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Now at the helm of London’s record-breaking ABBA Voyage, Victoria Hofflin credits Trinity for opening a world of possibilities.

There is no single moment that placed Victoria Hofflin (TC 2015) on the path to working as the head of audio on the groundbreaking ABBA Voyage virtual concert experience. Reflecting on a whirlwind career that has taken her from Sydney to the heart of London, Victoria believes her life could have taken a different path had it not been for the many opportunities afforded her by Trinity College.

A classically trained cello and piano player and vocalist, she found the Choir of Trinity College and its association with the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts a major draw when weighing up her university options.

‘The choir was of such a high calibre,’ she says. ‘I thought I could continue to develop my classical training while I was pursuing contemporary music.’

Victoria soon learned that success hinged on leveraging opportunities and Trinity put a vast array of experience at her disposal: a colourful mix of fellow students, from aspiring actors to studious accountants.

‘It was a place where I could draw from the people around me,’ she says. ‘I look back on those years as a time of exploration. I gained a lot of self-confidence.’

From joining the Trinity band for Cabaret, to directing the music in Grease and DJ-ing at College parties, Victoria says there was never a moment when she doubted taking a chance. ‘Trinity is a positive environment where you can try new things because there’s zero consequences.’

She believes that risk-free attitude is best encapsulated by the Trinity musical in which students are encouraged to have a go, even often-reticent boys. ‘The fact that they were in the musical is unbelievable,’ Victoria reflects.

Music’s innate ability to encourage inclusivity helped Victoria realise that she wanted to spend her life in the field.

‘Art has a flexibility which the rest of the world doesn’t,’ she argues. ‘Not to be all Ariana Grande about it, but it affords the space for people to make a mistake and the time to get it right – Trinity fostered that.’

After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 2018, Victoria went on to co-produce the musical Chicks Dig It with fellow Trinity alum Coco Garner Davis (TC 2015). After securing two sold-out nights at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, she decided to take on London.

She soon found her feet in the sound department of the West End production of The Lion King, before joining the team at SoloTech, a global leader in audiovisual technology, which has given her some incredible roles.

None, however, have allowed the 29-year-old to develop her skills quite like ABBA Voyage where Victoria and her team oversee all the video, lighting and audio in a world-first production.

‘It’s a whirlwind; ridiculous in every shape and form,’ Victoria laughs. ‘You just have to come and see it. I can’t explain it to you. You’re going to enjoy it and know every word; it truly is one of a kind.’

It is difficult to comprehend the scale and complexity of the tech which Victoria manages. Housed in a purpose-built arena with a capacity of 3000 people, the show relies on the ‘performance’ of a holographic ABBA who sync up perfectly with a live band.

‘It is so technologically advanced,’ she says. ‘Everything has to work harmoniously, which means the team need to work together. We’re always striving to make it better.

Every day we ask, “How can we make this work better?” It’s such a privilege.’

With the show nearing its third anniversary, Victoria’s crew are currently in the middle of a rehearsal period, adding new songs, updating visuals and ensuring every aspect of the show meets their standards.

And, so, what does a day bringing ABBA to life look like?

‘It’s a long day,’ she says. ‘I go in before 10am and we finish at 10pm. Audio in the morning and the rest of the team will come in the afternoon, and we do a tech run for the band with costumes and full hair and makeup to get everyone comfortable.’

Victoria’s list of achievements well exceeds what you would expect for someone of her age, but what does she see in the future? ‘If in 10 or 15 years I called up all these people I’ve worked with and said, “I’m going to put a show on and I need you to do it with me”, nine out of 10 of them would say, “Go on, let’s do it.” That’s my hope!

‘You’ve got to make your own luck,’ she adds. ‘You have to put yourself out there – keep pushing and make your own experiences. That’s the only way you’ll learn.’