Mamma Mia this ain’t

New musical features Andersson/Ulvaeus songs and a lot of live animals

The expectations that ‘Hjælp søges’ (Help wanted) – a musical featuring music by Benny Andersson and lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA  could be another galactic hit for the Swedish super troupers aren’t high.

Set on a tumbling-down farm, the show, which debuted in Stockholm two years ago and is due to make its Danish premiere at Østre Gasværk in Copenhagen this Wednesday, has had its fair share of critics.

One Danish reviewer described it as “the weirdest show I’ve seen in a theatre for many years”. However, others rave about the originality of the production – the kind of praise ‘Mamma Mia’ could only dream of.

Thank you for the lack of music
The musical is the story of two brothers, Engelbrekt (Jesper Lohmann) and Axel (Jesper Asholt), who start the show with a long argument while their farm appears to collapse around them. For a long time, there is no music, which is obviously a shock given the pedigree of the composers.

The music kicks in when punk rocker Hillevi (Sara Viktoria) and her mother (Suzanne Berdino) show up in response to an ad the brothers have placed looking for help to run the farm.

Viktoria handles Andersson’s complex melodies perfectly once the music finally starts, and by show’s end the song count is up to ten or so, which is respectable for any modern musical.

READ MORE: Hey Jude, refrain, don’t revisit the Beatles ever again!

Livestock on the boards
The male leads also handle their singing chores well, but it is Berdino that turns in the most interesting and perhaps bizarre performance.

Since her character doesn’t speak, she doesn’t contribute much musically, but as an experienced animal trainer, she is vital to a production that features a menagerie of live animals onstage: pigs, dogs, geese, a horse and very large cow. Oh, and there is 30 tonnes of dirt onstage as well.

Berdino trained the animals, and the unpredictability of livestock onstage adds to the tension of an already unpredictable theatre experience.

Despite the music being written by the ABBA boys, nearly everyone who has seen the play has warned patrons not to expect ‘Mamma Mia redux’. The play is unique and the songs, while beautiful, are more serious than the upbeat silliness of the ‘Mamma Mia’ catalogue.

READ MORE: About town: Dancing queen, the Dansk queen and the Dame

Despite the somewhat mixed reaction to the piece, there are many who are passionate about ‘Hjælp Søges’, calling it new, exciting and different. ‘Hjælp Søges’ runs at Østre Gasværk in Copenhagen until 7 June.




  • Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    Young Copenhageners supply study grants by selling cocaine

    In recent years, the spread of cocaine has accelerated. The drug is easily accessible and not only reserved for wealthy party heads. Copenhagen Police have just arrested ten young people and charged them with reselling cocaine

  • 5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    5 Mistakes I Made When I Moved to Denmark

    Here are five mistakes I made that helped me understand that belonging isn’t a strategy—it’s a practice. This isn’t a story of struggle—it’s a reflection on growth, told through the lens of emotional intelligence.

  • Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Analysis shows that many students from Bangladesh are enrolled in Danish universities

    Earlier this year, the Danish government changed the law on access for people from third world countries to the Danish labor market. Yet, there may still be a shortcut that goes through universities

  • Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Danish Flower company accused of labor abuse in Türkiye

    Queen Company, a Denmark-origin flower producer with pristine sustainability credentials, is under fire for alleged labor rights violations at its Turkish operation, located in Dikili, İzmir. Workers in the large greenhouse facility have been calling decent work conditions for weeks. The Copenhagen Post gathered testimonies from the workers to better understand the situation

  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system