‘Mama Does Derby’ Delivers The Best Of Aussie Theatre On Wheels

With a script by the indomitable Virginia Gay and directed by Windmill Production’s Clare Watson, Mama Does Derby centres on the relationship of Max (Amber McMahon) and Billie (Elvy-Lee Quici), who’ve only ever really had each other to rely on. Settling into a new house in a small town after a lifetime of nomadism, 15-year-old Billie struggles to acclimatise to a life not on the run, while Max buries herself half-heartedly in various hobbies and useless boyfriends to distract from the mundanity of her new 9-5 in data entry.

From the beginning, it’s clear that the pair are undoubtedly too close. More best friends than parent and child, they trade Gilmore Girls-esque quips back and forth, with snappy pop-culture-laden dialogue that holds up under the scrutiny of my Zillennial brain. However, tensions simmer under the surface of even the closest mother-daughter duos, reaching a boiling point when Max secretly joins a roller derby league and Billie’s parentified brain cracks under the realisation that she can’t- nor should she- be her mother’s main protector.

Mama Does Derby does a magnificent job at tackling the trenches of anxiety and isolation that can only truly be experienced by teenage girls. Billie’s all-consuming thoughts manifest in a sleep paralysis demon that visits her in the night, played by the fantastically elastic Benjamin Hancock, who contorts himself into a variety of superhuman shapes all while balancing on a set of heelless platform pleasers. It’s these touches of whimsy that persevere even in the depths of adolescent wretchedness that keep the audience from falling right over the edge along with Billie.

The show seems to have been embraced fully by Sydney’s roller derby community, and it’s where the heart of the entire production lies. A cast of real-life skaters, many from the beloved Inner West Roller Derby League, push the props and fantastically designed modular sets around the stage, making for swift and impressive scene changes and helping keep the energy of the show going. After dipping my toe into derby during the pandemic (I still have the $300+ rink-approved skates lying around somewhere), I was truly in awe of the athleticism and teamwork it must have taken to move these undoubtedly hefty sets while on wheels. 

You don’t need to have a working knowledge of roller derby to get you through the show- the audience gets a crash course right alongside Max (special mention must be made to McMahon who did an incredible job keeping up with the other skaters). The premise of the show really hinges on the effectiveness of the stage-turned-rink, and the Sydney production has absolutely managed to carry it off, but I’m sure it could be a challenge without the right people.

The cast are supported by a live three-piece band (also on a moveable set) whose riot grrrl-inspired covers were an absolutely brilliant throughline, and helped carry the tone between set transitions. The soundtrack is perfectly chosen, with a particularly distressing argument between Billie and Max made all the more so when the opening notes of Mitski’s Best American Girl play out the scene. 

As with any new show, there were some teething problems. Delivered in one 90-minute block, the show doesn’t have an intermission, and rightfully so, but it does feel a bit emotionally exhausting, and I found myself willing scenes to wrap up so I could breathe for a second. As close to the stage as we were, the audience also plays a big part in the atmosphere of the production, and my show was curiously full of older Baby Boomers who were a little too straight-laced to holler and stamp the way derby deserves 

However as they finish their virtually sold-out run at the Sydney Festival tonight, the team behind Mama Does Derby have undoubtedly delivered a triumph of a show that’s full of heart and is everything I adore about the Australian theatre scene.