A musical theatre star who honed her craft in an Albion dance studio is bringing her international experience home to headline a massive new production of Mamma Mia! at The Star Gold Coast.
A Homecoming for Queensland Talent
The upcoming season of the beloved ABBA musical will showcase a strong lineup of performers with deep ties to South East Queensland. Taylor, who spent her early training days at the Australian Dance Performance Institute historically based in Albion, is taking on the principal role of Tanya.
She is joined in the production by fellow Queensland Conservatorium graduate Laura Garrick. Both women studied at the Conservatorium’s South Bank campus before launching successful careers that have taken them across the country and overseas.
Bringing Broad Experience to the Local Stage
Both performers are bringing significant industry experience to the Gold Coast stage. Taylor is a triple-threat artist who has toured the United Kingdom in major productions of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Alongside her theatre work, she performs with the vocal group The 7 Sopranos and has directed and toured a national award-nominated theatre show.
Garrick has also built an impressive resume, securing a major industry award for her supporting performance in Kinky Boots and singing the national anthem for major Australian sporting teams like the Matildas. She will make her Mamma Mia! debut as part of the electric ensemble.
Building the Island Dream
The Very Popular Theatre Company is producing the show, featuring a cast of 31 stage performers from around Australia. Set on a Greek island, the story explores the lives of a mother, her daughter, and three possible fathers, all driven by 22 popular ABBA songs. Erin Cornell leads the cast as Donna Sheridan, making up the iconic band Donna and the Dynamos alongside Taylor’s Tanya and Gold Coast local Jo-Anne Jackson as Rosie.
Emily Monsma will play Donna’s daughter, Sophie. Monsma noted her enthusiasm about returning to the Gold Coast to perform in a show she feels deeply connected to, recalling childhood memories of singing the group’s songs with her family and watching a tribute act at the exact same venue.
A Powerhouse Creative Team
The production begins its limited season on 4 September, followed by a blue carpet premiere event on September 8. Director Erin James leads an acclaimed creative team with combined experience working on massive international hits like Wicked and Billy Elliot. The original stage show has reached more than 70 million people worldwide since it first opened in London, and tickets for this new Queensland run are already selling quickly.
Published Date 30-June-2026
