Expect The Unexpected, Inside MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY
There is a particular kind of magic that happens when theatre removes the safety rails. No curtain to hide behind, no wings to retreat to, no clear line between performer and audience. In MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, that boundary is not just blurred, it is deliberately erased. The show drops you into a sun-soaked Greek taverna in the middle of London, where dinner, dancing and ABBA’s greatest hits collide, and where the performers are not simply presenting a story, they are hosting a living, breathing night out.
In this interview, Oscar Balmaseda takes us inside the craft of that experience, sometimes inches away from guests who are eating, drinking, laughing, and sometimes trying to become part of the scene.
His performance is a masterclass in stamina, instinct, and connection.
1. Your role sits inside a living world rather than a conventional stage. How does performing in a fully immersive environment change the way you think about character, energy and audience connection from moment to moment?
The main difference is that there’s no backstage at all. Once I enter the space I become the character for the entirety of the performance. It’s like being a method actor, you must be able to interact and behave like the character in any given scenario and situation.
2. The show blends dinner theatre, musical theatre and party culture into a single experience. Which of those three worlds challenges you the most as a performer, and which one feels most natural?
The party culture for sure. It keeps you on your toes throughout the whole performance and sometimes there are a few party animals out there! The musical theatre aspect of the show is what I enjoy the most, being able to perform in front of an audience and seeing how much they’re enjoying your performance.
3. Because audiences are so close to you, how do you maintain the illusion of character when people are reacting in real time, sometimes unpredictably?
Once I enter the taverna I become the character and must be ready for any unexpected interactions. There have been many times where I’ve had to react on the spot to unexpected situations and I’ve been able to come up with solutions and answers straight away, keeping the illusion going.
4. Mamma Mia is powered by nostalgia as much as narrative. How do you navigate that balance between honouring the legacy of ABBA and bringing something personal and surprising to the role?
I do my very best! ABBA has such a unique sound, so I like not going too far from what it’s supposed to be. The reason they have become timeless and so popular is because they were written in a specific way, so keeping it as close to the original is the best way in my opinion. As a creative performer I know I’m going to bring my own style, it’s inevitable, so I try to be conscious of that and do my best to do justice to their incredible songs.
5. Immersive theatre often demands an element of improvisation. Can you recall a moment when an unplanned audience interaction forced you to adapt instantly, and what did it teach you about your own craft?
There’s probably been more than I can remember, in immersive theatre unplanned audience interactions are common, you just need be more alert than on a regular stage. I’ve had people crossing in the middle of a scene, people dancing around me, or people shouting things out in serious scenes. I do recall one night an audience member said something out loud that caused a big laugh, and I was trying hard to stay in character and not laugh myself!
Or other times when there’s no action happening but we’re still around the audience and people ask you many questions about yourself and you have to be able to come up with immediate answers to keep the illusion going. There can be times when it can be tricky, but I love improvising and coming up with things on the spot.
It’s very rewarding as a performer when you can navigate situations that aren’t easy and make it look as smooth as possible.
6. The show is set in a sun-soaked Greek taverna but performed in London. Do you have any personal rituals, sensory triggers, or mental cues that help transport you from backstage into that Mediterranean headspace every night?
I don’t have any rituals as per se. We are very lucky to have an incredible set that really makes you feel as if you were in a taverna in Greece. The attention to detail is second to none. Also, the heat of the taverna is set to 25 degrees regardless of the time of the year, which really helps create the illusion of being on a Greek island.
7. Your performance is part of a larger emotional arc that happens around food, music and movement. How conscious are you of pacing the room and reading the collective energy, rather than just focusing on the scripted story?
Since we are among guests all the time, we feel their energy and I have to adapt my performance depending on how they behave. Sometimes you get a quieter audience that don’t know what to expect, so it’s my job to make them feel at ease and keep them engaged. Other days people are really up for a party, and you have to adapt your energy to match theirs. Every day is completely different!
8. ABBA songs are global cultural icons. Which number in the show revealed something unexpected about the music once you began performing it in an immersive context?
The show includes a huge variety of ABBA’s songs, including all their biggest hits, it makes you realise just how many iconic songs they have. I love listening to the instrumental arrangements and every so often I hear a new thing in a song that I haven’t noticed before.
9. Longevity in a high energy show like this requires discipline. What has been the biggest physical or vocal adjustment you have had to make to sustain the role across multiple performances each week?
I’ve had to learn how to pace myself and conserve all my energy to do all the performances safely. Every theatre job is challenging but when you add the immersive part it adds another layer of intensity.
I do a lot of vocal exercises to project my voice in the safest way possible and try not to let my adrenaline take over. It’s easy to let yourself be carried away, especially being in the moment so I do tend to have moments where I tell myself to take it easy.
I drink a lot of water, especially during the day, and I add electrolytes to keep myself hydrated as much as possible. Warming up and cooling down are an unmissable part of my daily routine.
10. The show invites audiences into someone else’s joy. Is there a particular moment in the performance when you feel the room shift, where you sense that people have let go and stepped fully into the world with you?
Those moments are different every day. Some days you have people involved from the moment they walk into the taverna, others it takes them a few minutes until they adjust to the immersive part of the experience. There are days where you can feel the shift in people when they hear a popular song and others don’t let go until the end.
I think that’s the beauty of MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, you might think you know the songs and what’s going to happen but expect the unexpected. It’s an experience like no other.
MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is currently playing at the O2 in London
For more information and tickets, CLICK HERE
