Under Attack
I'm a massive fan of Mamma Mia (both the stage show and the movie) and Under Attack is one of my favourite songs ever. I love the Under Attack sequence from the stage version of Mamma Mia but I really wish that it was included in the movie. This story is not only my take on the song/performance from the stage version but also my attempt to try and insert the song into the film. For those of you who don't know (or have forgotten) Under Attack comes right at the start of Act 2 and is set immediately after Sophie passed out during Voulez Vous.
Sophie had no idea where she was. The last thing she could remember was the Hen Night. Sam, Bill and Harry all realising that one of them was her dad. The boys invading the party and everybody circling her. Most of all the last thing that Sophie could remember was the stress of the wedding.
someone to hear my prayer
Then her world had started to flip and after that everything had just become a blur. A blur that faded to nothingness.
time to breath and time to live
She had no idea where she was and now she was starting to hear strange echoing voices. This couldn't be anything good.
somebody help me
Even as the strange voices filled her head Sophie become aware that she wasn't properly awake.
a man out there
She just needed to open her eyes, perhaps that would help her.
don't go wasting your emotions
She felt like she was falling deeper and deeper into this strange place. The deeper she feel the less chance she was going to have of escaping.
time to breathe and time to live
With one last effort Sophie forced herself to open her eyes. As her eyes burst open Sophie realised that she was no longer in the courtyard of the Taverna. She was laid out on an old wrought iron bed that looked as if it belonged in a Victorian Mental Asylum. The bed seemed to be suspended in some sort of Nightmare Land as three men in suits and top hats approached her and started to circle the bed. She couldn't see their faces but she knew that there was something familiar about these men.
Don't know how to take it, don't know where to go
My resistance running low
And every day the hold is getting tighter and it troubles me so.
You know that I'm nobody's fool
The three men pulled the bed with Sophie still on it and struggling to get off. It was almost as if they were trying to fight for control over her. Sophie managed to catch a glimpse of one of the mens faces and instantly realised why she'd thought they looked familiar. She looked at the other two and found her suspicions confirmed. They were Nightmare versions of her Dads.
I'm nobody's fool and yet it's clear to me
I don't have a strategy
It's just like taking candy from a baby and I think I must be,
The Nightmare versions of her Dads now stepped away from the bed and Sophie was free to move. Except she wasn't free. From the dark behind her emerged the rest of her wedding party reimagined as the Nightmare Chorus. Suddenly staying on the bed seemed a lot more appealing than attempting to face the Nightmare Chorus.
Under attack, I'm being taken
About to crack, defenses breaking
Won't somebody please have a heart
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart.
The Nightmare Dads had joined the Nightmare Chorus and together they ripped Sophie of the bed. Despite their sinister appearance the Nightmare Chorus were unable to harm Sophie and merely just placed her on the floor, for the first time Sophie realised that if she couldn't be harmed in the Nightmare Land then perhaps that meant she could still escape from it.
Under attack, I'm taking cover
They're on my track, three dad's one lover
Thinking nothing's can stop them now
Should I want to, I'm not sure I know how.
Despite the mild assurance she was safe Sophie's nightmare wasn't yet over. Whilst Sophie had been distracted with the Nightmare Chorus she hadn't seen that a Nightmare version of her Mum was now laid on the bed in a seductive manner with the Nightamare Dads all approaching her. Sophie closed her eyes again hoping that all this would go away but when she opened them again the scene on the bed was still playing out.
This is getting crazy, I should tell them so
Really let my anguish show
I feel like I was trapped within a nightmare I've got nowhere to go.
Her Nighmare Mum and the Nightmare Dads left the bed. Whilst closing her eyes had no effect perhaps the sheer force of her will had worked.
I'm still undecided I suppose
However the Nightmare Chorus had now surrounded Sophie and the bed. The only way for Sophie to avoid them was going to be for her to climb back onto the bed.
Yes it's what I wanted but I'm scared as hell
Staring down the deepest well
I hardly dare to think of what would happen, where I'd be if I fell.
Once again the Nightmare Chorus couldn't actually harm her. Instead they moved the bed and surrounded her, coming at her in a continuous wave. At that moment something occurred to Sophie. She'd seen Nightmare versions of her Mum and Dads the Nightmare Chorus was the Wedding Party but that meant that meant she hadn't seen a Nightmare version of Sky, yet.
Under attack, I'm being taken
About to crack, defenses breaking
Won't somebody please have a heart
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart.
All of the Nightmare Chorus suddenly looked in the same direction and Sophie followed their line of vision. They were all looking at a Bride who was approaching. The dress that the Nightmare Bride was wearing was nearly the same as hers but like everything else in the Nightmare Land it was a distorted version. The Bride walked up to Sophie, who was still standing on the bed, stared at her for a few moments before lifting up the veil.
Under attack, I'm taking cover
They're on my track, three dad's one lover
Thinking nothing can stop them now
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how.
Sophie was now completely shaken and disoriented.
Don't you know that I'm nobody's fool
The Nightmare Chorus pushed Sophie on the bed one way but then the Nightmare Dads reappeared and yanked the bed away from the Nightmare Chorus. The engaged in a tug for Sophie and the bed with the Nightmare Chorus winning. The Nightmare Chorus then lifted Sophie of the bed and left her on the floor. Sophie used this as an excuse to attempt to run away but she was still in the Nightmare Land and wasn't safe yet. The Nightmare Chorus came at her again but this time Sophie tried to break through their ranks. And managed to semi-successfully. The Nightmare Chorus was still all around her but they were now no longer trapping her.
Under attack, I'm being taken
About to crack, defenses breaking
Won't somebody please have a heart
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart.
The Nightmare Chorus circled her again but they couldn't come as close anymore. Sophie noticed once again that they seemed to be somehow in tune with her emotions. When she was scared of them the Nightmare Chorus was able to get close but when she tried to be brave and not show her fear the Nightmare Chorus seemed to be partially repelled. Sophie tried to escape again but the Nightmare Chorus kept holding her back. Even though Sophie couldn't escape she could very clearly see the Nightmare Chorus were being severely weakened.
Under attack, I'm taking cover
They're on my track, three dad's one lover
Thinking nothing can stop them now
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how.
Sophie was finally starting to think she'd figured it out. The whole point of her dream in the Nightmare Land was that she was letting her stress take over her needed to start trusting the people who she loved and stop keeping secrets from them. She needed to stop thinking that she was under attack from everyone. She needed to stop over thinking everything and just let the odds play out and to see what would happen.
Thinking nothing can stop them now
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how.
The Nightmare Land feel apart and the next thing Sophie knew was that she was still lying on the courtyard of the Taverna where she'd passed out the night before.