Now, with smash-hit Mamma Mia! confirmed for next summer, curiosity is piquing about what it means next. Behind it all, after all, is the man that sensationally brought Britney Spears, Kylie and Bryan Adams to the seaside resort.

For venue programmer Peter Taylor, of Live Nation’s Cuffe & Taylor, the sky is the limit in ambitions. Having told The Yorkshire Post in March he wanted to “bring back musicals”, he’s now said: “I make no bones that I really want to bring more.

“Things like The Lion King, Wicked, Les Mis – these big names would really lend themselves to this stage. These are things I would really like to see. It would be nice one day to create our own production at Scarborough. Watch this space.”

Scarborough’s Open Air Theatre marked its 90th birthday this year, with crowds having flocked to its first production of Merrie England in 1932 on an ‘island’ stage. But as fashions changed, the theatre fell into disrepair, finally closing its doors in 1986.

It was under a refurbishment project by Scarborough Council that it came back to life in 2010, with Cuffe & Taylor coming on scene in 2016. Since then, the theatre has marked a significant revival, bringing some of the biggest names in pop, rock and now major theatre.

Mamma Mia! will stage six shows here next June. More than 30,000 tickets went on sale Friday, with the show featuring a mother, daughter and three possible fathers on a Greek island idyll.

Mr Taylor said: “It was the obvious thing really. The theatre was built to house musicals – it was something I’d always been aware of, looking at old black and white photographs.

“The pandemic gave us a bit of time to reflect. And actually it was Mamma Mia! that started to look towards doing outdoor opportunities. They made it come to life. I won’t profess you’ll get the same Greek weather in Scarborough... but there is something quite nice about it being in a seaside resort.”

To date, the show has been seen by more than 65m people in 50 productions – and remains one of the longest running show in Broadway history having played for 14 years.

Mr Taylor laughs that he has always secretly been a “frustrated theatre producer”. He is jubilant about bringing Mamma Mia! to Scarborough, where the original dressing rooms and part of the stage remain, marking a return to the theatre’s musicals roots.

“I’m a lover of musical theatre, and theatre in general. It was probably my first love in entertainment, more than rock and pop,” he said.

“This isn’t about the stars that are in the show,” he added. “This is about a really talented cast, performing a really good musical. Tickets have been hugely successful. It goes to show it’s what the audience wants to see.”

The man who brought Britney Spears and Bryan Adams to Scarborough turns his attention to musicals with Mamma Mia!