INTERVIEW: TOBIAS TURLEY (MAMMA MIA!) | London, Novello Theatre

Interview

Tobias Turley is the winner of ITV’s MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, a British television talent competition documenting the search for two new, unknown musical theatre performers for Mamma Mia! in the West End.

— Congratulations on winning ITV’s MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, with a prize that money can’t buy: joining the West End cast as Sky. How are you feeling?

I’m feeling great, thank you, I’m having such a blast in this show. It’s such an incredible feeling seeing so many months of hard work pay off and come to fruition. We started filming the TV show over a year ago now, so it’s very odd to see myself in the position I am currently in, but I am loving every second.

— Since opening in 1999, Mamma Mia! has gone on to be one of the most successful musicals in the whole world.  For you, what makes it so popular and so enduring?

This show is built on a foundation of incredible music. ABBA is timeless and beloved all over the world, so that’s a great start. But also it has a great script, incredible production design and amazing choreography. It’s a good mixture all round.

— Tell us about your character, Sky.

Sky is a charming, bubbly island boy. Who is head over heels for Sophie, but not completely sold on the idea of marriage just yet. He loves adventuring on the island, diving, surfing, very typical island behaviour. He’s very level headed, calm and collected but also incredibly light hearted. He’s a good egg.

— Anything else exciting in the pipeline?

The future is looking very exciting and I’m taking everything as it comes.  Being part of the show’s 25th anniversary celebration, with Björn Ulvaeus joining us on stage, was so special; the same anniversary of ABBA winning Eurovision with “Waterloo”, 50 years ago. I feel so incredibly lucky to be in the position I am in.

Tobias Turley is now performing in the West End production of Mamma Mia!, playing eight shows a week.

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MAMMA MIA! 25th anniversary | London, Novello Theatre

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On Saturday 6 April 2024, the original production of MAMMA MIA! celebrated its 25th anniversary, making it only the third musical in the history of the West End, to reach its Silver Jubilee.

Since premiering in London’s West End in 1999, the exhilarating smash-hit has become a global phenomenon, with a staggering 70 million people having seen it worldwide.

There was quite a celebration on Saturday night. On stage at the Novello Theatre, the cast were joined by Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA, Judy Craymer (creator and producer), Catherine Johnson (book writer), Anthony van Laast (choreographer), as well as original cast members Siobhan McCarthy (original Donna) and Lisa Stokke (original Sophie).

The party continued afterwards at the Palm Court in the Waldorf Hilton.

Playing at the Novello Theatre in London, 8 shows a week.

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HONG KONG LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL: OPENING PARTY | Hong Kong, Woobar @ W Hotel

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To celebrate the 30th anniversary year of the longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival in Asia, the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKLGFF) kicked off with two packed-house screenings and a dynamite party in Kowloon. All ticket holders to the opening screenings of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (How I Felt When I Saw That Girl) (2019) or Les Crevettes Pailletées (The Shiny Shrimps) (2019) were invited to the party, with free drinks sponsored by Finlandia and Jack Daniel’s.

Before the screenings, executive director Raymond Leung presented this year’s Prism Award to Angus Leung, on behalf of him and his husband Scott Adams, for spending the past five years battling local government to recognise their marriage in Hong Kong.

At Woobar, DJs Janette Slack and Melody Lane delivered a stream of feel-good club classics with the occasional remix. Short, live performances injected some fresh energy, too. KiKi house of Marciano brought their mixed-gender, PVC-clad voguing trio, which went down an absolute storm. Drag Jam did some fun lip-syncing and also posed for some photo opportunities with fans.

Although primarily geared up for a young, nightclub-going crowd, there was a glorious mix of ages, nationalities and styles, embracing Hong Kong’s diversity. A huge amount has changed over the past thirty years: 1991 saw the legalisation of homosexuality, and Hong Kong’s annual Pride parade started in 2008. But there is still no legal recognition of any same-sex relationships, and limited protection against discrimination. The fight for visibility continues.

Book online for all upcoming events, including the closing party on 21 September 2019.

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