Bjorn Again, Richmond Theatre

It doesn’t matter whether you’re eight or eighty, chances are if you fancy a twirl around your handbag or brolly, it’ll probably be to an ABBA song. It could have been yesterday, April 6, 1974, when Agnetha and Frida ran onto the stage of The Dome in Brighton, full of Eurovision frenzy.

Bjorn in trousers so tight he couldn’t sit down and Benny leaping up and down at his keyboard so energetically the instrument must have met its own scrapyard Waterloo. Some 370 million album sales later ABBA are as popular as ever, with Mamma Mia in it’s twelfth year, and Bjorn and Benny’s musical Kristina about to premier at the Royal Albert Hall on the 14th April.

ABBA mania though has spawned another happy phenomenon in the form of Australian group Bjorn Again, who brought the house down in Richmond theatre last night. Founded by musician Rod Stephen, the production has grossed over £35 million from 3,500 performances in the last 2l years. As Benny put it “Bjorn Again has been going twice as long as ABBA did !” It was in fact due to the success of the group that Bjorn and Benny decided to released the album ABBA Gold.

Bjorn Again are extremely talented musicians, well able to do justice to ABBA’s brilliant back catalogue. They are also extremely funny and charismatic, charming the crowd within minutes. Agnetha who has seen the show commented on the bands great choreography. It is very much to the groups credit that everything is as authentic as possible, especially the colourful outfits and original dance moves. The simple truth is ABBA songs make people happy.

Richmond it has to be said did the group proud singing along with huge enthusiasm. A long line of spangle haired groupies at the front shaking their booty and little girls dancing in the aisles. Agnetha has called this a great show and she should certainly know. Through the charged glitter ball atmosphere, in a whirl of spandex and platforms, it could have been Brighton, it could have been 1974.

Liz Colbert