“You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life.”
Those are the words that the “Mamma Mia!” theatre cast will be having you singing along to as Showtime Management’s new production of the hit musical, will run from Thursday, 3 September to Sunday, 11 October 2026 at Artscape in Cape Town, and then from Friday, 16 October to the end of November 2026 at the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg.
“Mamma Mia!” is a story about meaningful friendships between powerful women – over two generations! Donna Sheridan and her Dynamos – Tanya and Rosie – have their long, shared histories, while Sophie Sheridan has besties Ali and Lisa to support her through the excitement and stress of getting married (and figuring out who her father is!).
Written by Catherine Johnson, “Mamma Mia!” is the enchanting tale of family and friendship that unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the evening of her wedding, daughter and bride-to-be Sophie invites three men from her mother’s past back to the island they visited 20 years ago in the hope of discovering which one is her father.
This major international “guaranteed feel-good musical” features the timeless ABBA songs composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, including “Knowing Me, Knowing You”; “Dancing Queen”; “I Have A Dream”; “Voulez Vous” and many more. It’s a story of love, laughter and friendship. It’s a wedding; it’s a party.
After considerable success locally, Amra-Faye Wright (Donna Sheridan) became a household name on Broadway, where she played the memorable role of Velma Kelly in “Chicago The Musical” on Broadway for a record 23 years.
As Donna’s friend Tanya, Samantha Peo – Wright’s real-life comrade and colleague – reconnects with her co-star from the hugely lauded 2005 and 2008 South African productions of “Chicago The Musical”, which set the bar for all the editions to follow.
Cape Town audiences in particular will be very familiar with Peo from her brilliant performances in successful recent runs of “The Addams Family: The Musical” and “A Little Night Music”. Rounding out the Donna & The Dynamos reunion is Lindy Abromowitz Sachs as fun-loving Rosie, adding to an impressive CV that already includes “Kinky Boots”, “Grease” and “The Sound of Music”.
Representing the next generation of top talent in “Mamma Mia!” is Leah Mari as Sophie Sheridan. Mari has enjoyed an extraordinary musical theatre run in recent times, sharing the lead role of Maria in “My Fair Lady”, being an integral part of the ensemble in the 2025 production of “Chicago”.
And joining her as Ali and Lisa are two co-stars from “Pretty Woman" – the talented Jordan Rogers and Michelle Juncker, respectively.
They will have support from a gifted ensemble made up of Jemma-Claire Weil, Angelica Hattingh, Yethu Kibi, Nicolette Fernandes, Liyabuya Gongo, Shannyn Fourie, Tshego da Silva and Dance Captain Claire Boswell.
Logan James, Bradley Smith, Dylan du Plessis, Nkosinathi Mazwai, James Mc Phail, Kenneth Meyer, Chichi, and Jonathan Raath complete the ensemble.
Showtime Management’s Hazel Feldman said: “Mamma Mia! is a gift that keeps on giving. ABBA’s music is timeless and the story is fun and upbeat, and - with such an incredible cast and creative team in place for this production, we know South African audiences are guaranteed a great feel-good show.”
Tickets can be booked at Showtime.co.za or Ticketmaster.co.za.
culture_thenational@nationalmg.co.za