Gimme, gimme, gimme a ticket!

For more than a decade, real-life husband and wife Richard Standing and Sara Poyzer have travelled around the UK and across the world as leads in the global hit blockbuster musical based on the songs of Abba, Mamma Mia!

Sara, who plays Donna Sheridan, joined in 2011, with Richard taking on the role of Sam Carmichael soon after. And now the UK tour is returning to The Kings Theatre in Southsea from May 19-27.

The Guide caught up with the pair recently via Zoom while they were in Estonia with the show.

Explaining their own history with the show, Sara says: ‘It's representative of how powerful this show is – I still love it and it surprises me that I do. For example, I spent all day yesterday in the studio singing Winner Takes it All over and over again, and then I got to work last night, and I still loved it. It's a lovely story, the love for Mamma Mia! in the UK is particularly powerful, especially after the pandemic people came back and wanted to watch this story.’

Richard adds: ‘It has a good, universal message: love is the answer, a family can be anything. It's pretty inclusive across the board, and I've always enjoyed that part of it.’

And they’ve found that the music of Abba is universally known, well, nearly…

‘It's taken us to some amazing places. While the UK is special, it is loved everywhere, and the music transcends everything. We've only met one person ever who didn't know Abba. We came down off a mountain in South Korea and there was this woman with no English, she gave us this baked potato and was curious about who we were. We tried to explain to her by singing Dancing Queen and she just looked perplexed!’

The current tour finishes in Mumbai, India – a first for the couple, next January. But they have also performed it in South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, and across Europe. Both are grateful for their time in such a popular show without ever taking it for granted.

‘People know it, and they know how they want to feel,’ explains Richard, ‘and our job is to make sure we provide that, especially if they've forked out hard-earned cash. If they can relax for a couple of hours and forget their problems, then I'm very grateful to be part of that.’

Tickets £10-49.50. Go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.