ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus: Our continued success in London is miraculous
Björn Ulvaeus has described the ongoing success of the Mamma Mia! and ABBA brands as "miraculous”, revealing he had thought that the band’s break-up in 1982 would mark the end for the group.
He was speaking to The Stage as Mamma Mia! The Party celebrated its fifth birthday in London at the O2, and said he was particularly pleased to see the show succeeding because he feared the pandemic was going to prevent it from continuing.
"It feels so good, especially in view of the fact we had such a struggle," he said. "We had just started up when the pandemic happened and I was not sure it would make it. Steadily it grew, and now it has fantastic word of mouth and is full every night. It was a victory for all of us that we came back like we did."
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Speaking about the ongoing success of Mamma Mia! in the West End, where it has just celebrated 25 years, as well as Mamma Mia! The Party and ABBA Voyage, he said: "It is almost miraculous and I really don’t know how it happened. People ask me: ‘What is it about your songs?’ and I haven’t a clue. I thought when we split up and went for a break in 1982, that was the end of it. I thought they might play the occasional song on the radio every now and then but that would be all."
Ulvaeus also described writing Slipping Through My Fingers, now one of the band’s most popular songs and an emotional moment in the Mamma Mia! musical.
"My daughter Linda, who I wrote it about, was about seven and Sweden at that time was so safe you didn’t even have to lock your door. We could let her walk by herself to the school and she turned around and waved. And that is the scene that stuck in my mind," he said.
Mamma Mia! The Party continues to play at the O2 in London.
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