Biyografi
Judy Craymer was born in London in 1957 and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music in 1977. She began her career as a stage manager at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester, the Old Vic Theatre in London, on the original production of Cats for Cameron Mackintosh, and with the Really Useful Theatre Company. In 1982, she worked with Tim Rice on the musical Chess, where she met Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. In 1987, Craymer transitioned to film and television production, with credits including White Mischief, featuring Sarah Miles, Joss Ackland, and Greta Scacchi, and Neville's Island, starring Martin Clunes and Timothy Spall.
In 1999, Craymer rekindled her interest in ABBA after persuading Björn and Benny to allow her to use their songs. She sold her flat to finance the creation of the musical Mamma Mia! alongside director Phyllida Lloyd and writer Catherine Johnson. Mamma Mia! premiered at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End on April 6, 1999, achieving tremendous global success. It has been seen by over 60 million people across more than 440 cities in over 40 countries on six continents, setting a record for the fastest premiere in multiple cities for any musical in history.
The musical's success drew Hollywood's attention. Mamma Mia! The Movie, starring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, and Amanda Seyfried, was released in 2008 and became the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. In 2013, it was named Amazon UK's best-selling DVD of all time.
A decade after the film grossed over $600 million worldwide, Judy Craymer is producing a new original musical featuring ABBA's songs. With the original cast returning, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! opened on July 20, 2018. Ol Parker, writer of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, wrote and directed the film, while Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus provided music and lyrics and served as executive producers.
