What a knockout start to the quarter-finals day of ITV’s on-location I Have A Dream talent show. Before the elimination of two more wannabe Sophies and Skys we were treated to a Mazz-terclass by the current West End Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! ABBA-solutely nailing ‘The Winner Takes It All’ – has it ever been better sung?
Not only did the great Mazz Murray, swapping her fake sun-kissed Greek island on the West End stage for a real one in Corfu, entertain us royally but she also played Donna opposite each of the four remaining girls in workshop – what a thrill for them – before they performed and guested on the panel 0f judges with Samantha Barks, Amber Riley and Alan Carr while regular judge Jessie Ware was away gigging in the States.
The search for two new juvenile leads to join the 25th-anniversary cast of Mamma Mia! next year is nearly over and it was heartbreak night for Desmonda Cathabel and Marcellus Whyte, coincidentally the two oldest in the group at 27 and 36, who had to go. While vocally superb, Cathabel was told by Riley after teaming up with Owen Johnston on the Christina Aguilera hit ‘Say Something’ she still had work to do on her acting and Barks wanted to see more feistiness and grit.
The 2022 Sondheim Student Performer of the Year can certainly act – she is already in demand and proven – but I don’t think Sophie was her part. Still, everyone hearing her voice will know how special she is, so this was a good shop window for her as it is for all 14 contestants.
Murray thought powerhouse Stephanie Costi was the wrong partner for Whyte who was overmatched vocally. He needed someone warmer and softer, she said. They did Harry Styles’ ‘Falling’ rather unevenly and Riley said “he talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk”.
Dominic Cooper, who played Sky in both Mamma Mia! movies, sent video advice to the four guys and there was a telling clue from a comment by Barks to the effect that she always likes Craig Watson but never loves him. That suggested to me this ultra-reliable Scot may be next to go. Watson and Glasgow lass Stevie Doc’s ‘Simply the Best’ prompted thoughts of an all-Scottish Sophie and Sky wedding until Murray said they would need to act less chummy and more head-over-heels in love.
If Watson goes in next week’s semi-final, that will leave Belfast charmer Johnston and Tobias Turley, the Somerset lad with a big voice and strong stage presence, to go through to the live final on Sunday week (10 December).
Turley shone in ‘Who Wants to Live Forever?’ from We Will Rock You with Esme Bowdler who had said she was “dizzy and shaky” and “starting to feel the pressure”. This might have explained why she impressed in the workshop but according to the judges “went flat” in performance and “didn’t connect”. Yet they still saw a potential Sophie there and decided to give her a reprieve.
It may only be a temporary one as Doc is surely a lock on one final place and rock-solid Costi is more likely to be good for eight shows a week than the under-pressure Bowdler. But it’s still all to play for.
Jeremy Chapman
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