ABBA superfan says thank you for the musical

WHEN Geelong Lyric Theatre Society opened Mamma Mia!, Trish England knew she couldn’t miss it.

On opening weekend, she drove the six-hour round trip from Wonthaggi to Geelong twice, to attend both matinee performances – her 125th and 126th times seeing the ABBA-inspired musical live.

Trish may be one of ABBA’s biggest fans. Alongside her love of the musical, she has attended 562 ABBA tribute shows, owns more than 200 costumes, has several ABBA–inspired tattoos and even an ABBA–themed number plate.

For Trish, the Geelong Lyric production was “very special.”

Though she’s seen Mamma Mia! dozens of times, she said each production brought something new.

“Every company puts a new spin on it, making each one special and unique.”

Trish has loved for ABBA longer than she can remember.

“ABBA’s music and the lyrics to a lot of their songs all related to my life growing up,” she said.

That lifelong connection has brought her a welcoming community. “I have hundreds of ABBA friends, and they are in ABBA tribute bands and also Mamma Mia! musicals,” she said.

However, her devotion hasn’t come cheap. Trish estimated she’s spent tens of thousands of dollars over the past 15 years attending shows.

Having attended so many performances, Trish now keeps a handwritten record of every one – complete with dates, venues, and seat numbers – tracking shows from across Australia and around the world.

Her dedication has taken her far. In 2019, she drove 12 hours solo to the ABBA Festival in Trundle, NSW, and in 2023, she embarked on a one-week European ABBA adventure.

“I flew to London and saw ABBA Voyage twice, Mamma Mia! the Musical at the Novello Theatre, Mamma Mia! the Party at the O2 Arena, then flew to Stockholm and went to the ABBA Museum – all in seven days including the flights.”

Living with early–stage osteoporosis, Trish said movement was key.

“I need to keep moving so that I can keep driving and attending Mamma Mia Musicals,” she said.

ABBA remains central to her life. One tattoo reads “I have a dream” with “ABBAsession” underneath – a tribute to a moment from 2015 she described as deeply personal.

“If ABBA were reading this,” Trish said, “I would say to them… thank you for ‘my’ lifetime of music.”