Musical comedy isn’t usually my thing, but I make an exception for ‘Mamma Mia!’

Hence, I was at the front of the queue when ‘M. M.! Here We Go Again’ was this year’s first film at the De Valence.

A cast of national treasures, the backdrop of a sun-drenched Greek island, and all those ‘Abba’ songs - ‘how can I resist you?’ ! I can’t.

The original ‘Mamma Mia’ first hit our screens ten years ago, but this film gives the back story to Meryl Streep’s character, Donna; turn the clocks and costumes back to the ‘70’s – and find the delightfully re-imaged original cast in the spring of their youth. Donna, full of youthful exuberance and impulsiveness, is prettily played by Lily James, with some superb dance routines.

Her three young opposite numbers are played by Jeremy Irvine, Hugh Skinner and Josh Dylan (respectively, Piers Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard.) Oh joy, we got the three originals back too, and even more joy, we had Julie Walters (Donna’s loyal friend) still trying to get off with Stellan Skarsgard’s – the aging but still handsome and blond ‘viking’.

Christine Baranski maintained her long-legged man-ogling role, and in keeping with everyone else, she and Julie had their youthful counterparts in Alexa Davies and Jessica Keenan-Wyn.

The biggest innovation (and shock) was Cher, making a brief but spectacular appearance as Donna’s mother.

To whose stroke of genius do we attribute that bit of casting!? And who thought of making Celia Imrie the University Vice Chancellor at the degree awards ceremony, cavorting amid dance routines combining Cambridge bike stands with rows of semi-gowned grads. in mortar boards?

Like the previous ‘M.Mia’, some new songs by Benny Anderson and co., were subtly added to their original repertoire, leaving one wondering whether it was a new, or a half-forgotten melody, ear-wigging its way back into the soundtrack – a soundtrack made for dancing, and dance they did!

I should add that it was also a pleasure to see Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper back again as Donna’s daughter and son-in-law, expecting their first baby. And they hadn’t aged a bit in ten years!

And what of Meryl Streep? I could not help shedding a tear as she appeared by the christening font for the final scene in church.

When she sang ‘My Love, My Life’, it was the first time the great actress had appeared...and then she disappeared. In “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”, Donna has gone. She is a ghost.

Our next film is an animated drama, produced by Angelina Jolie ‘The Bread Winner’, at 7.30 pm on January 22.

With her her father wrongfully imprisoned, his daughter if forced to to hide her identity whilst working to save her family from starving.

For more info. visit films4tenby.co.uk

JH