'I went to a Mamma Mia party at Bluewater and unleashed my inner dancing queen'
Nearly two decades after Mamma Mia! The Movie was released, the rom-com musical still has a hold over pretty much every woman I know.
It was fitting, then, that I took three generations of women in my family to a Mamma Mia Party at Showcase Cinema de Lux Bluewater - and we all had an absolute blast.
DJ Jude and performer Tony Deluxe (Image: Showcase Cinema de Lux Bluewater)
Stepping out of the lift and into the VIP Gallery Bar was like entering the disco-world of ABBA: everywhere I looked was sequins, sparkles and feather boas.
DJ Jude was already getting everyone up and dancing with hits from the film and self-styled "king of disco" Tony Deluxe was bringing enough energy and glitter to rival Donna and the Dynamos.
Bottomless prosecco, pizza and chocolates kept the dancing going (Image: Charlotte Anderson)
To keep the dancing going, there was bottomless prosecco and pizza, as well as boozy chocolates from Hotel Chocolat.
Everyone got the VIP treatment, whether that was regular top-ups from staff or a cool-down fan from Tony Deluxe.
Tony Deluxe brought the energy (Image: Showcase Cinema de Lux Bluewater)
The atmosphere was fantastic and the party even continued into the screen.
Just when we thought there couldn't be any more dancing, the king of disco led us through easy but high-energy routines to a few ABBA songs, building anticipation to the screening.
The dancing continued in the screen (Image: Showcase Cinema de Lux Bluewater)
Singing along to the film was encouraged - everyone knew every word - and although others carried on dancing, I kicked back in the recliner seat to enjoy one of my favourite movies of all time.
This was topped off by the popcorn and Lindt chocolate bar waiting for me when I sat down.
Time to rest my legs after all that dancing (Image: Charlotte Anderson)
It is a film my family and I have seen hundreds of times - but after the Mamma Mia Party at Bluewater it felt like we got to live it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gemma Collins is getting married on the advice of her astrologer
Gemma Collins is getting married next year on the advice of her astrologer. The 44-year-old reality star has been engaged to Rami Hawash for four years and will finally walk down the aisle in 2016 after looking for signs in the stars. She told the Mirror: "Absolutely it will be 2026. I spoke to my astrologer and that is the year to get married." However, Gemma admitted she has done very little to plan her wedding, which won't be a low-key affair, and hasn't even settled on a location as yet. Discussing wedding planning, she said: "It's going really well but, if I'm honest, I haven't actually done anything about it yet because I've had just the craziest of times recently. READ MORE: Celebrity Big Brother's Danny Beard moved out of Liverpool after having face 'cut open' READ MORE: I've worked in the jewellery business for 36 years - this is how much you should spend on an engagement ring "It's been nonstop. But I'm sure Jedward are gonna get up and sing. I've not decided where it's gonna be. "I mean, after Jeff Bezos' wedding, I've sure as hell got to try and top that one, haven't I? I had my friend DJ Fat Tony's wedding this year and that was just so beautiful, it was just so right. "They obviously put a lot of planning into it, but their day was beautiful. I am very last minute so, knowing me, I'll probably decide two weeks before." But Gemma does know she would like a "mythical" theme and to potentially exchange vows in a woodland. She said: 'I'd like it very mythical, actually. I'd like fairies. I'm obsessed with Maleficent, you know the movie? "So I'd like a woodland setting, I think. Very like boho but magical." The Only Way is Essex star admitted her summer hasn't been as glamorous as people may expect because she's been busy looking after Rami's seven-year-old son Tristan. She said: "I've been a busy stepmum because, obviously, I've got Tristan now. "I don't share him too much on socials, because I respect his privacy but we've had him, so that's been lovely. "We've been just doing normal, kiddy-friendly things. I spent more time in Jump Street [children's trampoline park] than I've had hot dinners. "I've been on the PlayStation – you name it, I've been doing it: parks, doggy walks. "I wish I could say to you, I'm sat in Mykonos drinking a piña colada, but I'm not. I have been busy doing stepmother duties but I wouldn't have it any other way. I've loved it."
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Terence Stamp, English actor known for ‘Superman' and ‘The Limey,' dies at 87
Terence Stamp, who famously played the arch-villain General Zod in the first two 'Superman' films, died Sunday at the age of 87. His death was confirmed by a representative, after his family released a statement. Stamp, was an acclaimed English leading man turned character actor, whose intense, sky-blue gaze sizzled on the silver screen for decades. His performance in the 1962 film 'Billy Budd,' based on the Herman Melville novel 'Moby Dick,' earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for 'Best Newcomer.' Just 24 when the film was released, Stamp managed to stand out in a year that saw an uncanny number of cinema classics released, including 'Lawrence of Arabia,' 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'Cape Fear.' The son of a tugboat stoker, Stamp emerged as one of the defining stars of British cinema throughout the 1960s, known as much for his offscreen romances with actress Julie Christie and Englishsupermodel Jean Shrimpton as he was for his brilliant, leading roles. But for international audiences, the ultimate Stamp villain was the ultra-ambitious alien General Zod in 'Superman' (1978). Stamp said he accepted the part because he wanted to work opposite Marlon Brando. Before then, he had stepped away from acting to become a swami in India. 'When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it,' Stamp told the Guardian in 2015 about his pre- 'Superman' acting drought. 'I remember my agent telling me: 'They're all looking for a young Terence Stamp.'' The first Superman film was something of a rebirth for the actor, who had become used to being a leading man. 'I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything,' he said. Stamp would reprise his turn as General Zod in 1980, for 'Superman II.' For the next 40 years, Stamp and his 'unsettlingly intense stare' appeared on film. In 1994′s 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,' he played a middle-aged transgender woman named Bernadette. The movie drew mixed reviews at the time, but Stamp was widely considered the film's 'chief asset.' Stamp also starred in Steven Soderbergh's 'The Limey' alongside Peter Fonda. 'Terence Stamp builds up such a head of angry steam … it's a wonder the theater ceiling doesn't blister,' a Washington Post review declared in 1999. More recently, Stamp appeared in the 2021 Edgar Wright-directed horror thriller 'Last Night in Soho' — fittingly, an homage to 1960s London.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Actor Terence Stamp, who starred in original Superman films, dies aged 87
Veteran British actor Terence Stamp, who starred in the original Superman films, has died aged 87. The Academy Award-nominated actor, who played Kryptonian villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II, died on Sunday. Stamp, who starred as a transgender woman in 1994's The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, won a Bafta for his performance. Born in the East End of London in 1938, Stamp rose to acting fame in the 1960s after he won a drama school scholarship. The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art scholarship led him to the stage, where he acted in repertory theatre and met Michael Caine, who was five years older than him. The pair lived together in a flat in Harley Street while they were both looking for their big break, but they parted ways and lost touch, Stamp previously told The Guardian. He made his film debut in Peter Ustinov's 1962 film adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd and his portrayal of the title character brought an Oscar nomination. Known for his stylish clothes, Stamp famously dated actress Julie Christie, who he performed alongside in the 1967 film Far From The Madding Crowd and was also in a relationship with the model Jean Shrimpton. But, after missing out on the role of James Bond, he fell out of the limelight for a while. It was not until 1978 that he got his most famous role as General Zod and appeared in Superman's 1980 sequel as the same character. He began voice acting and writing books in the late '90s, but also continued acting in films, appearing alongside Tom Cruise in Valkyrie in 2008 and working on movies directed by Tim Burton. His film career spanning six decades ended with the 2021 psychological thriller Last Night In Soho. Stamp's death was confirmed in a death notice published online, the Associated Press said.
