theatre - Whats The Show

Mamma Mia!

07/09/202607/09/2026 Foster Jane🆕

Mamma Mia! Rating

★★★★★

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What A Night . . . Mamma Mia never fails to entertain, and The Very Popular Theatre Company’s production was no exception. Set in the Greek islands, Donna is preparing for her daughter’s wedding with the help of her 2 best friends. Sophie, the bride to be, has secretly invited 3 men from her mother’s past in the hopes that she can meet her father. Chaos ensues as Sophie doesn’t know which of the men is her father, and each man believes they could be. This is a heartwarming tale of love, family and finding yourself.

Erin Cornell (Donna) played the fiercely independent mother of the bride with ease. Cornell’s raw and powerful vocals captivated the audience during the emotional arc of the second act ‘The Winner Takes It All’. Singing the first and last lines of the show, Emily Monsma (Sophie) radiates youthful energy and charm and it was impossible to keep our eyes off her for too long. Chloe Rose Taylor (Tanya) was a crowd favourite of the night. She was equal parts poised to perfection and feisty while giving off a real Gillian Anderson vibe. Jo-anne Jackson’s (Rosie) held the comedic timing for the trio, leaving the audience in stitches during ‘Take A Chance On Me’.

From their first scene together the ex-lovers, Sam, Harry and Bill are distinctively different personalities. They reminisce on their last visit with Donna and the island, and leave the audience wondering how long with will take each to realise they just might be Sophie’s Father. Matt Edwards (Sam) was a subdued yet strong leading male, and we genuinely felt his love for Donna the whole show. Timothy Aaron Cooper (Harry) played the character convincingly and sensibly. He did not feel a need to fall into the trap over overplaying as ‘camp’ to present his sexuality and this was refreshing to see in a portrayal of this character. Danny Folpp (Bill) isn’t just the adventure loving action man of the show. We get to see a shimmer of his insecurities that add so much depth to the character.

Lighting was, right from the first note of the overture, a noteworthy feature of the show. The set was stylish and very functional, the cast enthusiastically moved the set pieces, although scene changes could have been more efficient. The sound design was a rough mix in the first act with mic issues but was resolved for the second act. The pre-recorded backings or offstage booth overpowering the onstage performers in many numbers. Choreography was simple yet effective for the number of performers with the male part in ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ being a comical highlight. Costumes were mainly casual beach wear to fit with the location. Donna and the Dynamo’s outfits were a gentle nod to the 70’s.

The ensemble was strong with quite a few local performers in the mix. Although unfortunately because the cast is so large we didn’t get the chance to see their individuality.

With 23 well known ABBA songs, and a mega mix to sing and dance along with, Mamma Mia is sure to be a well loved night for theatre goers of any age. Mamma Mia is running until September 20, 2026 at The Star Gold Coast, Broadbeach.

To book tickets to Mamma Mia!, please visit https://mammamiagoldcoast.com.au/.

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Savages: Drama Below The Decks

07/09/202607/09/2026 Nicole Salinger🥈⚡🎭😂🎪

Savages Rating

★★★★★

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When a dramatically-drawn stage, set impressively as a stark deck of a cruise ship is cast in blue lighting, with unnerving music pounding from the speakers, I know I have arrived immediately in an undercurrent of something I can’t quite put my finger on. A backward feeling descending on my conscience; that once this cruise ship sets sail, there is nowhere I can escape from.

For this feeling of unbreathable submersion is Patricia Cornelius’ brilliant reimagined work, Savages, a play about four men immersed in tight mate-ship, climbing aboard a cruise and leaving their worries behind – heading off on ‘a holiday of a lifetime’, not yet knowing how their yearning for liberation will slowly spill out of control and descend into a night of chaos.

Thirteen years after this play originally took the stage, the decision to cast this show with women and non-binary people takes this piece to a whole other level, particularly where we currently sit with toxic masculinity and misogyny. How, in 2026, we still hear of men, particularly those ranking in high positions, still feeling entitled to disrespect women. How women still have to be guarded, even on cruise ships. Where there may lie a toxic breeding ground of expectation, ire, and unfathomable disrespect when it comes to our gender.

To examine the seemingly complex wiring of savage behaviour in 2026, Cornelius and the show’s director, Kitan Petkovski, thought to cast four incredibly agile women and non-binary actors, who symbolically leave their identities behind at the dock. Who immediately transform into four male characters with great humour, precise physicalities, and emotional complexities; exposing how underneath bravado and immoral behaviour, may lie simmering undercurrents of sadness and depression. Keen to liberate themselves from these emotional waves, these men continue to fight their way through: choosing pure self-satisfaction over what is morally right.

The cast all do a brilliant job of taking on their individual roles. Nicci Wilks is the humorous pick of choice, playing Runt with great comedic timing, delivering the performance of an Aussie bloke with a growl and groan, giving as much as he gets.

But AYA, delivers the level of acting not seen in years. Conveying the despicable character such as Rabbit is no easy feat, and AYA takes it to an expansive level – blending low-brow waywardness with complex pathos and vulnerability. For AYA is the epitome of what I would define as a gifted vessel, for any trued-and-true storyteller.

The set and lighting, both designed by Bianca Pardo and Harrie Hogan respectively, is novel and innovative. Minimal, clean, and with very few props, this set is paired beautifully with the tones of light weaving in and out through the show – symbolising a ‘sea of emotions’, setting the tone of each character’s mood— spotlighting the colour blue for sadness and depressive thoughts; red for anger and aggression; and even the colour pink, celebrating women.

The key to great writing, especially in the case of Patricia Cornelius, is in the simplicity of her language, how so few words can mean so much. How, in much of the play, it sounded sung, like poetry. A call to arms perhaps, in light of what women are still struggling with.

Thankfully, by its rousing end, we see beams of pink light shining through the cracks of toxic culture, a stark vision of hope – in highlighting the vulnerabilities all genders share. That sometimes they can rule our lives in the most harmful of ways. That only time will tell – when old ideas of women will disappear and re-emerge triumphantly. Where entitled misogyny will be a thing of the past.

To book tickets to Savages, please visit https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/savages.

Photographer: Pia Johnson

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Forget Me, Please

05/09/202605/09/2026 Elleirah Moon🆕

Forget Me, Please Rating

★★★★★

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Forget Me, Please
Presented by Sophie Davis
At Old Fitz Theatre

From the moment the lights dimmed at The Old Fitz, audiences were captivated by the screeching sound of an anxiety inducing track followed by immediate ear piercing silence, setting the tone for a tense and thought provoking evening about relationships, trauma, and the heartbreaking notion that most people have experienced at least once in their life – I wish I could forget you.

Written by Sophie Davis and Directed by Jessica Dicosta, the production tells the story of two people, Andi and Sasha, who meet by coincidence in triage after both suffering concussions. As the story progresses, they pair develop into friends, and eventually to lovers, whose experiences are shaped by Andi’s unravelling post-concussion symptoms. Beneath the surface, it explores themes of co-dependency, trauma bonding, and the effects of mental health on relationships. These ideas come to life most clearly through Andi’s recollection of experiences in its non linear form, inviting audiences to share the complexity of her brain.

At the centre of the story, Kala Gare and Shannen Alyce Quan produce raw, emotional and witty performances as they recount the experiences of Andi and Sasha. Through times of hardship, love, play, and vulnerability, these two actresses’ insanely strong chemistry carry the story of Andi and Sasha in a way that is truly breathtaking to the soul, and devastating to the heart, whilst still bringing moments of joy and laughter to the audience.

The set contains a pair of white boxes that the cast move and shape to set different locations, creating seamless set changes that are equally impressive by design and simplistic by execution. Similarly the wardrobe, lighting, and props also remain in all white for the majority of the show and is a reinstating factor of Andi’s supposed insanity. The use of colour in the conclusion of the piece is a subtle yet powerful reminder that sometimes it’s the things we love that drive us mad, and it may be healthier to forget than to hold on.

Music and sound wrap around the production beautifully, adding a level of intensity to the moments of psychosis that otherwise may have been missed. Whilst minimal in its use, the music involved in the scenes and scene changes are an essential world building tool that should not be overlooked.

Throughout the performance, the audience responds with sharp inhales, giggles, silence, and visible emotion. The moment of a seemingly innocent spider kill sparked a particularly interesting reaction from the audience, as they along with Sasha felt the betrayal performed by Andi, foreshadowing her later (or earlier) action, showing just how successfully the cast connects with the room.

Altogether, Forget Me, Please is a moving and thought provoking piece of independent theatre. Its greatest strength is its simplicity in conveying its story through relatable and real world experiences. By the time the final bows arrive, the production leaves its audience with emotional stimulation as they leave pondering what they would do if they had the option to forget the person that broke their heart the most.

Forget Me, Please is a gut wrenching yet charming reminder of the human experience regarding mental health from both the perspective of the person experiencing it and their loved ones. For audiences who enjoy an intimate and relatable story, this is a production well worth stepping into.

Forget Me, Please is running at the Old Fitz Theatre from Friday the 4th of September to Friday the 11th of September. For more information and to book tickets, head to https://sydneyfringe.com/events/forget-me-please/

Review by Elleirah Moon

To book tickets to Forget Me, Please, please visit https://www.oldfitztheatre.com.au/whats-on-1.

Photographer: Lucy Parakhina

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And The Winner Of Best Show For The Sydney Fringe Is…

06/09/202605/09/2026 Potanoski Papa⭐🔥🎪

The Man Rating

★★★★★

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This was a masterclass in naturalist acting and storytelling. Mike Howlett deserves to win every single award possible for his performance in this beautiful show. The show deserves to be sold out every single night and in a much better performance space.

Producers who HAVE MONEY need to take this somewhere bigger!! Please go see this show!!!

The description of the plot of the show doesn’t really sound too appealing. The title of the show, without context, makes you think you’re going to see a show about something to with manosphere – yuk. Please look beyond that.

It starts as a quirky interactive comedy about a meek and mannered guy but by the end you’ll have laughed, cried and been changed for the experience.

“Tax makes Ben anxious. As a sole trader, he’s been hoarding receipts all year. Now, he must go through them all and the audience are going to help.

Every receipt tells a story, every audience member gets a receipt (the first three rows). Audience members will be called on at random to produce a receipt, and the performer will deliver the corresponding monologue. Every performance is totally unique, with the order of scenes changing every night.”

I didn’t think a show about doing one’s tax return would so poignant. With every transaction evoking the good times and the bad memories of things gone wrong, gone right, journeys taken, relationships that have begun and ended. Prompted by frequent calls to the Inland Revenue helpline. There are humiliations, successes and tragedies of the last twelve months, stitching together his memories of the last financial year.

The story of his twin packs a particular punch. I don’t want to give any spoilers on that.

The character of Ben is clearly neurodivergent in the best way. There is a spark that he starts to realise the powers he has with his particular brand of neurodivergence. I don’t know if this was the playwright’s or lead actor’s plan, but it hits you right in the face in a wonderful way.

I was not in the first three rows, so I did not receive one of the receipts but this device of giving the receipts to audience members is genius. Due to the randomness of which ones come up, it really brings you straight into the moment. This must have been a challenge in rehearsals. I’m sure there are certain plot points to jump back too but each section/monologue would have been like its own separate play to learn. This was masterfully taken care of by Howlett. From the moment he stepped on stage you knew you were in safe hands, and we would have gone anywhere with him.

I would like to give a shout out to the costume and set designer/s. The contrast of the stark set with the magic pop of colour of Howlett’s costume worked perfectly together.

Jo Bradley doesn’t try to heavy handle anything in this production, which to me means they have done their job as a director perfectly.

James Graham has won a ton of awards for his writing for stage and screen. “The Man” is another great example of beautiful work and captivating and very individual point of view.

Handy tip for theatre goers – There is very little parking near the theatre, and it isn’t the easiest place to find if you don’t know the area. You go to the basement of the community centre and there is the performance space.

Run, don’t walk, to Lane Cove – Pottery Lane Performance Space before it closes on Sunday!!!!

To book tickets to The Man, please visit https://sydneyfringe.com/events/the-man/.

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