Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream | |
---|---|
Genre | Reality competition |
Presented by | Zoe Ball |
Judges | |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Ashley Whitehouse |
Producer | Thames |
Production company | Thames |
Original release | |
Network | ITV |
Release | 22 October – 10 December 2023 |
Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream was a British television talent competition that began airing on 22 October 2023 on ITV. The show documented the search for two new, unknown musical theatre performers to play the roles of Sophie Sheridan and Sky Ramand in the West End production of the musical Mamma Mia! . The series was presented by Zoe Ball, and features Samantha Barks, Alan Carr, Amber Riley and Jessie Ware as judges. The series was won by Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley to play Sophie and Sky respectively.
The series documented the search to find two unknown musical theatre stars to play the central roles of Sophie Sheridan and Sky Ramand in the 2024 West End production of the musical Mamma Mia! , based on the film of the same name for the musical's 25th anniversary. [1] [2] The format was similar to that of the BBC competitions How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? , Any Dream Will Do , I'd Do Anything and Over the Rainbow which aired on BBC One in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 respectively. [3] ITV later aired a similar programme in 2012, Superstar . [4] The series featured fourteen contestants, seven men and seven women, who took part in masterclasses, challenges and workshops focused on singing, dancing and acting which led to a finale set which took place in a West End theatre where a public vote decided the winners. [5] [6]
In September 2022, it was reported that ITV were planning to revive the musical theatre talent search format with a new series based on Mamma Mia . [7] In December 2022, ITV confirmed the commissioning of Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. The series was produced by Thames, the production company behind the reality television formats Britain's Got Talent and I Can See Your Voice . The series is filmed in Corfu, Greece and is presented by Zoe Ball. [8] The judges included Samantha Barks, who was a finalist on I'd Do Anything in 2008, comedian Alan Carr, Glee actress Amber Riley and singer Jessie Ware. [9] [10]
The fourteen contestants competing for the roles of Sophie and Sky were announced on the day of the show's broadcast. [11]
Name | Age | Hometown | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Maddy Erzan-Essien | 20 | Bolton | Eliminated 1st on 29 October 2023 |
Maisie Waller | 22 | Margate | Eliminated 3rd on 12 November 2023 |
Leah Rutherford | 20 | Redcar | Eliminated 5th on 19 November 2023 |
Desmonda Cathabel | 27 | Jakarta | Eliminated 7th on 26 November 2023 |
Stephanie Costi | 22 | St Albans | Third/Eliminated 9th on 3 December 2023 |
Esme Bowdler | 22 | Chester | Runner-Up on 10 December 2023 |
Stevie Doc | 22 | Glasgow | Winner on 10 December 2023 |
Name | Age | Hometown | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Darcy James | 23 | Hampshire | Eliminated 2nd on 5 November 2023 |
Callum Ravden | 22 | Oxfordshire | Eliminated 4th on 12 November 2023 |
Zackhiel Smith | 22 | London | Eliminated 6th on 19 November 2023 |
Marcellus Whyte | 36 | High Wycombe | Eliminated 8th on 26 November 2023 |
Craig Watson | 26 | Perthshire | Third/Eliminated 10th on 3 December 2023 |
Owen Johnston | 25 | Belfast | Runner-Up on 10 December 2023 |
Tobias Turley | 23 | Somerset | Winner on 10 December 2023 |
– | Contestant was eliminated |
– | Contestant was in the bottom two |
– | the Sophie who received the most public votes |
– | the Sky who received the most public votes |
Contestant | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stevie Doc | SAFE | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SOPHIE |
Tobias Turley | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SKY |
Esme Bowdler | SAFE | SAFE | — | BTM 2 | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | RUNNER UP |
Owen Johnston | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | RUNNER UP |
Craig Watson | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | |
Stephanie Costi | SAFE | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | ELIM | |
Marcellus Whyte | SAFE | — | SAFE | SAFE | BTM 2 | ELIM | ||
Desmonda Cathabel | SAFE | SAFE | — | SAFE | BTM 2 | ELIM | ||
Zachkiel Smith | SAFE | — | SAFE | BTM 2 | ELIM | |||
Leah Rutherford | SAFE | SAFE | — | SAFE | ELIM | |||
Callum Ravden | SAFE | — | SAFE | ELIM | ||||
Maisie Waller | SAFE | SAFE | — | ELIM | ||||
Darcy James | SAFE | — | ELIM | |||||
Maddy Erzan-Essien | SAFE | ELIM | ||||||
For the show's the first episode, the fourteen contestants were placed in either duos or trios and performed a song by ABBA. [12]
Group performances:
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Maddy Erzan-Essien | "Money, Money, Money" | Safe |
Stephanie Costi | |||
2 | Craig Watson | "SOS" | Safe |
Marcellus Whyte | |||
Tobias Turley | |||
3 | Callum Ravden | "Knowing Me, Knowing You" | Safe |
Darcy James | |||
4 | Esme Bowdler | "Fernando" | Safe |
Leah Rutherford | |||
5 | Owen Johnston | "Waterloo" | Safe |
Zachkiel Smith | |||
6 | Desmonda Cathabel | "Chiquitita" | Safe |
Maisie Waller | |||
Stevie Doc | |||
In the show's second episode, the Sophies had to demonstrate their acting skills by recreating a scene from the film, before having to perform solo for the first time. [12]
Group performance: "Dancing Queen"
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Desmonda Cathabel | "I'll Never Love Again" | Safe |
2 | Stephanie Costi | "Flashdance... What a Feeling" | Safe |
3 | Leah Rutherford | "Somebody to Love" | Safe |
4 | Esme Bowdler | "Just a Girl" | Safe |
5 | Stevie Doc | "Trustfall" | Safe |
6 | Maddy Erzan-Essien | "I Say a Little Prayer" | Eliminated |
7 | Maisie Waller | "I Dreamed a Dream" | Safe |
In the show's third episode, the Skys had to demonstrate their acting skills by recreating a scene from the film, before having to perform solo for the first time. [13]
Group performance: "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Owen Johnston | "Luck Be a Lady" | Safe |
2 | Darcy James | "Kiss Me" | Eliminated |
3 | Zachkiel Smith | "Footloose" | Safe |
4 | Craig Watson | "Your Song" | Safe |
5 | Callum Ravden | "Shivers" | Safe |
6 | Marcellus Whyte | "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" | Safe |
7 | Tobias Turley | "Pointless" | Safe |
For the show's the fourth episode, the Sophies and Skys were paired up and had to recreate a scene between the characters and sing "Lay All Your Love on Me, before performing a duet together. [14]
Group performance:
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Esme Bowdler | "The Power of Love" | Bottom two |
Marcellus Whyte | Safe | ||
2 | Craig Watson | "You're the One That I Want" | Safe |
Maisie Waller | Eliminated | ||
3 | Desmonda Cathabel | "Love Is an Open Door" | Safe |
Tobias Turley | Safe | ||
4 | Leah Rutherford | "All for You" | Safe |
Zachkiel Smith | Bottom two | ||
5 | Callum Ravden | "Rewrite the Stars" | Eliminated |
Stephanie Costi | Safe | ||
6 | Owen Johnston | "Shallow" | Safe |
Stevie Doc | Safe | ||
For the show's the fifth episode, the Sophies and Skys were sorted into new pairs and had take part in a choreography work shop before performing a dance style in a duet together. [15]
Group performance:
Order | Act | Song | Dance | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stevie Doc | "All That Jazz" | Fosse | Safe |
Tobias Turley | Safe | |||
2 | Owen Johnston | "Made You Look" | Commercial | Safe |
Stephanie Costi | Safe | |||
3 | Desmonda Cathabel | "You Are the Reason" | Waltz | Bottom two |
Zachkiel Smith | Eliminated | |||
4 | Leah Rutherford | "Night Fever" | Disco | Eliminated |
Marcellus Whyte | Bottom two | |||
5 | Craig Watson | "True Colors" | Contemporary | Safe |
Esme Bowdler | Safe | |||
For the show's sixth episode, the Sophies had to embark on an acting workshop in which they had to recreate a scene from the film between Sophie and her mother Donna Sheridan, played Mazz Murray, who played the role of Donna in West End production of Mamma Mia!. The Sophies and Skys were again sorted into new pairings and had to perform a new duet. [16]
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Desmonda Cathabel | "Say Something" | Eliminated |
Owen Johnston | Safe | ||
2 | Stevie Doc | "The Best" | Safe |
Craig Watson | Safe | ||
3 | Stephanie Costi | "Falling" | Safe |
Marcellus Whyte | Eliminated | ||
4 | Esme Bowdler | "Who Wants to Live Forever" | Safe |
Tobias Turley | Safe | ||
In the semi-finals episode, the Sophies and Skys were sorted into new pairings; (Esme & Owen, Craig & Stephanie and Stevie & Tobias) for their final acting workshop in which each pair had to recreate the wedding scene between Sophie and Sky. Each contestant then performed an ABBA song solo, before the finalists were announced. [17]
Group performance: "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Craig Watson | "Take a Chance on Me" | Eliminated |
2 | Owen Johnston | "When All Is Said and Done" | Safe |
3 | Tobias Turley | "Does Your Mother Know" | Safe |
4 | Stephanie Costi | "Angeleyes" | Eliminated |
5 | Stevie Doc | "The Name of the Game" | Safe |
6 | Esme Bowdler | "Dancing Queen" | Safe |
For the final episode, the show was broadcast live from the Novello Theatre and the Sophies and Skys had to perform one last time in a bid to impress the public, who would vote for who they wanted to win and ultimately play the roles of Sophie and Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!. [18]
Order | Act | Song | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Stevie Doc | "Thank You for the Music" | Sophie |
2 | Esme Bowdler | "My Love, My Life" | Runner-up |
3 | Owen Johnston | "Our Last Summer" | Runner-up |
4 | Tobias Turley | "I've Been Waiting for You" | Sky |
5 | Stevie, Esme, Owen, and Tobias | "The Winner Takes it All" | N/A |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Daily Telegraph | [19] |
The Independent | [20] |
The Guardian | [3] |
The series was described by Lucy Mangan of The Guardian as a "wildly rushed, tension-free series that is never less than shrill". She ranked the series 2 out of 5 stars and noted that [the programme] showed "virtually nothing of the workshops and even less of the rehearsals" [...] adding that although the show featured full-length renditions of ABBA's greatest hits and great fun, there was "no tension, no investment, no context for any of [the programme]." [3]
Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph was more positive in her review of the show's format, describing it as a "talent show with actual talent" and an "all-singing, all-dancing delight, perfect to distract from Britain's gloomy skies". [19] The Independent ranked the series 4 stars, a noted that the show "wonderfully captured [Mamma Mia's] unhinged party atmosphere, whilst Digital Spy observed that viewers had compared the series' contestants to that of Love Island . [20] [21]
ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982, and again from 2016 to 2022 following their reunion.
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson based on songs recorded by Swedish group ABBA and composed by members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". Ulvaeus and Andersson were involved in the development of the show from the beginning, while singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad was involved financially in the production and also appeared at many of the premieres around the world.
"Mamma Mia" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA, written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, with the lead vocals shared by Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. It is the opening track on the group's third album, the self-titled ABBA (1975). The song was released in September 1975 as its sixth single. The song's name is derived from Italian, where it is an interjection used in situations of surprise, anguish, or excitement. It corresponds to the English interjection "my, my!" The song was ABBA's first number one in the UK since "Waterloo" in 1974.
"I Have a Dream" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in December 1979 as the sixth and final single from the group's sixth studio album, Voulez-Vous. Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang lead vocals. It was a major hit, topping the charts in many countries and peaking at No. 2 in the UK over the Christmas week of 1979. Twenty years later, Irish pop group Westlife released a version that reached No. 1 in the UK over the Christmas week of 1999.
Catherine Johnson is a British playwright, producing works for stage and television. She is best known for her book for the ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia! and screenplay for the musical's film adaptation. The film became the highest-grossing British picture of all time in the UK, and the biggest selling UK DVD of all time in January 2009. She also co-wrote the 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
"Thank You for the Music" is a song by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally featured on the group's fifth studio album, The Album (1977), and was released as a double-A sided single with "Eagle" in May 1978 in limited territories, namely Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. In South Africa where it peaked at number 2 in August 1978 and became the eighteenth best-selling single of that year.
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The third series was broadcast on ITV from 19 August 2006 until 16 December 2006. Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell all returned for their third series on the judging panel. Kate Thornton returned to present the main show on ITV, while Ben Shephard returned to present spin-off show The Xtra Factor on ITV2. After the semi-final on 9 December, Cowell became the winning judge even though the series had not yet finished, as two of his acts, Ray Quinn and Leona Lewis, became the two finalists. Lewis won the series on 16 December, with Quinn finishing as runner-up.
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, based on her book from the 1999 musical of the same name. The film is based on the songs of pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Meryl Streep, and Julie Walters. The plot follows a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father. The film was an international co-production between Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was co-produced by Playtone and Littlestar Productions.
Stephanie Leanne Fearon is a British stage and television actress most noted for her TV appearances in the CITV show My Parents Are Aliens and the BBC talent-search Over the Rainbow.
Kristie Marsden is a Canadian actress from British Columbia.
ABBAmania is a tribute album to Swedish disco-pop band ABBA, released in 1999. It followed an ITV programme of the same name and featured various British and Irish artists covering ABBA songs, except for "I Know Him So Well", which originated from the musical Chess, though it was written by ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
"Our Last Summer" is a song by ABBA from the group's seventh studio album, Super Trouper. It was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
Lisa Stokke is a Norwegian singer and actress, active in Norway and Great Britain. She appeared in the original West End-staging of the musical Mamma Mia!, and later appeared in Guys and Dolls and in the UK television series Jonathan Creek.
Mamma Mia! Original Cast Recording is the original cast album for the ABBA-inspired stage musical of the same name. The album was released in 1999 and it reached No.56 in the UK album chart, with 2 weeks on the chart. Re-interest in this 1999 Original London Cast album caused it to reach #12 in the UK Album Chart, having charted at #16 a week earlier. It features performances by the original London cast of the musical including Lisa Stokke, Siobhán McCarthy and Hilton McRae. The album was produced by the two male members of ABBA, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
Sarah Lark is a Welsh singer and actress who rose to fame when she competed as one of the finalists in the BBC talent show-themed television series I'd Do Anything in 2008.
Judith Sarah Jarman Craymer is an English creator and producer of musical theatre who has also worked in the film, television and music industries. She is the founder of Littlestar Services Ltd. Craymer worked on Mamma Mia!, which has been seen by more than 65 million people worldwide. Ten years after the film adaptation grossed more than $600 million around the world, Craymer produced an all-new original movie musical based on the songs of ABBA, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Since opening in July 2018 the film has become the most successful live musical movie sequel of all time grossing just less than $400 million. Craymer was nominated for the "Carl Foreman award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer in their first feature film" at the 62nd British Academy Film Awards for the film version of Mamma Mia! She has been dubbed "the greatest showbiz impresario" of the first decade of the 21st century and has consequently been entered in Debrett's.
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The ninth series began airing on ITV on 18 August 2012 and ended on 9 December 2012. Dermot O'Leary returned as presenter of the main show on ITV, whilst Caroline Flack and Olly Murs returned to co-present The Xtra Factor on ITV2. Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow and Tulisa returned as judges. Nicole Scherzinger was confirmed as the fourth permanent judge after Geri Halliwell, Leona Lewis, Rita Ora, Mel B, Anastacia and Scherzinger herself stood in as guest judges for the vacant position left by Kelly Rowland. After the show of 8 December, two of Scherzinger's acts, James Arthur and Jahméne Douglas, became the top two, meaning that Scherzinger was guaranteed to win. Arthur was announced as the winner on 9 December, and released a cover of Shontelle's "Impossible" as his winner's song. As of 2016, it is the most successful winner's single in the show's history.
Jessica Lois Ware is an English singer. She came to prominence following the release of her debut studio album, Devotion (2012), which peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart, produced the single "Wildest Moments", and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Her second studio album, Tough Love (2014), reached number nine in the UK and produced the singles "Tough Love" and "Say You Love Me". Her third studio album, Glasshouse (2017), reached number seven in the UK. In 2018, Ware began co-hosting the Table Manners podcast alongside her mother Lennie.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 British / American production jukebox musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Ol Parker, from a story by Parker, Catherine Johnson, and Richard Curtis. It is the sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, which in turn is based on the 1999 musical of the same name using the music of ABBA. The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Andy García, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Cher, Meryl Streep, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, and Hugh Skinner. Both a prequel and a sequel, the plot is set after the events of the previous film, and is intersected with flashbacks to Donna's youth in 1979, with some scenes from the two time periods mirroring each other.
The fifteenth and final series of the British television music competition The X Factor began airing on ITV on 1 September 2018, presented by Dermot O'Leary. Simon Cowell returned alongside new judges Louis Tomlinson, Ayda Field, and Robbie Williams who replace departing judges Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne, and Louis Walsh. Nile Rodgers filled in for Williams while he was away on his tour for weeks 3–5 of the live shows. On 2 December, Jamaican-born singer Dalton Harris won the series making him the first and only foreign contender to win the UK show. This was the only series that featured Tomlinson, Field, and Williams as judges.