L-R: Judy Craymer, Amber Riley, Alan Carr, Stevie Doc, Tobias Turley, Jessie Ware, Samantha Barks and Zoe Ball. Picture: Matt Frost
So that’s it – Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley get the life-changing, money-can’t-buy prize, the roles of Sophie and Sky in the 25th anniversary edition of Mamma Mia! after a tense final screened live by ITV from the Novello Theatre in London’s West End.
Next time they’re there, the cheeky wee lass from Glasgow, a musical theatre teacher, and the confident triple-threat from Street, Somerset, both 22 and predictably over the moon, will be getting paid, Mamma Mia’s creator-producer Judy Craymer from her Dress Circle box saying: “Report for rehearsals on Monday!”
She may have been joking but opening night is only seven weeks away on 27 January 2024. More seriously, she added: “The West End and Mamma Mia! are blessed to have Tobias and Stevie.”
For Sunday’s West End debut, with proud family and well-wishers willing them on from Stalls and Circle, Stevie opened the show with ‘Thank You For the Music’ after we’d seen a clip of her at home with Dad and Gran (her mother having died when she was 13), recalling: “Mum used to say I was a dancer before I could walk and a singer before I could talk.”
About her performance, judge Samantha Barks said: “I think you’re incredibly special and I’m a great fan.” Judges Alan Carr and Jessie Ware just cried.
Having tipped Stevie and Tobias to win, I was relieved when the results were announced as the opposition was mighty impressive. Tobias, who works as a singing waiter in a bar in Street and appeared as Kurt in Heathers at The Other Palace, chose ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’ that accentuated not only a strong, musical voice (his parents met in an amateur production of Carousel) but dance skills too. Ware said: “You’ve been great from the start. I think you’d make a great partner for our Sophie.” Barks added: “Such energy. You’ve got it all.”
So congratulations all round – even Bjorn Ulvaeus sent a video message – but it was impossible not to feel sorry for losing finalists Esme Bowdler, a 23-year-old barista from Chester who sings ABBA songs while she mixes a mocha, and the oldest of the quartet, 25-year-old Belfast charmer Owen Johnston who works front of house for Six The Musical at the Vaudeville along the road from the Novello. He was amazed to get to the final, explaining Belfast being a small city there was minimal musical theatre and this was “the first time I’ve auditioned for anything.”
Esme’s ‘My Love, My Life’ was the 5ft 11in finalist at her best. After weeks of self-doubt, this late bloomer finally believes: “I need to do this for the rest of my life.” Judge Amber Riley told her: “You sound like an angel. You had to fight for this and it showed.”
Before returning to London for the big showdown, the show was shot in eight episodes on Corfu and that included a bonus edition* which demonstrated I Have A Dream’s demanding behind-the-scenes operation, using as example the hectic week one when the 14 qualifiers were first introduced. Much water has flowed under the bridge since then – and quite a bit of it fell on that picture-book Greek island – but there was a great camaraderie and lasting friendships made with everyone seemingly rooting for everyone else.
The four judges, West End stars Barks and Riley (who flew back from the States just that morning and was feeling “like the walking dead”), singer-songwriter Ware and comedian Carr who got a laugh, fully merited for a change, when telling Owen after his sublime ‘One Last Summer’: “If you keep on singing like that, you’ll be as big as Judy Craymer’s shoulder pads,” played a big part in creating a warm, relaxed atmosphere while being fully aware there was a deadly serious competition going on.
As the deadline for the public vote got nearer, a big finale saw the four finalists teaming up for an infectious and appropriate ‘The Winner Takes It All’.
This was a template for how talent shows should be made and as it was shown at peak time early on Sunday evenings, a testament to the high value TV puts on musical theatre and young talent, their stars of the future.
Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another decade or more for the next one as it seems an age since Lloyd Webber-inspired BBC competitions like I’d Do Anything. Barks, now on maternity leave from playing the lead in Frozen, in fact appeared in that programme, finishing third to Jodie Prenger. She was only 17 and the youngest there but worth mention because isn’t it amazing how many people remember it as if it was yesterday. For talent-spotting alone these shows are a boon.
So a Dream final – what a proud night for Arts Ed, the MT training college in Chiswick from which where Stevie and Esme both graduated – and if the winners took it all, the runners-up received such positive notes that a golden future surely awaits them too. Bravo and bravo to all four and thank you for the music.
Jeremy Chapman
- Episode 9 available now on ITVx
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