New lead casting announced for MAMMA MIA! in the West End after 8-week TV search

After eight unmissable weeks of singing, dancing, and acting their way to a place in the final, Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley have tonight been crowned the winners of MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, securing them a money can’t buy prize – the lead roles of Sophie and Sky in the West End production of MAMMA MIA!

Filmed in the idyllic setting of Greece where the MAMMA MIA! story is set, viewers have been treated across the series to incredible performances from the talented cast made up of 14 aspiring musical theatre performers. Each week, the theatre star hopefuls were put through their paces with a series of workshops, where they were mentored by MAMMA MIA!’s choreographer Anthony Van Laast and musical director Martin Lowe before being whittled down to the final four by judges Alan Carr, Jessie Ware, Amber Riley and Samantha Barks, under the watchful eye of the creator and global producer of MAMMA MIA! Judy Craymer.

The two girls vying for the highly sought after role of Sophie were Stevie Doc, 22, a musical theatre teacher from Glasgow and Esme Bowdler, 23, a barista from Chester. Hoping to land the role of Sky was Owen Johnston, 25, a theatre usher from Belfast and Tobias Turley, 23, a singing waiter from Somerset.

But it was down to the great British public to make the difficult choice on deciding who of the four will take the prize tonight with host Zoe Ball revealing the worthy winners to the nation in the show stopping final live from the Novello Theatre, the West End home of MAMMA MIA!

Over the course of the 75-minute live TV event, viewers were treated to stunning performances from Greece, including a show stopping medley of MAMMA MIA! hits. It was then down to the finalists who were given another chance to impress the judges, and most importantly, the voting viewers at home, with the solo performance of their lives, performed live at the West End home of MAMMA MIA!, the Novello Theatre. The show fittingly culminated with a sensational group performance of ‘The Winner Takes It All’ before Zoe Ball revealed who the public had chosen to win the roles of Sophie and Sky.

On her win, Stevie, who performed a breath-taking version of ABBA’s classic ‘Thank You for the Music’ said: “I’m honestly lost for words. This is something I could never have imagined, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to even be on the show never mind win it! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and helped me to make this happen!”

After winning the public vote, an ecstatic Tobias, who performed ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’ added: “I genuinely have no words, I’m speechless. I feel so grateful to everyone at home who voted for me, and to everyone who has worked on this show for always being so kind to me. This has been the best experience of my life and I am so thankful, it really means the world.”

After celebrating their momentous victory, the two will head straight into rehearsals with the MAMMA MIA! cast, before their debut West End performance in just seven weeks’ time, on Monday 29th January 2024 in London’s Novello Theatre.

Creator and Global Producer of MAMMA MIA! Judy Craymer has closely followed the winners’ journeys from the very beginning. Commenting on her new cast members, Judy said: “It’s a joyous result and I’m delighted to welcome Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley to join the West End cast in this very special year celebrating MAMMA MIA!’s 25th anniversary. All our contestants are so talented and worked so hard, they went through the most intensive musical theatre boot camp with such energy, flair and commitment. They were all such a joy to work with and are all winners in my eyes.”

Since premiering in London in 1999, the irresistible feelgood musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island idyll, all unfolding to the magic of ABBA’s timeless pop masterpieces, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the globe.

The success of MAMMA MIA! has spawned two record-breaking blockbuster films, MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again, produced by Judy Craymer and starring a host of stars including Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Lily James and Cher.

2024 will see the musical land its 25th year on the West End, with Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley being part of the cast celebrating this incredible milestone.

Tickets for MAMMA MIA! starring Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley are on sale now at http://www.mamma-mia.com/  MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream is available to stream on ITVX.