REVIEW: Thank You For the Music: The ABBA Show – Paterson Productions

It’s not every weekend you walk into a theatre and find the audience already sparkling back at you before the curtain rises. Sequins, flares, and platform boots filled the aisles before Thank You For the Music: The ABBA Show even began, and by the finale half the audience was on their feet — because honestly, it felt criminal to sit still!

Paterson Productions has been delivering this glitter-soaked ABBA tribute for several years now, quickly cementing itself as a must-see event on Brisbane’s theatrical calendar. Though it’s been running annually, this was my first time catching it live and I left wondering how I’d managed to miss it before!

Samantha Paterson (creator, MD, and powerhouse vocalist herself) and director/choreographer/wardrobe wizard Maureen Bowra gathered an all-star team for this year’s production: six phenomenal singers, four jaw-dropping dancers, and a live band that felt every bit as integral to the spectacle as the cast. The result? Two and a half hours of ABBA at full throttle, with pyrotechnics, disco balls, fog machines, glittery costumes, kaleidoscopic lights, and above all, joy!

Paterson opened the show with the title number 'Thank You For the Music,' rolling straight into 'Take a Chance' and 'Super Trouper.' The dancers burst on like a glitter cannon, and the harmonies hit full force. Early on, the vocals sat a touch too loud against the band, but that was quickly ironed out, and from there it was hit after hit after hit!

The choreography gave the dancers plenty of space to shine: Sunny J, Jaya Fisher-Smith, Chloe Kiloh, and Jennifer B Ashley were an unstoppable force. Jaya’s moves dropped my jaw more than once, Jen’s megawatt smile lit up the stage, and those sparkly fans in 'Chiquitita' added to the disco dream. I gasped when 'As Good As New' popped up as a dance break — finally, justice for one of ABBA’s most underrated gems! The boys couldn’t resist a cheeky, hip-thrusting 'Rock Me,' which had the crowd in stitches, and 'Hasta Mañana' was delivered with warmth like a lullaby. Even 'Bang-A-Boomerang' made an appearance!

Vocally, this cast was stacked, with every singer boasting a star moment:

• Finlay Underwood was cheeky and magnetic, leading a hilariously flirty 'Does Your Mother Know' and later melting hearts in 'Fernando' with Paterson (who glowed like Glinda in the pink fog).

• Laura Greenhalgh shone in 'I Have a Dream,' her eyes sparkling as I found myself singing my own harmonies from my seat.

• Sam Caruana showed off his golden tenor in 'Chiquitita,' soaring above lush harmonies, and his duet 'S.O.S' with Laura was a highlight of the evening.

• Madeleine Ford paired beautifully with Caruana on 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' (one of my all-time ABBA favourites!) and they nailed the bittersweet ache.

• Simon Chamberlain was pure dynamite on 'Ring Ring' and 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,' his energy making me feel truly “young and sweet, only seventeen.”

• And of course, Samantha Paterson herself floored us with a heart-rending 'The Winner Takes It All,' holding centre stage in a single, devastating spotlight while backed by beautiful offstage harmonies.

The group harmonies were strongest when the singers could stay still or when offstage reinforcement was used — handheld mics and high-energy choreography occasionally made blend tricky. But with voices this strong, it hardly mattered. Each performer could lead a show on their own, and together they created wall-to-wall ABBA ecstasy.

The finale was a glitter bomb of 'Voulez-Vous,' 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,' 'Waterloo,' and 'Dancing Queen,' complete with kaleidoscopic lighting and the cast in full sparkly-jumpsuit glory. By then, the line between stage and audience had blurred as the performers were dancing in the aisles with us, and honestly, I wish I’d been up there too!

This production was pure escapism; the kind of show where you leave hoarse from singing along and grinning ear to ear. As I floated out into the night, I couldn’t help compiling my “requests for next year” list: Andante, Andante, I Wonder, Don’t Shut Me Down, Kisses of Fire, Angel Eyes, When I Kissed the Teacher.... A reviewer can dream, right?

If you missed Thank You For the Music this year, keep your eyes peeled — it seems to be an annual treat. And in the meantime, Paterson Productions already has us counting down to their next glitter-filled adventure: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Judging by the glamour, stamina, and heart of this company, it’s bound to be spectacular.

Tickets to Priscilla here

Created & MD: Samantha Paterson

Director, Choreographer & Wardrobe: Maureen Bowra

Band Leader & Keys 1: Mark Mirhan (with eight musicians)

Lighting: Tom Dodds

Sound: Josh Cathcart

Wardrobe: Lachlan Hall

Photography: Stageshots and By Brit Creative

Venue: Twelfth Night Theatre