Northern Beaches Musical Theatre is showcasing its rendition of Mamma Mia!, with curtains up from next week, but audiences, beware: your immersion may be so intense that you’ll eventually want to enrol in the fun too, as many other locals have.
The group has been rehearsing tirelessly to bring this musical classic to life, with director Jody Green sharing it’s a show you won’t want to miss. “It’s a massive commitment, because everyone in the show, they’ve all got day jobs, so you know, from nurses, teachers, engineers, and this is all done in our own time, so it’s evening rehearsals and Sunday rehearsals,” she said.
“The feedback we get is, oh my gosh, it’s such a great night of entertainment, so there’s no way that you will come and not leave with a spring in your step and a smile on your face.”
The crew has been rehearsing for half a year, some sticking with the theatre organisation since its origins a decade ago, paired with others who are reasonably fresh-faced and wide-eyed in the musical scene.
Regardless, the show’s choreographer, Melanie Scott, and Dance and Vocal Ensemble, Sarah McKay, have had their work cut out for them, but not without ensuring the training matches the light feel of the source material.
“I think it’s amazing how many talented people there are tucked away in the suburbs of the Northern Beaches, so like we’ve got them all on stage… It’s lots and lots of work, but all of the laughs and the fun and the camaraderie make it so worthwhile,” McKay shared.
“And it’s an easy show to choreograph. It feels like it just speaks for itself. And as you can hear in the background, everyone’s so excited,” Scott added, pointing out the hymn of Mamma Mia! loudly sung by the cast practising in the Allambie Scout Hall behind her.
The show will take the stage at Dee Why RSL, and although it will stay true to the majority of the original musical’s themes and characters, it will sneak in some Aussie Northern Beaches spins that locals will appreciate along the way; from Manly Observer’s sneak peek, this may be most evident in the men who are playing the dads of Mamma Mia!
“We all embody some of the aspects of the characters ourselves, and so, yeah, it’s a combination of what we’ve seen and what we bring to it, and working with our director,” says Shane Hunt, who is playing Bill Austin and works day to day as a costume-maker at Luna park and tafe music/fashion tech teacher at Bradfield college, “My character is definitely pretty Aussie.”
“I’m still very British,” added Andrew Fernon who is playing Harry Bright and in the real world works as a barrister, “I’m written in to be the British banker, just like Colin Firth, so you know, I have to adopt a bit of that, can’t avoid it, but yes, we bring our own personality to it, absolutely.”
“You’ll see through the show, there is a lot of talent in our local community, yeah, and I’m sure there’s a lot of blokes out there that are just looking for the right push, so hopefully, hopefully this will encourage them to get out there,” Damian Gunasekara said, who plays Sam Carmichael, and works in strategic finance.
Gunasekara and Fernon had very little performing experience before Northern Beaches Musical Theatre started in 2016. It was here that they were thrust into it when a group of parents put on a performance of the cult classic ‘Grease’ for a public school fundraiser. Since then, the group has continued the legacy with four shows attracting amateurs and ex-professionals from all walks of life.
Hunt arrived a little later to the group but has had extensive experience doing community and professional work with music and theatre all his life. The three ‘dads’ admit they are definitely outnumbered in gender and encourage more men to join the theatre, and the fun that comes with it.
“Showtime is such a buzz, like when you actually get on stage, and the first night, and the last night, in particular, it’s such a great high to be part of it,” Andrew shared.
If you’d like to join in on the fun, you can buy tickets to the show hosted at Dee Why RSL, with shows beginning from May 27 to May 30. But be quick, tickets are limited.
Have an exciting, cheap night out and most importantly, support local theatre!
