Character guide
Donna Sheridan
from Mamma Mia!
Donna Sheridan is the independent innkeeper and former pop singer at the heart of Mamma Mia!, whose daughter's upcoming wedding forces her to confront three men who could each be the father of the bride.
- Show
- Mamma Mia!
- Broadway premiere
- 2001
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Andersson & Ulvaeus
Donna Sheridan on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 2008 film and its 2018 sequel
Meryl Streep played Donna in the 2008 film, directed by Phyllida Lloyd. On stage, Siobhán McCarthy originated Donna in London in 1999, and Louise Pitre played her when the show opened on Broadway in 2001.
The biggest screen change came in the 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which picks up after Donna has died. Lily James plays young Donna in 1979 flashbacks, and Streep appears as Donna's ghost at the closing christening, singing My Love, My Life with young Donna and Sophie. On stage and in the first film, Donna's numbers include Money, Money, Money, Dancing Queen, and Slipping Through My Fingers.
Who is Donna Sheridan?
Donna runs a small hotel on a Greek island, having built a life for herself and her daughter Sophie after a free-spirited youth touring as part of a girl group. When Sophie secretly invites three men from Donna's past to the wedding, hoping to find her real father, Donna is forced to revisit choices and relationships she thought she had left behind.
She is fiercely independent and protective, but the show also lets her be vulnerable, funny, and nostalgic as old feelings resurface alongside old friends.
Donna's role in Mamma Mia!
Donna is a lead role built around some of the biggest and most emotionally direct numbers in the show, drawn from the catalog of ABBA songs that form the musical's score. The part demands a strong, expressive belt voice along with real comic chemistry alongside her two best friends, and the range to shift from playful bravado to raw emotional honesty.
Because Donna anchors both the comedy and the heart of the story, the role rewards a performer who can be commanding one moment and disarmingly open the next.
Why Donna resonates
Audiences respond to Donna because she represents a woman owning her past instead of being defined by it, a theme that resonates across generations of theatregoers. For performers, the role offers a rare combination of comedy, big-voiced pop numbers, and genuine emotional depth in a single part.
Donna Sheridan: frequently asked questions
What show is Donna Sheridan from?
Donna Sheridan is the lead character in Mamma Mia!, the musical that premiered in 2001.
Is Donna Sheridan a lead or supporting role?
Donna Sheridan is a lead role and the central figure of the story.
Who wrote the music for Mamma Mia!?
The score is built from songs written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA.
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