VIDEO: Mamma Mia’s star couple
MONTECASINO - The stars of Mamma Mia! have touched down in Johannesburg, ready to sing and dance the night away.
The hit musical starts its run at the Teatro at Montecasino on 24 March and for cast members and real life couple, Sara Poyzer and Richard Standing from the United Kingdom, this is their first time in South Africa.
Poyzer plays the lead-role of Donna Sheridan in the musical and has been playing the role on and off for five years.
“Playing Donna never gets old,” she said. “Partly because I’ve had breaks in between when I act in other plays, but also because I just love playing this role.”
Poyzer has already had an accomplished career in the theatre, having played Mam in Billy Elliot, Emilia in Othello and Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice.
Sara Poyzer talks about what audiences can expect from Mamma Mia!:
Standing and her have been married for six years and often work on productions together. “It’s not necessarily a conscious decision to work together, but the fact is that if you aren’t working together you will probably be spending months apart while your partner is on tour,” he said.
Standing plays the role of Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia!, a former lover of Donna’s and also the possible father of Donna’s daughter, Sophia. Donna and Sam start the musical with the heated tension of exes who still have feelings for one another. Standing explained that their characters don’t always relate to real-life. “Sometimes when Sara and I are getting on brilliantly it’s a lot of fun to go on stage and argue with each other, but when we are having a disagreement off stage it can be cathartic to play exes on stage,” he said.
Richard Standing talks about his character in Mamma Mia! Sam Carmichael:
The couple are looking forward to exploring the country during the musical’s run until 19 April. “A lot of what we knew about South Africa came from our knowledge of the country’s tempestuous history,” Standing said. “Just getting off the airplane and seeing Nelson Mandela’s face on a banknote was such an amazing experience. It just shows the glorious transformation this country has undergone.”
While the couple are eager to see the wildlife and landscapes South Africa has to offer, they are more excited about meeting the people of SA. “So far being in South Africa has been a lovely experience,” Poyzer said. “There is just such an ease and warmth about people here.”
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