Over the last seven weeks on ‘Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream,’ audiences have been captivated by the journey of Tobias Turley, the talented performer who has earned a spot in the show’s highly anticipated final. Competing for the chance to step into the role of Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia! The Musical at the Novello Theatre, Tobias reflects on his path to this moment.
Tobias Turley, with a background deeply rooted in performing arts, comes from a family where the stage is a way of life. “I’m from a performing family. Both my parents do it, and my sister did it,” Tobias shares.
His own journey into the performing arts, however, took a definitive turn at the age of 16 during a school production of Barnum. Playing the lead role, Tobias felt the thrill of performing for the first time. “That was the kind of moment where everything changed because at that point, I was torn between going down the sporting route or the theatrical route,” he recalls. The stage won, and Tobias set his sights on a career in performing arts.
After completing a three-year programme at GSA in Musical Theatre, Tobias graduated in 2021. Reflecting on his time at drama school, Tobias acknowledges the challenges posed by the pandemic but praises GSA’s adaptability. “The training you get online is never going to be the same as it was in person because it’s such a physical course,” he notes, “but I think they did the best they could under the circumstances, and I’m grateful for everything they did for us.”
Fast forward to 2023, and Tobias found himself in the spotlight of ‘Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream’ after receiving an email from his agent about an open call for the show. “I thought my chances were slim because I knew thousands of people go to open calls anyway, but for an Abba show, and for it to be on TV, I knew that would mean a lot of people turning up, but I wanted to take the risk and go for it,” Tobias explains. The audition process was rigorous, spanning multiple rounds and culminating in a nerve-wracking final selection.
Reflecting on the intense but rewarding experience on the show, Tobias describes it as the “best time” he’s ever had. From early morning swims on the beach with fellow contestants to quick turnovers for filming and short timescales to learn songs and dialogue, Tobias loved the camaraderie formed despite the competitive nature of the show. “We all got on so well, and I’ve made 13 really great friends from this show, and that’s something I’ll remember,” he shares.
Over the weeks the number of contestants has been whittled down, meaning this tight-knit group had to start saying goodbye to each other, “It was tough,” admits Tobias, “It was a lot harder than we thought actually, the first one was the hardest with Maddie because I think at that time, we just didn’t know what to expect, but I think we all knew that we’d see each other again when we got home.”
Part of the process of Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream has been workshops for the contestants, “it was such a valuable experience,” says Tobias, “a lot of the workshops generally took about 2 hours and of course you only see a snippet of that in the show that airs, but it very much was a huge learning experience.”
Throughout the competition, Tobias has consistently received positive feedback from judges and mentors, including industry icons like Samantha Barks and Amber Riley. “It is very daunting to get out there and perform for them, to be so vulnerable, and perform a solo song,” Tobias admits. “But I really appreciated hearing it directly from them, and obviously Samantha Barks has been through something similar so I always knew feedback was coming from a good place.”
Finding himself in the final Tobias says, “It feels wild. It’s so weird. I never even thought I’d get on the show, let alone be a finalist alongside some amazing people I’m competing against. So I feel very blessed. I’m a very lucky boy. I never thought ever in my wildest dreams I’d be in a situation like this, so I’m still trying to wrap my head around it a little bit. But I’m very, very grateful.”
As the competition shifts to a public vote for the final, Tobias expresses a mix of excitement and nervousness. “I’m terrified, because I feel you kind of get to learn what the judges are feeling, what they’re thinking, and you can play to that, but now it’s all down to the public and what they’ve seen on TV,” he confesses.
“I just hope they have liked me as a person and what I’ve been doing on the stage. I believe I’ve shown the real me on that screen, so hopefully people like me for me, and what I can do.”
As the competition approaches its end, Tobias contemplates what it would mean to him to win. “Winning this competition would just be the cherry on an insanely crazy cake. It would mean the world. It genuinely would. Just to know that the people at home believe in me would be an overwhelming feeling of joy. Hopefully people at home like what I’m doing, and they like it enough to go out and vote for me.”
Tobias Turley is represented by BBA Management. and will compete in the final of Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream which will be aired live on ITV1 on Sunday, December 10 from 6.30pm, hosted by Zoe Ball and broadcast from London’s Novello Theatre, the home of the Mamma Mia! The Musical in the West End.
