Hāwera Repertory's June 2022 production of Mamma Mia the Musical is now in rehearsal.
The Hāwera Memorial Theatre Stage is set to ring out with the classic hits of ABBA voiced by a talented cast taken from all over Taranaki. Cast members are travelling to rehearsals from all over the region, with actors from New Plymouth, Opunake, Hāwera, Stratford, and Patea, and all towns in-between.
But distance doesn't matter when balanced against the chance to be in a show like this, says ensemble member Mel Henshilwood, who is travelling from New Plymouth for rehearsals.
She says the first album she owned was one by ABBA, and having watched a lot of Hāwera Repertory productions over the years, she knows they produce "quality shows".
Fellow ensemble members and New Plymouth residents Jenny Bennett and Stacy Manktelow have both been in a production of Mamma Mia before, with Jenny describing the musical as "such a buzz to be in", making it worth the many kilometres they will be clocking up over the next few months.