celeb interview
Just when the MAMMA MIA! franchise seemed completely saturated, ITV introduced their talent show spin-off:
MAMMA MIA! I Have A Dream. It scoured the UK for two young performers eager to play Sophie and Sky in the West End production of the legendary Abba-led musical – and it was an absolute treat. Eventually up-and-coming talents Stevie Doc, 22, and Tobias Turley, 23, were selected from thousands of applicants to take to the stage.
After weeks of rehearsals, the pair made their debut on 29 January. Bella caught up with them to see how the whole experience had been.
How did that moment feel when you were announced as the winners?
Tobias: I wasn’t expecting to be announced as the future Sky, so when my name was read out, I just went numb. I don’t think my body knew how to compute it. After that it was just the greatest feeling ever.
Stevie: Like Toby said, I didn’t process it at first. Everything they said went in one ear and out the other. We then went straight into rehearsals pretty much, so I’m not sure I ever processed it properly.
How did you find rehearsals?
T: They were really fun, but I didn’t realise how much time we would spend rehearsing just the two of us. As the cast of MAMMA MIA! performs on stage every night, they don’t need to attend our daily rehearsals. It was nice to meet them gradually and see how all the pieces fitted together.
S: MAMMA MIA! is my first-ever job and my West End debut, so everything was very new to me and I was so nervous. Everyone was so welcoming and lovely though.
Did you feel a certain amount of pressure coming from the TV show?
S: Absolutely! I know everyone in this industry says it, but there’s The winners of the delightful ITV series MAMMA MIA! I Have A Dream chat to Bella definitely some imposter syndrome on my part. It was such a strange process to get the role as well, that I sometimes find myself questioning whether I’m good enough. As soon as I hit the stage though, I know that I’m where I’m meant to be, especially playing Sophie because she’s so similar to me in a lot of ways.
