Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream: everything we know

Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream is the latest talent search on ITV1 and it has now started! Smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! has been seen by 65 million people worldwide on stage and at cinemas and now the search is on to find two lucky performers to play Sophie and Sky, the roles made famous by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper in the popular films.

Presented by Zoe Ball, Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream will be judged by Alan Carr, Jessie Ware, Amber Riley and Samantha Barks. Filmed in the stunning Greek islands, where the original MAMMA MIA! story is set, the contestants are put through challenges, masterclasses and performances, aided by some of the industry’s finest stars. MAMMA MIA! creator Judy Craymer also steps in to mentor the hopefuls. The winners will be announced after a grand finale, which will be held in a West End theatre.

This Sunday sees episode two and the makers tease: "This week, on the show, it’s all about the girls, as the seven Sophies take centre stage. As ever, Judges Alan Carr, Jessie Ware, Samantha Barks and Amber Riley will put the girls through their paces as they tackle their first acting workshop by recreating a famous scene from the film. And there’ll be seven show-stopping performances, but When All is Said and Done, who will be sent packing back to the UK and out of the running to be crowned Sophie in London’s West End?"

Below is a teaser clip from this weekend's episode which sees contestant Desmonda,  singing Lady Gaga's "I’ll Never Love Again" from "A Star is Born".

Here’s everything you need to know about Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream on ITV1…

Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream release date

Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream is an eight-part series that launched on ITV1 on Sunday, October 22 at 6pm, so it's a big entertainment show during the Autumn 2023 season. Episode 2 is being shown on ITV1 on Sunday 29 October at 6.15 pm.

Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream — how it works

The series Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream is designed to find the next two stars of the hit musical MAMMA MIA!. In order to bag the roles of Sophie and Sky, the hopefuls head to the Greek islands where they are put through their paces, taking on challenges and masterclasses and putting on performances. The top candidates will battle it out for the life-changing roles in a grand finale in a West End theatre.

Zoe Ball on hosting Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream

Hosting Mamma Mia! Have A Dream is presenter and Radio DJ Zoe Ball who started out on programmes such as Children’s BBC, Live and Kicking, L&K Today and Fully Booked.

Zoe says: "Well, the search is on for the new Sophie and Sky to star in London's West End MAMMA MIA! musical. It is all about young Sophie, who is about to get married, has grown up on an island, been brought up by her fabulous mum, Donna, and she has discovered by reading her mum's diaries that she potentially had three dads and she invites them all to her wedding. That's where the story begins for MAMMA MIA!, and so we've gone to where the story is set, on a Greek island, here played beautifully by Corfu.

"We have taken seven boys and seven girls, they made it to the last 14 out of thousands who auditioned, and they are then put through their paces by the MAMMA MIA! gods, Judy Craymer, Anthony Van Laast, the choreographer, Martin Lowe, he's the musical expert, and a panel of experts. They do singing and dancing and acting workshops and basically we are seeing who will become the next Sophie and Sky. It's whittled down, week-on-week, and each show opens with a fabulous song mand dance routine set in the streets or the beaches of Greece. It looks very much like MAMMA MIA! the movie.

"People who've seen the stage show know that very different people can play those roles of Sophie and Sky, which is great. It leaves it quite open. A big part is the chemistry. They've got to have that chemistry. They've got to show strength on their own, they've got to show strength performing with Donna, with their mum, and then the acting skills. And some of them are great actors, some of them great dancers, some of them are the triple threat, and a lot of them pick stuff up so quickly, it's fabulous. I have to say they all, at some point, put in a performance that is unforgettable. There's a couple of performances that I will never forget. I just was so proud of them."

* Zoe Ball has also hosted Grease Is the Word, Soapstar Superstar, The Voice: Louder on Two, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two and The Big Family Cooking Showdown. She appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Gogglebox and Celebrity Juice and had her own series Zoe Ball on… She also co-hosted Comic Relief.

The four judges on their involvement and what they're looking for in Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream

There are four judges on Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream for hopefuls to impress...

Alan Carr 
Alan says: "I just think it's so colourful, it's so fabulous, it's so fun. The show is like a Berocca for me. I think being in Corfu really helps. I liked that we decided who went home. The performances were key. The show is just joyful fun on one of the most beautiful islands you'll see. So yeah, what's not to love? It's lovely.
"I got a bit worried when I first signed up for it and I saw who I was with on the judging panel because I thought, ‘Oh no, they're not going to do one of those medleys that they do at the beginning of The Voice when everyone has to sing, are they?!’ I was genuinely thinking that, ‘I do not want to have to sing a big old ballad with Jessie, Samantha and Amber because there's going to be some bum notes’ - but thankfully that wasn't the case!"
* Stand-up comedian Alan Carr had his own chat show, Chatty Man. He teamed up with Amanda Holden for the series Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job, where they renovated an Italian home, and he hosts Interior Design Masters. Alan’s a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and presented Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow.  He's about to host a BBC1 game show Picture Slam and his early life was portrayed in the comedy drama Changing Ends.

Jessie Ware 
Jessie says: "MAMMA MIA! is celebrating 25 years on the West End which is a huge feat. MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream is about finding new cast to play the role of Sophie and Sky the West End. Myself, Alan, Amber and Samantha were lucky enough to be judges and mentors to help guide the way with contestants and whittle down performers before a public vote will determine the winners, later this year. The TV show is filmed in Greece, where MAMMA MIA!, of course, is set! The show is a total feast for the eyes. It's gorgeous, it's uplifting, it's entertaining, and it's for the entire family. I think that's what is so special about it. My kids are six, four, and two and when I told them mwhat I was doing for a month, I got them to watch MAMMA MIA! with me - my son is now completely obsessed, I mean he requests Lay All Your Love On Me every day. MAMMA MIA! is completely contagious & totally feel-good.
"As judges, we totally bounced off each other, we got on so well. We would go back after an elimination and have a debrief because we were so invested in the Sophies and Skys, and this show. It shows how much we care about it and also respect each other as judges. We also couldn't stay away from each other. We were quite codependent on each other in that month, whether it was me coming back from doing Pride in Los Angeles and being like, "Who wants to go and get a Greek salad with me?" We spent so much time together and it was wonderful. I really made some new friends and that's fab."
* Singer Jessie Ware is known for songs such as Wildest Moments and Save a Kiss. She’s been a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and her music has been used as soundtracks on the movies Fifty Shades of Grey and Me Before You."

Amber Riley 
Amber says: "I sort of fell in love with the soul of MAMMA MIA! Looking out and seeing how beautiful Greece is, and then actually hearing that music, it was such a treat. I feel like people are going to watch and just be transported. It's going to get them even more involved in that story, and make them want to go watch the show over and over again.
"I thought it was amazing that the contestants were from all walks of life. Some have got training, others haven’t. The thing is, once you get bit by the theatre bug, you're bit. It definitely opens up a different part of you. It's a very different feeling than doing film or television. I feel like it's the rawest, most open that you can be on stage. Seeing and knowing that there were a couple of them that have never really experienced that, have never really been on stage in front of large groups of people at all, I was just so excited for them to have that feeling. It's going to keep them coming back for more. That was exciting."
* Amber Riley is an American actress and singer who played Mercedes Jones in the hit musical series Glee. She played Effie White in the West End debut of Dreamgirls for which she won an Olivier award and won Dancing with the Stars in 2013. She was also a judge on the BBC1 talent show Let It Shine. Amber came fourth in the British version of The Masked Singer earlier this year, performing as Jellyfish, having been Harp in the US version.

Samantha Barks 
Samantha reveals: "Well, MAMMA MIA! is the most feel good, happy show there is. Sometimes I just throw on the film in the winter because it makes me feel like I've been on holiday. I feel like this series is that, it's the beautiful setting of being in Greece and celebrating the amazing music of ABBA. It's such feel good TV. It feels like such a huge honour to get to be a part of finding the new Sophie and Sky. The contestants are all such incredibly talented performers, so it feels like I have a big responsibility, but it was just a joy to get to see them develop and grow and all those good things, it was amazing.
"It's a big platform for a young performer to get to be on TV and it's so exciting because I'm obviously very passionate about musical theatre and having come from a show like this, it is such an exciting thing for musical theatre to be showcased on a primetime TV show, where we're celebrating all things musical theatre because it's a glorious, amazing, incredible industry. I'm just so excited that it's on the TV in this way and giving these incredibly talented performers this platform which means so many people are getting to see them."
* Singer and actress Samantha Barks shot to fame in the BBC1 television talent show I’d Do Anything. She has also starred in Les Miserables, The Christmas Candle and Groove High. Samantha led the cast of Pretty Woman: The Musical, playing Vivian Ward, and now stars as Elsa in the West End production of Frozen.

Is there a trailer for Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream?

Yes, here it is...

Meet the Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream contestants — the girls who want to be Sophie

Here's a brief rundown of all the girl contestants in Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream hoping to win on London's West End stage...

Esme, 22, from Chester
She left school at 16 to go train in musical theatre at a college in Liverpool.

Desmonda, 27, from Indonesia
She cofounded a musical theatre community in her home country of Indonesia called Jakarta Performing Arts Community and performed amateur productions. She's had a couple of jobs after moving to London.

Maisie, 22, from Margate
She started out performing in local amateur dramatics

Stephanie, 22, from St Albans
Studying at Tring Park School of the Performing Arts for seven years, then attended the Guildford School of Acting for three years, graduating in 2022.

Maddy, 20, from Bolton
She's fresh into the industry having graduated from Urdang performing arts college in London.

Stevie, 22 , from Glasgow
She didn’t start musical theatre until  she was 15, when she auditioned for the Musical Theatre Course at The Dance School of Scotland.

Leah, 20, from Redcar
She started out at a local dance school locally near Redcar and went to college to study performing arts. She's now a second year musical theatre student.

Meet the Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream contestants — the young men who want to be Sky

Here's a brief rundown of all the male contestants in Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream hoping to win on London's West End stage...

Owen, 25, from Belfast
Favourite ABBA song: Voulez-Vous
‘I’d like to steer Sky in a different direction – I think there is more depth to him.’

Callum, 22, from Oxfordshire
Favourite ABBA song: Waterloo
‘It’d be amazing to play Sky alongside a Sophie you’ve met on this show.’

Craig, 26, from Perthshire
Favourite ABBA song: Voulez-Vous
‘I want to play Sky because it’s an iconic role and he’s a chilled guy!’

Marcellus, 36, from High Wycombe
Favourite ABBA song: Voulez-Vous
‘I’ve had a strong career in musical theatre but I feel this could be a big break for me.’

Tobias, 22, from Somerset
Favourite ABBA song: Does Your Mother Know
‘MAMMA MIA! is one of the biggest shows in the West End, auditioning for it is exciting!’

Zachkiel, 21, from London
Favourite ABBA song: Take A Chance On Me
‘I want to add my own spin and be the Sky everybody loves but with added coolness!’

Darcy, 23, from Hampshire
Favourite ABBA song: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
‘I like Sky’s journey and how the character goes out of his comfort zone.’

* Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream cast: meet the contestants

All about MAMMA MIA! the musical stage show and film

The story of Mamma Mia! is set to ABBA’s classic hits and has been made into a musical stage show and spawned two movies, sees bride-to-be Sophie head to the Greek islands to get married. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past to come to the wedding, in the hope of discovering which one is her father. The original film starred Amanda Seyfried as Sophie and Dominic Cooper as her husband-to-be Sky. Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard and Meryl Streep also starred.