MAMMA MIA! … Here We Go Again

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https://paca.sydney/mamma-mia/

Date Reviewed: 09/10/2026

PACA Productions @ Concourse Theatre, Chatswood

Reviewed by David Hislop

Artistic works that are created to specifically evoke a strong sense of nostalgia often tread a precariously fine line - either delivering a truly unforgettable experience that meets all our hopes and expectations or otherwise missing the mark, becoming overtly manipulative or blandly derivative. 

For a theatrical production of the stage sensation MAMMA MIA! which first premiered in 1999, the challenge becomes two-fold. Almost every member of an audience brings a deep and personal appreciation of ABBA’s music dating back to the mid ‘70s and ‘80s and has also likely experienced at least one performance of the stage play or watched the 2008 film version starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried. It is a work deeply rooted in our memories.

Unfortunately, some other theatrical productions have not always got the balance right in the past.

By contrast however, PACA Productions’ Opening Night of the much-loved musical at the Concourse was a triumph, successfully negotiating the creative challenge and delivering a wondrous evening of theatre, music and unbridled entertainment. 

This version of the play is unapologetically nostalgic but at the same time, offers real warmth, charm and a disarming originality. PACA’s MAMMA MIA! is celebratory, escapist and full of dynamic energy, whilst offering important insights about self, identity, independence and the importance of relationships.  

The near full house was a mix of friends, families and multi-generational groups enjoying a school holiday night out; in short, ABBA enthusiasts of all ages. The audience reflected the period in which the play is set, (1979 - 2000), as well as those that grew up over the last fifteen years of the play’s revivals.

Unquestionably, the success of this latest iteration of MAMMA MIA! is due largely to the mesmerising presence of Jade Lee in the lead role of soon-to-be-married 20-something protagonist Sophie. Her star turn in this role follows a previous standout performance as Juliet in PACA’s recent season of & JULIET as well as key roles in many other local productions. Jade’s musicality, innate sense of movement, dance skills, dramatic sensibility and her versatility as a performer would suggest that she will be a force in musical theatre for many years to come.

Her performance was complemented by strong turns from the other principal cast members. 

The highly experienced and charismatic Annette Vitetta plays Sophie’s single mother Donna, (the role portrayed by Meryl Streep in the film version). She exhibits a controlled strength and confidence, has a strong, melodic voice with impressive vocal range and is a polished performer with a seemingly deep emotional connection to the character. The highlight performance is her extraordinary heartfelt rendition of “The Winner Takes It All” in Act 2.

Georgia Kokkoris as Tanya and Sarah Dolan as Rosie play Donna’s best friends and former band mates from “Donna and the Dynamos”. They provide support as emotional sounding boards for her as well as deliver ongoing comic relief throughout the play. Their performances are a nod to the roles made famous by Christine Baranski ("The Good Wife") and Julie Walters ("Educating Rita" and various Harry Potter films) in the film version of the play. Georgia dominates her scenes and has a particularly strong voice. She is a poised and accomplished actress.

Sarah is the consummate character actress and lights up the stage with her presence. Her highlight piece is the performance of the joyous “Take a Chance on Me” which the audience responds to enthusiastically with widespread clapping along to the beat and audible cheers.

In other supporting roles, Sophie’s best friends Lisa and Ali are played by Tahlia Allen and Amelie Walters. They both have beautiful singing voices and add colour and charm to the performance. 

It has been observed by some critics that the female roles in the original theatrical play of MAMMA MIA! are written with greater depth and complexity than their male counterparts and they are more clearly developed characters than the three lead males or taverna staff members.

Chris Dredge, Tony Odling and Josh Harrison play Sophie’s three “possible fathers”, Bill, Sam and Harry; roles they recreate reasonably faithfully in line with the characters played by Stellan Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth respectively in the filmed version of MAMMA MIA!

All three deliver solid performances, albeit with more limited scope to shine than the lead female roles and sing some enjoyable and delightful harmonies in their duets. Chris has returned to the musical theatre stage after a thirty-year absence to play the quirky, world-weary wanderer Bill. Tony, who has been heavily involved in backstage production design for PACA over recent years, captures the spirit of the enigmatic divorcee Sam and Josh lights up the stage as the affable Harry. He is an effortlessly natural performer.

The roles of Sky, Pepper and Eddie are played by Ryan McLean, Daniel Stevenson and Caleb Wood who all deliver sound and engaging performances. 

Rodrigo Medina Noel’s direction, ably supported by Sue Odling as Associate Director, is carefully considered and adroit. He has a clear passion for his ensemble and for the original work itself and clearly loves the music. He also appears to understand and closely identify with the play’s key themes which he skilfully addresses and repeatedly throws light upon throughout the plot. Clearly, they are themes that personally resonate deeply with him as a creative artist who came to Australia from Peru to set up a new life – notions of living in another country and the search for identity: or as Sophie puts it in the play: “… it’s about knowing who I am”. The play celebrates individualism, the changing roles of women in society, and personal independence.

Rodrigo clearly works well with his fellow creatives to build a coherent and unified vision. MAMMA MIA! is a true theatrical spectacle with a sizeable ensemble cast involved in countless large scale, highly choreographed dance routines.

 Much emphasis is given to generating comedic moments and humour. Scenes such as the “Flipper Dance” set to the song “Lay All Your Love on Me” or the sequined disco celebration of “Super Trouper” sung by the original “Dynamos” band and performed in sequined jumpsuits are both hilarious and unforgettable. Several courting scenes between Tanya and a young tavern worker or the confused “exes” interacting with Donna’s friends elicit positive responses and chuckles from the audience too. Perhaps the heartiest response though was to a line by Donna about not wanting to “… wake up each day to a middle-age man”.

There are some unique inclusions and interpretations employed in this production that have not been seen in others before; such as the dark, almost gothic, brooding imagery behind the restless turnings of Sophie the night before her wedding.

It was also interesting to see several set changes take place whilst music was playing in the background or dancing still taking place on half the stage. These were very effective to keep the momentum rolling.

Much credit must also be given to the production and set design team of William Pulley, Tony and Sue Odling and to Production Manager Sarah Webster. Their designs and concepts almost effortlessly transport the audience from the bustle of downtown Chatswood to the welcoming taverna of Villa Donna and they fully immerse us in the beauty of the surrounding Greek Islands. The creative use of many clever audio and visual devices helps artfully convey the exquisiteness of the region. Impressively, the sophistication and inventiveness of this production far exceeds standard expectations for a largely non-professional theatrical organisation and they certainly would not be out of place in any commercial theatre across the nation.

Large video screens are cleverly used to display pertinent information to audiences such as handwritten diary notes as well as to display imagery to help establish moods: kaleidoscope effects, Greek motifs, sequins, stained glass, cash money, flowers, etc.

For much of the production, we are shown a coastal landscape of the town with waves that continuously ripple on the central screen alongside fixed images of whitewashed houses, background mountains and seascapes. The vista constantly changes to depict time of day - sunrises, sunsets, and the evening lights of houses. Smoke machines are used to create sea mist.

The primary set itself is a melange of whitewashed walls, shutters, cobblestones, and bougainvillea and it is a setup that is used cleverly as versatile backdrops for most exterior and interior scenes.

For a few other key scenes such as the wedding, we are shown detailed video images of a church interior and there are flowers, wooden pews and elaborate rafters that adorn the stage. 

At other times a pier is built across part of the stage and used  alongside a mobile boat frame named “Yassou” which is driven across the other half of the stage whenever guests are being brought to or taken from the island.

Colour, or the absence of it in some scenes, is utilised well throughout the play to further enhance moods. This is paralleled in the lighting plan which predominantly uses reds & blue hues and occasionally white spots to accompany key solos.

Wardrobe equally play a vital role part in conveying the feel of the island. Costumes were designed by Erica Williams and include a sizeable range of exquisite wedding dresses, shoes, cocktail wear, sundresses and beachwear. All offering a very Greek vibe and true to the turn of century period.

MAMMA MIA!’s musical direction is under the careful direction of Joseph O’Reilly who leads a talented band of nine musicians, largely keyboard players, and perform a wide array of musical styles.

Aside from the obvious ABBA tracks which are not significantly messed around with other than to allow a larger number of voices/singers to participate (and perhaps provide support to some singers during difficult solos), there is a lot of Greek music used and appropriate choral and organ selections followed by the standout arrangement of “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do”. A favourite piece for the audience was the beautiful harmonies of “Chiquitita”.

The choreography of Gabrielle Anais and Daniella Giles is fabulously extravagant and eclectic throughout, playing to the strengths of nine extremely accomplished dancers as well as a large and mainly youthful ensemble of performers. There’s a bit of everything in this one - disco numbers, Greek dances, show performances, gag dances, and highly synchronised step routines. 

Anyone who loves the music of ABBA or more generally, quality community musical theatre, should take the opportunity to immerse themselves in the wonderful world created by PACA’s MAMMA MIA! over the coming weeks. It is truly joyous and infectious. 

I can still recall the cheers and boisterous applause from an audience that had been captivated for over 2 ½ hours by 22 instantly recognisable songs and three highly choreographed encores. They engaged with the cast through tapping to “Dancing Queen”, rhythmic clapping to “Waterloo”, generally singing along to everything, bobbing heads or dancing in their seats, culminating in a lengthy standing ovation and rhythmic clapping for over five minutes. 

Importantly, remember to “… Live life as it is”.