ABBA The Venture – It Blows Your Mind Away!

[PeterRS]

Aside from Taylor Swift's concerts, it's been the hottest ticket in town. I'll say it straight out: "ABBA The Venture" is an incredible multi-million $$ spectacle as you've never seen one before. It has been running sold out in London for almost two years and could continue on - and on and on. Only the show's producers are considering taking it to other cities, principally in the USA, and there is talk that the London run will end later this year.

Yes, they can transport it because the huge arena is actually purpose buit and can be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere with relative ease. After all, unlke a stage musical, it's only the 20-piece band and an army of technicians that also have to be transported. Thanks to George Lucas' company, Industrial Light and Magic, the megastars are not there. The Abba we see are state-of-the-art avatars of the Abba we knew and loved in their heyday of the 1970s. These digital versions sometimes look scaringly real. Lucas' company used no less than 160 motion picture cameras to capture the images.

Before the show, endless emails will advise you to arrive early - as much as two hours early - to take in the atmosphere. Well, that was the one bit of oversell. I got to the east London arena an hour beforehand in time for a large vodka tonic, just one of the large variety of food and drink for sale. What is fun is to see lots of 40s, 50s, 60s and older dressed in sparkling ABBA gear all come to have a ball. And that food and beverage income along with ticket sales from the 2000 seated and 1,000 standing/dancing area tickets results in a reported bonanza of US$2 million per week.

And what of the show itself? As you enter the arena, it all seems a bit boring. A semi circular wooden structure with a huge image of a Scandinavian forest projected across a huge area (yes, everything really is "huge"!) There is a buzz of excitement as the houselights dim, then a short pause before one of the loudest low notes you have ever heard. It makes the seats tremble and your gut flutter. Then begins the most extensive light show I have ever seen. It is all around and above you. In my time I have gawped at some amazing stage lighting, especially in Cirque di Soleil's "KA" in Las Vegas, But never before have I experienced anything like this. On stage - but upstage - are the four ABBA singers. I cannot tell you they were real people or not, but I am 99% certain they were real - only young doubles. They were just too far away. Soon we are regaled with a series of ABBA's greatest hits with the huge (that adjective again!) avatars on screens, looking and performing exactly as they did 50 years ago, their movements echoed precisely by the four upstage. "Waterloo", "Money, Money, Money", "Mamma Mia", "Take a Chance on Me", "The WInner Takes it All" and of course "Dancing Queen" are just some of the 22 songs in the playlist. Dancing was not confined to those in the three dancing areas. Many were out of their seats, arms aloft, their bodies swaying to the music. Everyone absolutely loved it!

I have just one criticism. The four ABBA members came together in 2020 to re-record all the songs. The voices are still amazing, but the orchestral backing does sound too much like a 'mush' without the clarity you'd expect from state-of-the-art digital sound. But did anyone else find this a distraction? Not on your life! This was one show everyone came to enjoy and left feeling on top of the world. Amazing!

 

[Pete1111]

May I ask about comfort?  Are the seats cushioned and generous size in case one is seated amongst plus size gals?  Happened to me at Cirque du Sole event.

I ❤️ ABBA.

[PeterRS]

The seats seemed to be reasonably spaced as they would be in a regular theatre. I had two gals either side of me but still had plenty of space.Yes. they were cushioned. Like Cirque di Soleil shows, the ABBA Venture is 90 minutes without a break. So it's not a long sit. Anyway, you can always get up and dance to relieve any seating discomfort!