Mamma Mia, what a show! Karratha theatre company brings a slice of Greek island life to the Pilbara’s red dirt

The Red Earth Arts Precinct transformed into a Greek island hotel for a few magical days as residents took to the stage for a special set of performances. Over three days in December, Pitter Pat Productions brought Mamma Mia! to the Karratha stage, telling the story of Sophie’s quest to find the identity of her father, punctuated by ABBA’s most famous hits. The chaos, comedy, and confusion obviously delighted the audiences, with a standing ovation for the cast and crew on the last night, according to Pitter Pat chair Danielle Heaton. “We are still riding the wave from the phenomenal response from the show,” she said. “The standing ovation from the crowd on the final performance was more than we have ever had from any of our shows.” Pitter Pat Productions is a not-for-profit community theatre company based in Karratha, focused on giving local people an outlet to develop new skills, and producing shows by and for the wider community. Co-directed by Heaton and Zoe Waterstrom-Muller, with musical direction by Camille Barton and featuring a cast of 18 talented local performers, Mamma Mia! was rehearsed and produced over six months. Everything from costumes and sets to fundraising and vocal coaching was conducted in-house, with support from dedicated community members. The show was made possible by sponsorship from Woodside Energy, Ventia, SPG Drainage & Civil, ODH Mechanical, North West Tree Services, Pharmacy 777, Triple M, Camille Sara Consulting, and Signswest.