Stephanie, a 22-year-old UK Cypriot from St Albans, appeared on the new ABBA-themed competition show on ITV.
Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream is a new reality TV show set that was aired on ITV 1 this month (October 2023), in which participants will compete to land roles in the Mamma Mia! show on London’s West End.
The show is hosted by BBC radio host Zoe Ball and judged by Alan Carr, Jessie Ware, Samantha Barks and Amber Riley.
Stephanie will be competing to land the role of Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried in the original movie.
Speaking of the competition, Stephanie: “I have always wanted to play the role of Sophie, as I grew up with ABBA and the musical itself, always playing their music in our garden on summer barbecue days.
“It would just be a dream come true!”
You can find Stephanie on ínstagram at @stephaniecosti
Stephanie, who’s favourite ABBA songs are Dancing Queen and Money Money Money spoke of her Greek heritage, tying in to the show’s setting.
She said: “To see a musical set in Greece showing Greek traditions is so nostalgic to me and to make my family proud doing what I love with my heritage would just be incredible.
“I have worked so relentlessly throughout my life, training to get even get an audition for anything musical related, so to be considered for the role of Sophie in the West End is so ridiculous to me
“I am eternally grateful for the creatives taking a chance on me.
“I started performing when I was very young – always dancing and singing Disney songs with my sister in our living room.
“We used to dress up in princess outfits and perform for my parents. I used to love dancing and gymnastics. I followed in my sister’s Michealas footsteps who is now a singer songwriter and joined Tring Park School of the Performing Arts in 2012 for seven years, which taught me so much about musical theatre.
“Then I attended the Guildford School of Acting for three years, graduating in 2022 which was the most incredible experience.
“I learnt so much about myself, honed my skills and built my confidence significantly which prepped me well for the professional industry.”
A one-of-a-kind theatrical competition will launch a nationwide search to find the future musical theatre stars of global smash hit and feel-good musical MAMMA MIA!. Seen by 65 million people around the world, MAMMA MIA! has wowed audiences across the globe and continues to break box office records.
MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream is a brand-new eight-part series from producers Thames, a Fremantle label, and Littlestar, with the stage set for its arrival on ITV1.
MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream will search for two ingénues to play the roles of Sophie and Sky in MAMMA MIA! in London’s West End, as characterised by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper in the two films. Throughout the series, musical theatre hopefuls will be put through their paces as they navigate their way through challenges, masterclasses, and performances.
MIA! London 2022 – 2023 cast. Photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
Filmed against the beautiful backdrop of the idyllic Greek islands, where the original MAMMA MIA! story is set, it will look and feel like no other talent show on television. Audiences will see the contestants mentored by guest industry stars through unique workshops and judged by a panel of well-known industry experts in both music and theatre. Contestants will have the full MAMMA MIA! experience and will get to see first-hand what it’s like to be part of a West End musical.
Radio and TV stalwart Zoe Ball will be the host of the highly anticipated theatrical competition. Joining Zoe are our judges, comedian and TV personality Alan Carr; singer songwriter Jessie Ware; Olivier Award Winner Amber Riley and Samantha Barks, star of Frozen in London’s West End. Each will bring their own unique blend of expertise from comedic interpretation to providing an invaluable insight into the skills required to perform to a West End theatre audience.
Creator and global producer of MAMMA MIA! and co-executive producer of MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, Judy Craymer will also be on hand to offer her expertise to the judges who’ll be tasked with making tough decisions in their search to find the next West End superstars.
