and dads, older people just dancing and singing away. "It is a testament to Abba as a pop group, 50 years ago they came out with Waterloo and we're still belting it out," says the boyband star. As well as paying homage to one of the greatest pop groups of all time, Antony's role in the show also allows him to reconnect with his Greek roots. 'I based the character on my late grandfather, his mannerism and characteristics, and, yeah, it was it was a lovely part to sort of get my teeth into. I had to do my homework don't get me wrong, but it was easy preparation to do as it's not a character I didn't know," says Anthony. "It's about getting the little elements right like how he pronounced words and the broken-in English he spoke in. He came over from Cyprus as a young lad supporting his family, my dad and his and sisters." Antony gets so into character during his performance that he even refuses to acknowledge fans who mention his boyband background. "We had a guy in who had come down from up north and he was like, 'oh my God, I'm a massive Blue fan, and I'm seeing you guys in Manchester!', and I was like, 'Sorry, who are Blue? I have no idea what you're talking about.' He was very confused but while the show is on we are on the Greeks island of Skopelos where the Mamma Mia! films are filmed." The 02 venue is transformed so that as soon as audiences walk through the blue doors they immediately feel as though they've stepped foot in balmy Greece - with incredible attention to detail bringing the space alive - as well as the actors working their way through the tables. "It looks like a village I would have seen as a small boy," says Antony. "It still freaks me out to this day that I walk in every night, you know, and think this is my place of work." While Antony is having a ball every night, the immersive elements of the show have not been without their fair share of incidents. "I've tripped over, I've fallen, I've slipped - trust me I've done it all," laughs the star. "When something like that happens you've got to make it look as if it's happening here and now. Even though I've done hundreds of shows over the years, you've still got to make it as if it's that night is the only night. "If I trip over I pretend to have a go at the waiters because that's the sort of thing my character would do. If a drink spills we can make it work. It's all in jest. It's not real but it's a real for that moment. "When we hear a plate smash we all shout out 'Opa' which is you would do that in a Greek restaurant anyway. It keeps things authentic!" Antony has the seal of approval from his Greek family who have been to see the show four times. "They love it especially my dad, who came over from Cyprus in 1961. After my dad saw it he said, 'You based that on my dad didn't you?' It meant a lot that he noticed." Antony joined the boyband Blue, with members Lee Ryan, Simon Webbe and Duncan James, in 2000 and are celebrating their 25th Mia! The Party originally opened in Stockholm in January 2016. The O2 London arena tickets including admission, a four-course set meal and a welcome drink.
Time Out
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Mamma Mia! The Party
For the price of a ticket to 'Mamma Mia! The Party', an immersive Abba-themed dinner experience set in a ropey taverna on an idyllic Greek island, you could fly out to an actual idyllic Greek island and probably find a ropey taverna playing Abba songs. Okay, there are some practical reasons why you probably wouldn't do that on a school night. And sure, it's not like these are the only expensive theatre tickets in town. But the fact is most London theatre shows have a bottom price of £15 or thereabouts; 'Mamma Mia! The Party' starts ten times higher than that. Of course, dinner theatre is a somewhat different game to theatre theatre. And the fact is that there are plenty of people who can afford it: the London debut of 'Mamma Mia! The Party' is a roaring sellout success already. Masterminded by Abba's Björn Ulvaeus, it's an established hit back in Stockholm. Which is not really a surprise: people love Abba, and 'Mamma Mia! The Party', though not formally affiliated to 'Mamma Mia!' (the blockbuster musical), is pretty much the same idea, except with the plot mostly replaced by food. After a prodigious wait to get in, we're spirited away to an attractive, convivial mock-up of a taverna on the island of Skopelos, where the 'Mamma Mia!' movie was filmed. The wittiest touch of the whole production is to make it 'post' the film: the walls are bedecked with dodgy mocked-up Polaroids of the cast of the show posing with Meryl Streep et al, and the wafer-thin plot revolves around the premise that British make-up artist Kate (Steph Parry) fell for local restaurateur Nikos (Fed Zanni) when she was working on the film, and stayed. Most of the show sees them bickering over the burgeoning romance between her nephew and his daughter from his first marriage, which she is all for, and he is against, in very flouncy Mediterranean fashion. It is extremely pantomime, down to the cheesy audience interaction and the jokes by Sandi Toksvig (who has adapted the original Swedish script). Obviously nobody cares about the plot, though. There is a three-course Greek meal, which is pretty good (really great tomatoes – like, REALLY great) and a lot of Abba songs. There are, to be precise, 35 Abba songs, if you count the fact they do 'Mamma Mia', the song, twice. This is clearly good news if you like Abba, which presumably you do. And the performances are mostly a hoot, performed with a campy élan that sees the waiting staff break out into set-piece dance routines, accompanied by the deployment of various bells and whistles, including, at one point, pyro that comes out of the fountain in the centre of the room. What can I say? I had fun, but I couldn't get that price tag out of my head: you're effectively paying for an expensive simulation of a cheap night out. Personally, I think it's preposterous, but at the end of the day it's your money, money, money.
Cambrian News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cambrian News
An unforgettable night of fun and food at Mamma Mia! The Party
All prices include a welcome drink, a set four-course Greek feast, a show and access to the ABBA disco. Additional drinks can be purchased throughout the night from your waiter or from the bar. VIP upgrades and Platinum packages are available via the Mamma Mia! The Party website to enhance your experience.
Irish Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mamma Mia! Can We Go Again?
Since it first came out, Mamma Mia! has been one of those movies that I could watch again and again (and again). And so when I was invited to experience Mamma Mia! The Party in London, it was an immediate yes — and it was a Super Trouper of a day out. Mamma Mia! The Party is located at the O2 at Greenwich, making it easy to get to whether you're heading there by tube, car, train or bus — and with hotels nearby, it's the perfect activity whether you're planning a day trip or a weekend away. The performances run from Wednesday to Sunday, with the evening shows beginning at 6.30pm — and there's also matinée shows available on Saturday and Sunday, with the lights going low at 12pm for the earlier shows. Since Mamma Mia! The Party first opened in London in the summer of 2019, they have welcomed more than 500,000 guests across over 1,000 performances — and it's easy to see why audiences are so captivated by the theatrical dining experience. From the moment we stepped through the doors, it was like being transported to the island of Skopelos, where the first Mamma Mia! movie was filmed. As we walked along the corridor to get to the main venue, the walls were decorated with nods to the film — complete with 'snaps' of the cast of the film posing alongside the stars of Mamma Mia! The Party — and signs welcoming guests to the island, the 'home of the Mamma Mia! Movie'. The main part of the venue is decorated with colourful flowers, rustic tables and even twinkling lights strung overhead. And even the temperature played a part in setting the stage, with the thermostat set at a level to make you feel as if you were really at a taverna. There's a souvenir stand if you're looking to pick up a keepsake from your time in Skopelos, like a programme or a keyring — or, in the case of the colourful boas and light up flower crowns, an extra accessory or two to add to your outfit. After picking up our welcome drink, we had a chance to soak up the atmosphere before being shown to our seats — which were located right by the fountain, in the heart of the venue. It put us right in the middle of the theatrical dining experience, while also being a fantastic view for catching some of the mid-song surprises that, at times, take the show to new heights. Sometimes quite literally. There are three different kinds of tickets — Tier A, Tier B and Tier C — and, with the way the story unfolds throughout the venue and amongst the audience, each seat has a unique view. Created by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! The Party is based on a heartfelt new story adapted by Sandi Toksvig. It brings audiences into Niko's Taverna on the island of Skopelos, where we meet Nikos, and his wife Kate; her nephew Adam; Nikos' daughter Konstantina; and chef Debbie, as they navigate day-to-day life in the taverna. And, of course, it is packed to the brim with ABBA hits. More than 30 songs are performed throughout the show, with everything from SOS to Does Your Mother Know; When I Kissed the Teacher to Waterloo. From the opening notes of the first song, the performers — from the cast to the dancers to the band — had everyone in the venue completely hooked. It didn't take long before they had everyone in the crowd singing along, or even on their feet for a bit of dancing in the aisles. Or, in the case of Waterloo, a whole lot of it. As the show went on, we were served a four-course meal — which began with a Greek sharing mezze with breads, dips and olives that was delivered soon after we sat down. That was followed by a Greek sharing salad — with fresh heritage tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, onions and topped with basil leaves and olive oil — and some delicious spanakopita. That was followed by braised lamb stifado and slow-cooked beef, which was served with garlic roasted baby potatoes, vegetable and tomato briam and red wine jus. Each of the savoury dishes were served sharing-style, with every platter packed with flavour. The lamb and beef were cooked perfectly — and the main course was a firm favourite with everyone at the table. And, to top it all off, dessert was a delicious lemon cake with Greek yogurt, apricot compote, orange caramel and confit orange skin — and, later on, a bit of baklava with a tea or coffee. There is also a menu option for vegans and vegetarians, as well as a gluten and lactose-free menu. And the cocktail list includes a number of themed drinks — both with alcohol and non-alcoholic versions — that can be ordered separately. And for anyone who is saying Gimme, Gimme, Gimme more music, the taverna turns into a dance floor — complete with a concert-style performance — after dessert, and guests are encouraged to get up to sing, dance and enjoy the disco vibes. All in all, if you're looking for something that will have you dancing, jiving and having the time of your life, there's no better place than Mamma Mia! The Party. Mamma Mia! 2025 special offer (June-December) with Keith Prowse Attractions: Overnight special from €327pps includes one night at the 4* DoubleTree by Hilton London Greenwich with breakfast and a Tier A ticket (Tier A guests will be seated on the ground floor — Courtyard — the North and South terraces, the West terrace — upper and lower levels — or on high level tables in the beach bar area) to a Thursday show. See for more offers.
