it easier for made to retain all my lines. I plan to perform my scene with passion by doing this it will help me to challenge myself and help me with my confidence as my character is called Tanya and I researched her to know her personality.
Research:
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical, romantic-comedy based on the 1999 musical of the same name. The musical tells a story of love, family, friendship and the bond between mother and daughter through the songs of successful Swedish pop group, ABBA with additional composition by bandmember, Benny Andersson.
The film is directed by Phyllida Lloyd and is written by British playwright, Catherine Johnson. The film also boasts an all-star cast including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters and Dominic Cooper. The film was an international co-production between Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was co-produced by Playtone and Littlestar Productions.
The film was distributed by Universal Pictures. Mamma Mia! held its world premiere on June 30, 2008 at Leicester Square in London and premiered on July 4, 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden, with ABBA members Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog in attendance. The film was released theatrically on July 10 in the United Kingdom, on July 17 in Germany and on July 18 in the United States.
A sequel, titled Mamma Mia! Hear We Go Again, was released on July 20, 2018 with most of the main cast returning.
Donna spies them and is dumbfounded to find herself facing former-lovers. She demands they leave. Upset and hurt, Donna confides in Tanya and Rosie that she truly does not know which of the three fathered Sophie. Tanya and Rosie rally her spirits by getting her to dance with an all female ensemble of staff and islanders. Sophie finds the men aboard Bill’s yacht, and they sail around Kalokairi, telling stories of Donna’s carefree youth. Sophie plans to tell Sky about her ploy, but loses her nerve. Sky and Sophie sing to each other, but Sky is abducted for his bachelor party.
At Sophie’s bachelorette party, Donna, Tanya, and Rosie perform once-again as Donna and the Dynamos, after years since their last performance. When Sam, Bill, and Harry arrive, Sophie decides to talk with each of them alone. While her friends dance with the men, Sophie learns from Bill that Donna received the money for her villa from his great-aunt Sofia. Sophie guesses she must be Sofia’s namesake. She asks him to give her away and keep their secret until the wedding. Sophie’s happiness is short-lived as Sam and Harry each pull her aside to tell her they are her father and will give her away. Sophie, overwhelmed by the consequences of raising the hopes of all three “fathers”, faints.
In the morning, Rosie and Tanya assure Donna they will take care of the men. Bill and Harry intend to tell each other what they learned the previous night, but Rosie interrupts them, whilst Donna confronts Sophie, believing Sophie wants the wedding stopped. Sophie says that all she wants is to avoid her mother’s mistakes. Sam accosts Donna, concerned about Sophie getting married so young. Donna confronts him and they realize they still have feelings for each other. Tanya and Sky’s best-man, Pepper (Philip Michael) continue flirtations from the previous night. Sophie confesses to Sky and asks for his help. He reacts angrily to Sophie’s deception and she turns to her mother for support. As Donna helps her daughter dress for the wedding, their rift is healed and Donna reminisces about Sophie’s childhood. Donna admits her mother disowned her when she became pregnant. Sophie asks Donna to give her away. As the bridal party walks to the chapel, Sam intercepts Donna, who reveals the pain she felt over losing him.
Sophie and Donna walk down the aisle as the band plays. Donna tells Sophie and all gathered that her father could be any of the three men. Sam reveals that while he left Donna to get married, he did not go through with it, but returned to find Donna with another man. The men do not want paternity confirmed, agreeing to be one-third of a father for Sophie. She tells Sky they should postpone their wedding and travel the world. Sam then proposes to Donna, admitting his love for her. She eventually accepts and they get married in place of Sophie and Sky. At the reception, Sam sings to Donna and Rosie, now considering a long-term relationship, makes a play for Bill. The couples all proclaim their love as Sophie and Sky sail away to travel the world together.
Reference:
https://mamma-mia.fandom.com/wiki/Mamma_Mia!_(film)
Characters:
Donna Sheridan-Carmichael (née Sheridan; b. between 1959 and 1961 – d. 2004[1][2]) is the central character of the stage musical Mamma Mia! and its the film adaption the 2008 film of the same name. She also appears in its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Donna is the owner and manageress of a hotel named the Bella Donna on the Greek island of Kalokairi. She is also the mother of Sophie Sheridan, and the love-interest of the ‘three possible fathers’, however ultimately, Sam Carmichael. Donna was also once a member of Donna and the Dynamos, alongside her two best-friends, Rosie Mulligan and Tanya Chesham-Leigh.
When introduced, Donna is shown to be an honest, hard-working woman, managing the Villa Donna by herself and being a single-mother to Sophie Sheridan. Donna is a free-spirit and something of a ‘flower-child’, growing up during the ’70’s. Despite this fun-loving, often reckless side to her, Donna’s responsibilities and past experiences have forced her to become wiser, stronger but often sacrificing her own happiness and luxuries for the survival of the Villa Donna and her daughter.
Donna is a good mother, having raised Sophie to be kind, happy person, alone. Donna is also a good friend and generous woman.
In her youth, Donna’s sunny, reckless and passionate side have yet to be bellied by her future responsibilities. Donna is hopeful, intelligent, romantic and has a zest for life. Donna also has a dream to travel the world. However, Donna is far from innocent – she is independent, courageous and knows what she wants from life.
Physical Appearance
Donna is a tall, beautiful woman with long, curly blonde hair and brown eyes. Her friend, Tanya describes her as looking like “an old hippie”. She often wears dungarees, or colourful clothes influenced by her early-life during ’70’s.
Reference:
Donna Sheridan | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Sophia “Sophie” Sheridan-Rymand (née Sheridan; born 3 May 1980) is a leading character of the musical Mamma Mia!, the 2008 film of the same name, as well taking a more central role in its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Sophie is the daughter of Donna Sheridan-Carmichael, the granddaughter of Ruby Sheridan, the stepdaughter of Sam Carmichael and the possible blood-related daughter of Bill Anderson, Harry Bright, and Sam Carmichael. Sophie is also the girlfriend and the later wife of Sky Rymand, and mother to Donny.
At the start of Mamma Mia!, Sophie is introduced as a 20 year old bride-to-be who is determined to have her real father walk her down the aisle at her wedding.
She was named Sophia by her mother, whom she named after Bill’s great Aunt Sophia, who lived on the island and who became a mother figure to Donna, in the absence of her actual mother, Ruby.
At the start of the movie, Sophie is seen running and screaming to the docks to welcome her best friends and bridesmaids, Ali and Lisa, as they arrive at Kalokairi, and Sophie excitedly tells them she has come across her mother, Donna’s, old diary which she wrote in the year she was pregnant with Sophie. Sophie and her friends giggle and muck around as Sophie dramatically reads out passages from the diary (Honey Honey). It is revealed Sophie’s father is either Harry Bright, Bill Anderson or Sam Carmichael, all Donna’s past lovers.
She is then seen in her room, fixing her bridesmaid dresses while her friends tease her about her dads. Sophie says that she will know her father the minute she sees him and shrugs off her friends’ doubt. They are suddenly interrupted by Sophie’s fiancée, Sky, who quickly collects his stuff for his stag party. Once he leaves, it is clear Sophie hasn’t told him about her inviting the three men. Sophie tells Ali and Lisa that everything with fall into place when she sees her dad.
When Donna’s best friends and Sophie’s surrogate aunts, Tanya and Rosie, arrive, she greets them happily and her and Sky share a kiss.
Meanwhile, Sam, Bill and Harry all arrive on the island, and she leads them to the old goat house where she has arranged lodging and confesses that she sent the invites. As Harry and Sam tell her they think they should leave, she convinces them to stay until the wedding is over and makes them promise to stay hidden. As they all hear Donna coming in, Sophie tells the three men to stay hidden and wait to talk to Donna. She then rushes off.
She chases all three dads to the docks as they go sightseeing around the island (Our Last Summer). Returning to the beach, Sophie and Sky talk about their love and share a heated kiss (Lay All Your Love on Me) before he is kidnapped for his stag do.
As her hen night continues, Sophie enjoys a performance of Donna and the Dynamos until Sam, Bill and Harry turn up. She attempts to talk to Sam, but he gets whisked away before she reaches him. Rescuing Harry from the crowd, she admits that she doesn’t know who her father is, before being dragged off to dance with Bill who asks her how old she is. Upon telling him she’s 20, he runs off, shocked and confused. She confronts him on the beach (Name of the Game) and asks if he’s her father and if he’d give her away, but not to tell anyone. Bill agrees and they hug. During the festivities, both Harry and Sam think they are Sophie’s true father and both separately tell her that they’re giving her away at her wedding. As Sky and the boys crash the party, Sophie begins to get flustered and suddenly faints.(Voules-Vouz)
The next morning, Sophie freaks about the dads coming to the wedding. She confesses to Sky her dilemma. He is angered and hurt about her deception, and storms off. Sam overhears them, and questions whether or not she really wants to marry Sky (Knowing Me, Knowing You). Sophie is taken aback that he would question her love for Sky and runs off. Sophie later decides to have Donna walk her down the aisle as she and her mother prepare for the wedding. As the wedding proceeds, Sophie and Sky decide not to get married right away, and instead leave the island and tour the world.
Amanda Seyfried commented on her character, claiming she was mostly playing herself in the first film, describing Sophie and herself as “young, excitable and naïve, and in-love“. Sophie is a fun-loving girl and romantic in her mind-set, hoping to find and unite with her biological father. Sophie is also a very hopeful and optimistic girl, hoping to find her father. Sophie also inherited her mother’s care-free and adventurous personality, seeking to travel the world with Sky.
Physical Appearance:
Sophie has blonde hair, blue eyes fair skin
Reference:
Sophie Sheridan | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Tanya Chesham-Leigh (born approx. 1958) is a supporting character in the musical Mamma Mia! as well its 2008 film adaptation and its 2018 sequel. Tanya is a rich three-time-divorcee and one of the three best friends. Tanya met Donna Sheridan along with Rosie Mulligan while attending the University of Oxford, and would later go on to form Donna and the Dynamos with them. In the first film she helps Donna prepare for Sophie’s wedding, while at the same time she is courted by Sky’s best man, Pepper.
Tanya and Rosie being invited by Donna arrive on Kalokairi, and plan to help with Sophie’s wedding. The three are bandmates and had a group called Donna and the Dynamo’s. Tanya is shown to be a wealthy three-time divorcee, but she is not full of herself. Upon discovering that three of Donna’s former lovers arrive on the island, she can not stand seeing Donna so unhappy. She convinces Rosie to lift her spirits and cheer her up.
She is later seen being pursued by Sky’s right-hand man, Pepper. Despite their age difference and Tanya’s rejections he does not stop trying to seduce her. After Sky and Sophie agree to call off the wedding, Sam and Donna get married. Tanya is later seen dancing with Pepper at the reception.
Personality:
Tanya is fun, witty and energetic. She also loves men. She is seen liking Fernando Cienfuegos and his brother. She is also very kind to Sophie Sheridan.
Reference:
Tanya Chesham-Leigh | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Rosie Mulligan (b. approx. 1958[1]) is a main character of the stage-musical Mamma Mia! as well as the 2008 film of the same name and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Rosie is one of the three members of girl-band Donna and the Dynamos and is one of Donna Sheridan‘s best-friends, alongside Tanya Chesham-Leigh. Rosie is a successful ‘celebrity chef’, authoring widely popular cookbooks including The Whole Woman: The Cookbook. Rosie describes herself as a “lone wolf” and is unmarried.
Personality:
Commenting on Rosie, Judy Cramer, the creator of Mamma Mia! described Rosie as witty, sardonic, wisecracking and possessing a dry sense of humor. She went on to explain that Rosie loves cooking, is engaged in politics as the most feminist out of the Dynamos, and loves to read classic literature. Cramer also describes Rosie as “huge fun, and slightly in awe of Tanya and Donna”. Rosie is also very clumsy, particularly later on, seen in her difficulties in dance numbers.
Rosie is shown to be funny, feisty, independent and very intelligent. She also is shown to be a very loyal friend to Donna and Tanya. Rosie does not like the idea of marriage or being in a long-term relationship, until she meets Bill Anderson.
Physical Appearance:
Rosie is a small, attractive woman with a heart-shaped face. She wears her hair short and often wears colourful but comfortable clothing.
Reference:
Rosie Mulligan | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Sky Rymand is the fiancé later husband of Sophie Sheridan. We learn that he was travelling to “find himself” when he met and fell deeply in love with Sophie. He plans to design his own website to help attract people to Donna’s hotel to make her more money. In Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, we learn that Sky and Sophie are still together but in a turbulent relationship. After reconciling, Sky realizes she is pregnant and decides to show more support and love for Sophie and stay with her in Kalokairi rather than pursue a career in New York.
Personality:
Fun, Partier, Social Butterfly, Traveler.
Appearance:
Dark hair, Dark brown eyes, Tanned.
Reference:
Sky Rymand | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Eddie:
Eddie is good buddies with Sky and Pepper‘s best friend. He is a bartender/hotel worker on the island of Kalokairi, and serves as general help for Donna, although she considers him “generally no help at all”. He is Laid-back, easygoing, and doesn’t take life too seriously. He helps Sky with watersports, which is code for helping him take a piss. He and Sky are working to turn a boat into a “millionaire’s paradise”.
When Rosie Mulligan and Tanya Chesham-Leigh arrive on the island, he is present when Pepper introduces himself. He makes fun of Pepper in front of Tanya for not speaking Greek, while pretending to speak French himself. He and Pepper run out to take their bags after Donna reminds them to do their job.
The day before the wedding, he and the other guys take Sky scuba diving, to the old shipwreck, in search of an infamous pearl necklace. The group later crashes Sophie’s bachelorette party.
That night, he gets drunk with Sky and Pepper and finds Sam Carmichael‘s bagpipes. The next morning, the three drunkenly sing Voulez Vous until Donna catches them, telling Sky to take a shower, Pepper to clean up, and sends Eddie to distract tourists with more fake necklaces. Eddie spends the day with Ali and Lisa on his boat. He possibly has an unrequited crush on the two of them. The three return to see Pepper, who had one night stand with Tanya the night before, attempting to woo her further, much to their amusement.
Eddie serves as groomsman at Sky and Sophie’s wedding, sitting next to Pepper.
Personality:
Laid-Back, Easy Going, Fun Loving.
Appearance:
dark skin, brown hair, t-shirts.
Age:
20s, Baritone/Tenor.
Reference:
Eddie | Mamma Mia Wiki | Fandom
Scene:
- The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group Abba.
- Set on a colorful Greek island, the plot serves as a background for a wealth of ABBA songs. A young woman about to be married discovers that any one of three men could be her father. She invites all three to the wedding without telling her mother, Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), who was once the lead singer of Donna and the Dynamos. In the meantime, Donna has invited her back-up singers, Rosie Mulligan (Dame Julie Walters) and Tanya Wilkinson (Christine Baranski).
- The twenty-year-old bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) finds in her mother’s diary that the strangers Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), or Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård) might be her father. The needy Sophie dreams on having her father walking with her to the altar on her wedding with Sky (Dominic Cooper) in the Greek Kalokairi Island and she invites the three men to her wedding as if she were her mother Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep). Sophie believes she will immediately recognize her father in the trio of guests. Donna owns a simple hotel in the island and used to sing with her friends Rosie Mulligan (Dame Julie Walters) and Tanya Wilkinson (Christine Baranski), who also arrives in Kalokairi for the wedding, in their band Donna and the Dynamos. When Donna sees her former three lovers together in her hotel, she gets stressed and confused with the situation, while Sky is upset with Sophie’s attitude.
- Many people are descending on the Greek island of Kalokairi, specifically to the rustic resort hotel called the “Villa Donna”, owned and operated by single mother Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep), for the wedding of Donna’s twenty-year-old daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) to her boyfriend Sky (Dominic Cooper). Three of the people who are coming to the wedding, but Donna doesn’t know, are coming are architect Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), banker Harry Bright (Colin Firth), and sailor Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård), none of whom Donna has seen in over twenty years. Unbeknownst to her, Sophie invited the three, since she, who gleaned as much from secretly reading Donna’s diary, knows that the three were men involved in her mother’s life when she was conceived, and thus surmises that one of them must be her father. She wants that man to walk her down the aisle and give her away.
- With help from her bridesmaids Lisa (Rachel McDowell) and Ali (Ashley Lilley), Sophie tries to figure out which is her father. When Donna sees the three men, she, with the help of her best friends and former singing partners Rosie Mulligan (Dame Julie Walters) and Tanya Wilkinson (Christine Baranski), also tries to figure out what she will do with these three. Meanwhile, the men, who didn’t know each other, or of each other, before arriving on the island, quickly surmise the reason why they were invited, each believing he is indeed Sophie’s father. As complications ensue from the misunderstandings, Sophie and Sky’s wedding and relationship may be jeopardized, while, finding what is truly in their hearts, many may discover the course of true love.
- Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) is twenty-years-old and lives with her mother Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) on an idyllic Greek island. She is about to be married and wishes for only one thing: that her father walk her down the aisle and give her away. The only problem is that she doesn’t know who her father is, and her mother won’t discuss it with her. After she finds her mom’s diary from the year she was born, she invites three men who could possibly be that man. Sophie is convinced that she will know her father as soon as she sees him but soon realizes that she doesn’t have a clue. Mayhem ensues when her mother is displeased and confused that the three are there, the men all think they’re the father and her fiancé is getting fed up with the whole mess.
Reference:
Mamma Mia! (2008) – Plot – IMDb
Reflection on Screen Yorkshire Casting Workshop:
On Tuesday 7th February 2023, screen Yorkshire had came in and showed us a video of a casting director who is called Nicki Topping(as she couldn’t come in), she spoke about what she does as a director and her experiences which was interesting. I learnt that she worked on various TV dramas commercials, voiceovers, she spots people who are homeless and who has talent, she helps people as it is her nature, she started of as an agent, she did a case study with an agent and a casting director, she gets given a list of actors to cast, she originally started out as an agent over 20 years ago. then she worked a little bit on production manager on commercials and then moved into casting, first she was an assistant and then a casting director. She thinks people underestimate the amazing talent pool that she has in her home town. She gave advise such as network as much as we can, don’t rush and get as much industry professional advise and get as much work experience as possible. She also said that last year she won a CDA Award for casting short film ‘The Big Day’, a comedy filmed in the North. She has worked on featured films such as Dusty and Me, which is a comedy featuring Luke Newbury, Iain Glen and Lesley Sharp. Tv Productions- pilot for comedy/drama Back for Good which features John Thomson, Will Mellor, Richard Blackwood, Jake Canuso, Sally Lindsay, Caprice and Paul Chuckle, (she also produces). TV Commercials- Yorkshire Tea featuring Sean Bean. Shorts- she casted Fargate which is a comedy short filmed in Sheffield.
This link is a video I took of todays session with Nicki Topping.
Reflection on my progress made so far and future ambitions:
The progress I have made so far is brilliant because I have managed to get off script quickly which will help me for future auditions as I will be more prepared. Also, I am proud of the work that I am producing as it is at a good level and I have managed to have rehearsals with my group so that we can practice the scene together before the audition. It has challenged me as I have worked with people that I haven’t worked with before but I stayed professional for the entire process. It will help me for my future ambitions as it will give me more confidence and stop me from doubting my abilities. During the half term holidays I have been busy practicing my lines, researching everyone’s as well as my character, the background of the musical, the scene and also practicing my song for the audition which is called ‘Astonishing’ by Little Women.
The Audition Timetable:
Proposals will be presented Monday 20th February 1:30pm – 4:30pm & Tuesday 21st February 9:30am – 12:30pm.
Dance audition takes place Tuesday 21st February from 1:30pm – 4:30pm.
Panel and singing auditions are on Wednesday 22nd February.
Group audition: 12.00 – Group 3 – Anastasia, Aliya, Ellie, Rose, Lucas & Jack.