Mamma Mia! on the Gold Coast

Coral Drouyn talks to producer Matt Ward about his upcoming production of Mamma Mia! On Queensland’s Gold Coast

In the past 15 months Covid restrictions have played havoc with live theatre – and that means all of us who regard theatre as second only to breathing as a necessity of life. Shows closed overnight and many productions were abandoned or postponed indefinitely. Of course, we all heard about the impact on Mainstage productions but, while the major companies were able to put everything on hold, the impact was arguably greatest on that more recent, but nonetheless important, contributor – the independent producer. Matt Ward is a former performer both here and overseas - a highly regarded vocal coach and, for the past three years, a new producer with his own company. Born and bred on the Gold Coast, an area not known for its forays into professional theatre, Matt travelled the world in a variety of roles after graduating from NIDA before returning to his roots.

“I always knew I wanted to bring full scale musicals to the Gold Coast and that goes back to my childhood. It was always a question of timing,” he tells me

Matt was bullied at school. And it wasn’t until he tried out for his first school musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, that he finally found his niche.

“I was a chubby kid, and pretty unremarkable in most ways. I don’t remember exactly how the audition happened, but I discovered I could sing, and that changed my life.

In fact Matt sang so well that he featured every year in the school musical and took private singing lessons. After high school he moved to Sydney and studied at NIDA.

“I saw every show in Sydney that I could and became a Music Theatre tragic. I think that’s when the seeds of producing were born, but of course, in this business, you have to pay your dues. Or you do if you want to be taken seriously,” he explains.

So for the next ten years or more Matt toured the world performing in musicals he loved and working as a vocal coach with some of the biggest names in recording.

“Starting my own vocal studios was a given when I decided to return to the Gold Coast,” he says, “but it was also a way of finding out just how much local talent there was just waiting to be tapped; incredible voices that just needed to be exposed to all the things I had learned on my travels. The Gold Coast was changing rapidly and honestly, I couldn’t see why we weren’t doing full scale musicals. We just needed the passion, oh….and money helps. But I firmly believe that if you are passionate enough you will find the money somehow. I have this mantra Feel the fear…but do it anyway.”

Matt launched a critically acclaimed production of Rent at QPAC and followed it with an equally successful production of Wicked at the Gold Coast Arts Centre (now Hota) in 2019. 2020 was to be the year of Mamma Mia! – the much loved Abba Musical.

“We were already well into pre-production, most of our casting completed, corporate sponsors in place, costume and set designs under way and wham - Covid struck,” he says.

Matt is philosophical but clearly this was a blow to his vision. The entire production was put on hold - not just for a few weeks but for an entire year. The hiatus meant that Matt lost key personnel and half the cast. However, on the plus side there was time to rethink and enlarge the production.

“I’m incredibly lucky with my artistic team, they are so committed and have the same passion I do. That hasn’t waned. In fact it’s grown stronger over this past year,“ he tells me as he sings the praises of Director Tim Hill, MD Kuki Tipoki, and costume and set designers Jess Hansen and Adam Garnir.

To reset the momentum and excitement, Matt embarked on a public search for a local actress to play Sophie… And now, with everything in place and (fingers crossed) no more nasty bugs in the system, Mamma Mia! will finally open at Star Casino Theatre on June 19^th for a three week season, but you’ll have to be quick to secure a ticket. What’s next? Matt has some ideas but hasn’t locked anything in yet.

Let’s hope he continues to feel the fear, but does it anyway.