Bjorn: "I have reached the conclusion that the party should not open on the South Bank near Waterloo"

EXCLUSIVE: Bjorn pulls out of ABBA-themed South Bank theatre/restaurant plan after campaign by residents





Bjorn Ulvaeus stands in a recreation of Abba's Polar Studios at the launch of the 'Abba: Super Troupers' exhibition, at the Royal Festival Hall, London, which recreated Abba's rise to international fame in a series of immersive exhibits, until last month - a matter of yards from where Mamma Mia! The Party would have opened
POSTED BY: TOBY PORTER 11TH MAY 2018

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ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus has finally met his Waterloo.

The Swedish singer and composer has pulled the plug on his plans for an entertainment venue on London’s South Bank amid a campaign by residents who feared late-night noise in the area.

He had planned a restaurant and performance venue – Mamma Mia! The Party – where audience members interact with the cast, on a gap site and was given planning permission six months ago, for five years.

But residents living nearby had consistently opposed the scheme, fearing its six-times-a-week opening until 10.15pm would disturb the peaceful nature of the area at night.

They spoke of their fears of traffic, noise, drunken revellers and pollution brought by the 500-capacity nightly show Mamma Mia The Party, when measures to lessen its effects were discussed during a Lambeth council planning committee last month.

Councillors voted for the review of the impact to be carried out after three months as they were not satisfied residents would be protected sufficiently by the previous Visitor Management Plan (VMP).



Björn said: “Everything that Mamma Mia! has done – from its conception more than 20 years ago, to the new film being made right now – has been charged with positive energy. That’s why I am hugely excited to bring Mamma Mia! The Party to London and hope to do so in Spring 2019 as planned.

“However I have reached the conclusion that the party should not open on the South Bank near Waterloo. Despite being granted planning permission in November 2017, I’ve taken seriously the concerns expressed by some local residents living around Stamford Street and so have decided not to go ahead with our plans on this site.

“We have been looking at some equally exciting alternatives in London and expect to announce a new location shortly.”

A spokesman for the site’s owners, Coin Street Community Builders, said: “It is with great regret that the creation of the temporary venue for Mamma Mia! The Party will not be going ahead on our site adjacent to the Coin Street neighbourhood centre. This would have been an interesting and exciting temporary use for an unused site and a positive addition to the mix within neighbourhood.

“The proposal included jobs for local people, community access to the space and training opportunities. The income generated from the rent would stay in the neighbourhood and be reinvested into the local and wider community. We will be seeking alternative users for the site to ensure we have the funds to continue to improve and maintain our neighbourhood including managing and maintaining Bernie Spain Gardens and the riverside walkway and providing a range of programmes and activities for families, children, young people, adults and older people in Waterloo and North Southwark.

“We wish the MMTP team every success with the show in its new location.”

https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/bjorn-pulls-out-of-abba-themed-south-bank-theatre-restaurant-plan-after-campaign-by-residents/

What happened after Abba split? A new exhibition has the answer

The Local's contributor Joel Forslin got a sneak peek of a new interactive exhibition at Stockholm's Abba Museum, dedicated to the four members' post-Abba careers.

"Since we started (the Abba Museum) in 2013 the most frequently asked question has been 'what happened afterwards?' after 1982 when Abba split," says Björn Ulveaus as he opens the exhibition.

"But people here at the museum kept pestering me and said 'you should tell the whole story'. I held back but now I have succumbed," he tells the many journalists, both Swedish and international, present.

Given the theme of the exhibition and the recent news that the legendary Swedish pop quartet have recorded new songs together, people in the room are starting to get their hopes up. When Ulvaeus announces he has invited some friends to help him cut the rope, someone cries "Benny!".

Watch Ulvaeus talk about the story behind the new exhibition in this video:

But the Abba reunion is never mentioned during the event. Instead musical artist Peter Jöback appears on the small stage. He played a leading role in 'Kristina from Duvemåla', the 1995 musical by Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson about Swedish farmers emigrating to North America back in the 19th century.

Jöback cuts the ribbon together with Caroline Fagerlind, museum director; Ingmarie Halling, creative director at the Abba Museum, Mia Segolsson, Universal Music/General Manager Polar Music; and Ulvaeus' old friend and Abba manager Görel Hanser and the journalists are allowed to enter the exhibition area.

Before entering you pass through a room where Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund has made a short film that begins with the clips of the final days of Abba. It is followed by highlights of the years since, a tribute to Ulvaeus, Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog and their careers post-Abba.

A replica of a gate at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport is the entrance to the exhibition itself. It was through a similar gate that they made their last trip as a group. A sign reads: "Here dear visitor is where the post-Abba journey starts. The flight you're boarding will take you to London and then out into the world. You'll arrive at veritable funfair. Because that's what it turned out to be."

After that, the exhibition opens up. A mix of stage clothes, interactive stations and the stories behind lyrics of songs written after the breakup, all neatly packaged with their own themed area.


Behind one curtain is an area dedicated to the 1986 musical Chess by Ulvaeus and Andersson. As part of one of the interactive experiences, visitors get to conduct the song 'One Night in Bangkok' on a big screen.

A classic Swedish dance pavilion is located in one of the corners, where visitors are encouraged to dance and enjoy themselves. On top of the wooden structure it says 'Benny Andersson's Orchestra (BAO)'. The Swedish folk music band formed in 2001 is one of Andersson's biggest projects since Abba.

The exhibition continues on with original pieces from 'Kristina from Duvemåla'.

There is also clothing worn by Lyngstad and Fältskog and miscellaneous information about the members (did you for example know that Ulvaeus earned a honorary fire chief title in 1997?).

Abba-themed musical Mamma Mia gets an interactive piece where you can paint the door on Donna's house from the movie. Chronologically we are now close to 2018. The last piece is a miniature model used to create the scene for Stockholm-based restaurant and event venue 'Mamma Mia The Party'.

Before you leave the last sign leaves you with something of a promise: "The break up was indefinite, but as always the future is just around the corner, so keep your eyes and ears open for 2019... More to come..."