The musical 'Mamma Mia!', based on the hits of the group ABBA, will present an extravagant show to audiences in South Africa. The performance is scheduled at Artscape in Cape Town from Thursday, September 3rd, to Sunday, October 11th, 2026. It will then continue at Teatro Montecasino in Johannesburg from Friday, October 16th, until the end of November 2026.
This new production of the popular musical by Showtime Management tells the story of significant friendships between strong women spanning two generations. At the center of the plot are Donna Sheridan and her Dynamos, as well as Sophie Sheridan, who seeks the support of friends Ali and Lisa to cope with the excitement and stress of her upcoming wedding and to find out who her baby's father is.
The script, written by Catherine Johnson, presents a charming story of family and friendship unfolding in a Greek island paradise. On the wedding night, Sophie and the future bride invites three men from her mother's past back to the island they visited twenty years ago, hoping to discover which one is her father.
This major international 'guaranteed feel-good musical' features timeless ABBA songs created by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, such as 'Knowing Me, Knowing You', 'Dancing Queen', 'I Have A Dream', and 'Voulez Vous'. It is a story of love, fun, and friendship, representing both a wedding and a party.
Following great local success, Amra-Fay Wright (as Donna Sheridan) gained recognition on Broadway, where she played the memorable role of Velma Kelly in the Broadway musical 'Chicago' for a record 23 years. Samantha Peo, Wright's friend and colleague, plays Donna. She resumes collaboration with her stage partner from the highly acclaimed South African productions of 'Chicago' in 2005 and 2008, which set a high standard for all subsequent versions.
Cape Town audiences are particularly familiar with Peo due to her brilliant performances in recent successful productions of 'The Addams Family Musical' and 'Little Night Music'. Complementing the meeting of Donna and the Dynamos, Lindi Abrahams Sachs plays the cheerful Rosie, boasting an impressive resume that includes 'Kinky Boots', 'Grease', and 'The Sound of Music'.
Introducing the next generation of talented performers in 'Mamma Mia!', Lea Marie plays Sophie Sheridan. Marie recently participated in an outstanding musical production where she shared the lead role of Maria in 'My Fair Lady' and was part of the ensemble in the 2025 production of 'Chicago'.
Her colleagues as Ali and Lisa are Jordan Rogers and Michelle Younger, both from the production of 'Beauty and the Beast'. They will be supported by a talented ensemble consisting of Gemma Claire Whale, Angelica Hatting, Yetu Kibi, Nicolette Fernandez, Liabuii Gongo, Shanin Fury, Tshego da Silva, and dance captain Claire Boswell.
The ensemble is also supplemented by Logan James, Bradley Smith, Dylan Du Plessis, Nkosinati Mazwai, James MacFayle, Kenneth Mayer, Chichi, and Jonathan Raat.
Hazel Feldman from Showtime Management stated: 'Mamma Mia! is a gift that continues to bring joy. ABBA's music is timeless, and the story is fun and upbeat, and—with such an incredible cast and creative team in this production, we are confident that South African audiences will guaranteed receive a wonderful feel-good show.'
Tickets can be purchased on Showtime.co.za or Ticketmaster.co.za websites.