Review: Mama Does Derby at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Review by Carly Fisher

There’s something uniquely thrilling about walking into a theatre and sensing that what you’re about to witness could not exist anywhere else. That’s precisely the charge pulsing through Mama Does Derby at the Adelaide Festival — a bold, high-intensity theatrical event that fuses roller derby, rock concert and deeply personal storytelling into one electrifying ride.

Presented by Windmill Theatre Company at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, this world premiere, co-created by Clare Watson and Virginia Gay, is theatre at full throttle — and yet, astonishingly, it never loses sight of its emotional core.

At the heart of the story are two powerhouse performances. Amber McMahon delivers a tour-de-force turn as Maxine — chaotic, funny, flawed and ferociously loving. McMahon’s command of the stage is extraordinary; she navigates razor-sharp comedic beats one moment and gut-punch vulnerability the next with her signature style of delivery which is just so natural and relatable. Her physical commitment is especially impressive in a production that demands not just emotional dexterity but athletic precision. McMahon is someone I have loved watching for years and consider to be one of our greats - when she is in a show, I will always be there. 

Opposite her, Elvy-Lee Quici brings remarkable depth and authenticity to Billie. Quici’s performance is beautifully crafted and considered. The chemistry between the two leads feels lived-in and immediate, grounding the show’s wild theatricality in something recognisably human - especially for an only child especially close with their single mother like myself. The banter between the two gives Gilmore Girls and I loved to see it. Quici seems like a performer to watch…clearly mutlifaceted in skill, I would anticipate that this will be a name we will see more and more around the state theatre companies of Australia and beyond. 

Aud Mason-Hyde is fantastic as Hux - a complete natural and such an understated yet commanding presence on stage. Annabel Matheson, Antoine Jelk and Dylan Miller round out the speaking cast of this show and each deliver performances that are perfectly measured between heart and comedy. The show is light but so well manicured in their capable hands. Benjamin Hancock's flexibility and dexterity are jaw dropping and so beautifully displayed in that impeccable costume.

Watson’s direction is nothing short of masterful. The scale of the production — skaters circling at speed, live musicians powering through rock anthems, scenes shifting fluidly across space — is meticulously orchestrated. The transitions are among the most impressive elements of the evening: roller derby players glide in to transform the stage; a domestic scene dissolves seamlessly into a full-blown rock gig; emotional beats land even as the world quite literally moves beneath the performers’ feet. It’s theatrical choreography at its most skillful and is a masterclass for Directors. Fluidity in transitions is a skill not often honed - that’s when you usually see black or blue lights illuminating moving set pieces…snore - and so to see Watson’s craft in action like this was not only entertaining, it was, put simply, inspiring and the kind of theatre I love to see.  

Speaking of choreography, Larissa McGowan deserves special mention for crafting movement that feels both raw and exhilarating. The integration of derby athletes into the storytelling is seamless and so exciting.. Meanwhile, under the musical direction of Joe Lui, the live band injects the production with swaggering energy that lifts the roof and amplifies the emotional stakes.

Visually, the world is strikingly realised through the work of Jonathan Oxlade, whose design captures both the grit of the derby track and the intimacy of the characters’ personal lives, and Lucy Birkinshaw, whose lighting choices heighten the adrenaline and carve out moments of aching stillness. Set in a large Entertainment Centre space (think Disney on Ice), and presented in the round, crafting this world to feel intimate, to be quickly efficient in its movement, and to reflect the world of the characters cleverly, whilst still asking the audience to suspend their disbelief, cannot have been an easy task but the designers on this production have done it with impeccable precision. 

A most sincere and ENORMOUS congratulations to Virginia Gay for this beautiful piece that she has co-developed but ultimately written. The dialogue is extremely well paced, the heart of the story is clear and the fantastical elements are so well realised. I hope that this is a show that we see touring for some time…it more than deserves to be! This is also the PERFECT show to export for international festivals to show off what Australian artists can do. Large and expensive…no doubt, but location-less, relatable, universal in its themes and relationships and blending the usually completely segregated worlds of Art and Sport…this is pure Aussie talent in action! 

What makes Mama Does Derby soar, however, is not just its technical bravura and the exciting Derby — though that alone would be worth the ticket — but its heart. Beneath the speed, the sound and the spectacle lies a story about identity, motherhood, rebellion, mental health and rediscovery..

This is ambitious theatre executed with confidence and flair. It is muscular, moving and unapologetically loud. Above all, it’s a testament to what can happen when fearless direction, exceptional performers and a daring creative team collide.

Loved this show - one of my favourite pieces I have seen in some time! 

Image Supplied