The musical «Mamma Mia!» is based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA and tells a heart-warming story with catchy melodies and lots of emotion. The plot revolves around Sophie Sheridan, who lives on an idyllic Greek island and is about to get married. In search of her father, she secretly invites three men who could all be her father – much to the surprise and despair of her mother Donna. Between love, friendship and memories, a turbulent story unfolds, accompanied by classics such as «Dancing Queen», «Mamma Mia» and «The Winner Takes It All». The play was originally premiered as a stage musical in 1999 and later made into an international film hit (2008) starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried.
Swiss German version
In the Swiss German version, Sandra Studer takes on the central role of Donna, Sophie's mother and the linchpin of this emotional story. Studer is known as a singer, actress and presenter (most recently at the Eurovision Song Contest) and brings a wealth of stage experience to the project.
The director of the Swiss German version is Dominik Flaschka, who already staged the play for the Thunerseespiele in 2018. The translations into Swiss German are by Eric Hättenschwiler (dialogue) and Roman Riklin (song lyrics).
What makes this version special is the translation into Swiss German: dialogues and songs are localised to create an immediate connection with the audience and to allow them to experience the well-known ABBA hits in a new way. In this way, lyrics and music merge with regional colour without losing the international spirit of the original.
