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Mark Thomas has a theory as to why Abba, the Swedish super group of the 70s, has never re-formed despite being more popular than ever with theatre shows and movies devoted to their music.
"The guys just didn't want to put back on the original outfits. It takes a very secure man to wear the costumes these days," he says with a laugh.
He should know. As the writer and performer of Abba tribute show Abba Mania he plays Bjorn Ulvaeus and it takes him a good hour to shimmy into the shiny jumpsuits, pull on the platforms and attach the necessary head and chest hair to transform himself.
New Zealanders will get the chance to see the metamorphosis for themselves when Thomas and the rest of the cast of singers and musicians tour the country from October 8. The extravagant stage show described as a recreation of a live Abba concert was a West End hit that has gone on to tour Europe, South America and Australia.
Thomas says there are plenty of pitfalls with the costumes. "You have to make sure that you are arranged right as it is a family show. Also, my Swedish accent thickens more and more as I put it on." And while he once sported long flowing locks just like Bjorn's he now uses a wig to ensure that he is hirsute enough for such a hairy era.
"From doing the show, I've got a new appreciation for what women go through with hair and make-up," he says. "But it's worth it to look good. I'm proud that I can still fit the same costumes, especially as we've been doing the show for nearly a decade."
There are plenty of Abba tribute shows but Thomas says Abba Mania is different because of the performers passion for the songs and also the attention to detail that has made the production a stand out from the start.
"We really wanted to get the show right so we watched original footage of concerts and freeze-framed the video to check out every little detail. For example, measuring the distance of a brooch from a collar."
Abba Mania was written in 1999 and has been touring the world ever since. After more than 1,300 shows you'd think that Thomas, and the other singers and the musicians who make up the Abba orchestra, would get tired of performing the same material night after night but Thomas says this is not the case.
"We genuinely look forward to performing each time and each time we want to do our best to recreate an Abba concert."
He believes part of Abba Mania's appeal is because the original band's music has stood the test of time thanks to the talent of the original group members and their ability to write and perform incredibly well-constructed pop songs.
It is also one show that has the nod from Bjorn himself. In 2004, Thomas performed as part of a television show watched by 11 million people that paid tribute to Abba and marked the 30th anniversary since the band's Eurovision Song Contest win.
"Thankfully, Bjorn was mercifully kind saying that he thought we'd captured the essence of the music. It was a great honour to meet him although at the time I was really nervous about what he would think. Not so much for my performance as Bjorn but more about what he thought of the show as I'd written it."
Members of the original Abba, plus their costume designer and members of the West End cast of the Mamma Mia theatre show also took part in the television show and Thomas says they too gave Abba Mania the thumbs up.
* Abba Mania is on at the Aotea Centre, Auckland, October 8; Wellington's TSB Arena, October 11; Christchurch Town Hall, October 12. Bookings at Ticketek.
