SEEN as the premier touring ABBA tribute show, ABBA Mania have been celebrating the music of the popular Swedish super-group for over a decade.

Originally formed in 1999, ABBA Mania have gone on to perform all over the world, often playing to sold out venues.

A hushed silence fell over the chattering crowd as the lights dimmed, only to be replaced with cheering and applause as the cast and band took to the stage, complete with colourful outfits and comically stilted English. The band played with enthusiasm and energy, complementing the powerful vocals well and invoking the authentic cheesy Euro-pop style of ABBA, albeit with a few new twists here and there.

The first half saw a selection of hits, including Waterloo, Voulez Vous and Knowing Me Knowing You, before moving to a slower pace with a supporting chorus from the York Theatre Stage Couch youth theatre group, all of which was extremely well received by eager audience.

The second half continued in the same vein, with more well-known songs like Winner Takes It All and Super Trouper, before kicking into high gear for a big finale with Gimme Gimme Gimme and Dancing Queen that had the crowd dancing in the aisles, and finishing on a heartfelt rendition of Thank You For The Music.

ABBA Mania seems an appropriate title for this act. Their enthusiasm and unrepentant sense of fun is truly infectious, and it would be hard not to enjoy this affectionate tribute to one of the world’s most beloved bands.