Mamma Mia!: A woman's entrepreneurial journey (A): The show jumper

After graduating as a stage manager, Judy Craymer worked at some of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious theaters, including The Old Vic and the Haymarket Theatre, as well as at the Sydmonton Festival and on the musicals Cats and Chess. In addition to learning the craft, she formed relationships with key figures in the industry—contacts who would prove invaluable throughout her career—such as Cameron Mackintosh and Tim Rice. At age 27, she came up with the idea of creating her own musical based on songs by the Swedish pop group ABBA. To make it happen, she needed to secure the rights from the composers, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, who themselves had already considered using their music in a stage production.