Digital Editor Halima Ahad gives a run-through of the exciting west end talent competition which saw talented contestants competing for a role in Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! has been blessing our screens for the past 25 years. As well as this, it has been a West End phenomenon. When I heard the news of the new ITV show, Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, I was immediately hooked. The basic premise of the show is that 14 musical theatre hopefuls take part in a number of steps in an audition process in Greece, the home of Mamma Mia! itself, to win the chance of playing Sophie and Sky, the main characters of Mamma Mia!
The show has been unforgettable and many faces throughout the audition process have been memorable
Zoe Ball is the star-studded host of the reality show and Alan Carr is one of the judges across the audition process, both fantastic additions to the lighthearted glitz and glamour of the show. Across the past few weeks that the show has been airing, and the live final tonight, the show has been unforgettable and many faces throughout the audition process have been memorable. I do hope to see them in the future gracing the stage of the West End.
The final consisted of four hopefuls who were inches away from winning the chance of a lifetime of playing either Sophie or Sky in the next West End production of Mamma Mia! The four finalists were: Esme Bowdler, Stevie Doc, Tobias Turley and Owen Johnston. All of them brought their own charm and flair to the Novello Theatre.
Esme really stood out to me as the perfect Sophie. She had the natural beauty but also the confidence to really play the part. In the semi final, she beautifully showcased her vocal talent through her solo performance of ‘Dancing Queen.’ Although the song is fast paced and exhilarating in the film and West End show, Esme took her own approach to the song and beautifully slowed it down so the audience could truly understand the meaning of the lyrics.
However, Stevie also had her own flair and charm as Sophie and this was shown amazingly throughout each week of the audition process. In the penultimate episode before the semi final, Mazz Muray (who plays Donna in the West End Mamma Mia!) did an acting workshop with Stevie and her vulnerabilities were showcased through this. However, Stevie acted wonderfully throughout the scene which showed (according to the judges) that she could use this vulnerable side of herself to her advantage when playing the part of Sophie.
I really enjoyed how the contestants completely threw themselves into their individual (or occasionally duo) performances
Throughout the audition process, the hopefuls were taken through numerous workshops with one another as well as group numbers to see how well they could fit into the West End scene. The most memorable group number, for me, was ‘Voulez Vous’ in Choreography Week where the audience were able to see the individual charm and aura of each contestant.
As an avid theatre goer myself, I really enjoyed how the contestants completely threw themselves into their individual (or occasionally duo) performances as they vied for their place in the final of Mamma Mia! As some of the hopefuls were interviewed in the live final, they showcased their achievements although they did not gain a place to be Sophie or Sky.
Overall, I have really enjoyed how the show has played out throughout the last few weeks and this will definitely be on my list to binge watch soon as I would love to find the little things that I may have missed the first time round watching the show.
Rating: 5/5
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