Something must be in the water - and it’s not just on the shores of Kalokairi. A wave of talent from a single UK musical theatre school seems to be sweeping across every version of Mamma Mia! right now; from the West End to international tours and cruise ship productions, Emil Dale Academy graduates are in the cast.
At London’s Novello Theatre, Izi Maxwell has recently completed a year-long run starring as Sophie whilst Benjamin Dawson has stepped into the role of Pepper. Jessie Odeleye and Zaynah Ahmed have also completed runs as Ali and Lisa respectively, whilst Jonah Sercombe covered the role of Sky during his time in the ensemble.
Christian Southway is currently leading in the Royal Caribbean production of Mamma Mia! onboard Allure of The Seas. He is joined by Owen Bagnall (Ensemble, cover Pepper), and Sam Barrett, who have both completed their runs in this iconic production.
Across the UK and International Tour, Elliott Baker-Costello is currently performing as Pepper, whilst Owen Stringer (Ensemble, 1st cover Eddie) and Archie Flynn (Eddie, 2nd cover Sky) kept tour stages electric during their time in the cast.
And it doesn’t stop at theatre. Zachkiel Smith became a household name as he competed on I Have A Dream on ITV, performing on thousands of TV screens each week.
One thing is for certain, Emil Dale Academy isn’t just saying “I do”… it’s taking over.
