Brisbane performer Juliette Coates is playing Ali in an all-Australian production of Mamma Mia! at The Star Gold Coast, presented by The Very Popular Theatre Company. Coates brings proven independent theatre credibility to the powerhouse 31 member cast after extensive work across the West End and broader Brisbane stage scenes.
The production opens at The Star Theatre on 4 September and runs until 20 September, with the official blue carpet premiere taking place on 8 September. Coates has worked across Brisbane’s independent theatre spaces, including West End’s Metro Arts, the iconic, 40 plus year old multi arts organisation now based in the West Village precinct.
Her recent track record includes a standout performance in Queensland Theatre’s highly praised production of Calamity Jane, alongside her work in Eat, Slay, Zombie.
She joins a select group of local artists, with five Gold Coast and Brisbane performers securing coveted principal roles.
A show that outlasts the trends
Since its 1999 debut in London’s West End, Mamma Mia! has captured the hearts of more than 70 million people worldwide. The 2008 film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried went on to become one of the highest grossing movie musicals of all time.
Driven by 22 iconic ABBA tracks, including Dancing Queen, SOS, and the titular Mamma Mia!, the production relies on a live band and an energetic, sing along crowd to deliver an unmatched feel good atmosphere.
A cast built for the big stage
Musical theatre star Erin Cornell (WICKED, CATS) leads the production as Donna Sheridan. Brisbane’s Chloe Rose Taylor (Beauty and the Beast UK Tour) steps into the role of Tanya, while Gold Coaster Jo Anne Jackson takes on Rosie. Together, they form the iconic, 1970s inspired trio Donna and the Dynamos.
Gold Coast local Emily Monsma (WICKED, Hairspray) plays Sophie, the daughter whose upcoming wedding drives the plot. Brisbane born Timothy Aaron Cooper returns to Queensland stages as Harry Bright. Cooper built his early reputation with the Ipswich Musical Theatre Company before touring the US on the Broadway national tour of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Jersey Boys.
An accomplished creative team steers the production. Director Erin James, Choreographer Rachel Stark, and Musical Director Jonathon Gardner collectively bring a wealth of experience from major commercial hits like Wicked and Billy Elliot. Gardner, a prominent Brisbane based conductor and educator, further strengthens the local connection as an alumnus of South Bank’s Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
A substantial contingent of South East Queensland talent bolsters the ensemble cast, including Brisbane performers Laura Garrick and Lucy Ross, ensuring the production maintains a distinctly local flavor.
Getting there from West End
The Star Theatre at Broadbeach sits just over an hour’s drive from West End. Alternatively, theatregoers can catch a train from South Brisbane station and connect directly to the Gold Coast light rail at Helensvale, stepping off at Broadbeach South. For a production packed with this much local DNA, it is a trip well worth making.
Secure your seats at mammamiagoldcoast.com.au.
Published 22-June-2026
