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Following a successful run in Cape Town that attracted nearly 70,000 theatre patrons, Mamma Mia! is coming to Montecasino in Johannesburg.
The production was last staged in South Africa just two years ago and, just like the current run, the 2024 show was also directed by the iconic Janice Honeyman.
In this adaptation, the lead role and mother of the bride, Donna Sheridan, is played by veteran South African artist Amra-Faye Wright, who was spotted by licence holders of CHICAGO – The Musical who had flown to SA for that show in 2005. It was a life-changing experience for Amra-Faye, who found herself performing this show on the West End, Broadway and other global stages for two decades.
The transition from SA to USA
Having performed both abroad and on home soil during that period, Amra-Faye’s observation is that musical theatre performers in this country are on a par with their international counterparts due to the excellence of theatre academies in Mzansi. She laments the scarcity of work here at home however, saying there needs to be a type of transformation that propels local talent to stay and build on the industry.
“My wish is that South Africans would support live theatre as vigorously as they do rugby,” she exclaims.
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Technically, playing Velma Kelly in Chicago was not the reason Amra-Faye left SA, because she initially lived in the UK for about five years as her husband had been transferred there.
“I have never been afraid of risking everything and I have always felt that I belonged wherever I landed. Whether it was the UK or later, the USA.
“For five years I jumped back and forth doing Chicago in both the West End and Broadway before settling permanently in NY. I truly felt like a global citizen,” she shares.
One Amra-Faye Wright, two iconic roles
Velma and Donna are two completely different individuals, but the respective roles are iconic in their own right. Amra-Faye’s portrayal of Velma was thoroughly enjoyed by South African and New Zealand audiences in 2019 during her brief tour with the SA CHICAGO – The Musical cast.
Before embarking on this new journey, Amra-Faye had seen Mamma Mia! numerous times in the West End and on Broadway, and she unequivocally asserts that this particular South African production is the finest she’s ever seen.
She speaks very highly of Janice Honeyman’s direction and Duane Alexander’s choreography, and appreciates how the show reveals deep female friendships, poignant mother-daughter moments and the hilarity of a situation where three potential dads from Donna’s past arrive at the same time.
But after 23 years of playing the glamorous yet cynical Velma, some sceptics questioned whether Amra-Faye had what it took to deliver a believable depiction of the down-to-earth Donna.
“The role of Velma required a side of me that I knew how to play and there are some similarities between Velma and Donna, both being strong, independent women. But I found the transition to be completely natural,” Amra-Faye asserts.
The mother of two jokes about also being a handyman and therefore more similar to Donna in real life, as she’s very comfortable running around barefoot and in dungarees.
But anyone who truly understands the craft of acting knows that the versatility to play different roles is what makes a true thespian.
Multi-talented Amra-Faye
Amra-Faye’s artistry stretches beyond the stage as she is also a visual artist. She doesn’t think there’s a big leap from theatre to painting, as actors are typically multi-skilled, with some performers also being excellent directors and skilled writers.
How she describes her visual artistry is that actors are always making pictures and a director’s job is to choreograph them into a pleasing arrangement: a picture.
“I paint from memory of images of backstage areas and artists prepping for a show, and the way light falls on these areas. Standing backstage and gazing from the wings onto a lit stage is a unique viewpoint. This is my inspiration,” she says.
- When: 16 October-22 November
- Where: The Teatro, Monte Casino
- Cost: From R250 on Ticketmaster
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