Mamma
Mia! —
what a day
 Around 30 members of the cast took time out from their hit run at Edinburgh Playhouse to thrill Rachel House, with their well-rehearsed renditions of various Christmas classics.
O Little Town Of Bethlehem was given a jazzy makeover and
Jingle Bells merged into the Abba hit Mamma Mia. More traditional Christmas standards were given a foreign twist, including
Silent Night which was sung in German.
It was a great reward for the staff and residents of Rachel House. Colin Reid (2), brother of 18-month-old Christopher, who has a progressive condition, seemed to enjoy himself — he danced around in front of the choir for most of the show and did his best to distract the singers.
At one point he even appeared in a
Buzz Lightyear costume and had the chorus line in stitches during Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas! It was a real party atmosphere and Colin and Christopher’s mum agreed.
Frances, from Clydebank, who was visiting Rachel House with her sons, said, “It was a great show. Christopher has been staying for a few days and Colin and my daughter Annette (10) have been here.
“We were due to leave today but Annette really wanted to see Mamma Mia! so we stayed on for that. The children and staff all seemed to have fun, although I think the staff enjoyed it more! It was a treat for them though. The staff here are second to none.”
Edinburgh Playhouse marketing manager Sarah Heney came up with the idea of visiting Rachel House. She explained, “In 1998, we had the cast of
Crazy For You singing Christmas carols at Rachel House. This year I thought I’d ask
Mamma Mia! if they wanted to do it.
Busy
“It all depends on whether they can
make the time, because they’re in the middle of a busy run. The cast then had to give up their free time to learn all the carols and they did such a good job.
“We contacted Rachel House and they were happy to have us. It went very well.
“In fact, by the end of the performance
I couldn’t get them away. They loved playing with the kids.
“The cast went to the Rotunda at Ocean Terminal the next day and collected from passers-by. We’re not sure how much it amounts to at the moment, but I’m sure they did very well. Hopefully the performance raised staff morale too.”
Ulrich Wiggers, one of the leads in
Mamma Mia!, said, “It was a great experience to come here. I hope everyone enjoyed our performance. It was our pleasure. I’m from Germany and it’s great to come to Scotland and do this.
“The show is running in Edinburgh until January 29, and we’re off to South Africa, Paris, Brussels and then Beirut!”
So, on behalf of Rachel House we’d like to say
Thank You For The Music.
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Mamma Mia! cast members Jayde Westaby and Debbie Jenkins serenade Christopher.
