British Musicals: ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ (2017)

British Musicals: ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ (2017)

Book and Lyrics by Tom McRae

Music by Dan Gillespie Sells

Inspired by the 2011 BBC Three documentary, ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’.

History

‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ is a musical by Tom McRae ('Doctor Who' & 'Threesome') & Dan Gillespie Sells ('The Feeling’), inspired by the 2011 BBC Three documentary ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’, about Jamie Campbell, a sixteen year old Durham pupil who wanted to wear a dress to his end-of-school prom. Channel hopping, theatre director, Jonathan Butterell came across the documentary and immediately knew that he had to put Jamie's story on stage as a musical. He approached an old friend, Daniel Evans – Artistic Director of the Sheffield Crucible – who liked the idea, but pointed out that he needed collaborators.

Meanwhile, on a visit to see 'Kiss Me Kate' in Chichester, West End star, Michael Ball, got chatting with two aspiring musical theatre writers, Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom McRae. Discussing with them, he found they had no story, and advised them to work with Jonathan Butterell to come up with one. Michael rang Butterell and managed to matchmake a director with a story needing writers with writers who needed a story. Having met they pitched their plans to Evans and were commissioned.

Renaming the character, Jamie New, and relocating the action to Sheffield, the musical premiered at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield on 13th February 2017, following previews from 8 February, it finished its short run on 25th February, directed by Butterell.

However, at the final matinee performance was impresario, Nica Burns, and impressed by what she saw, on 21st June it was announced that the musical would transfer to the West End at her Apollo Theatre from 6th November 2017 to 21st April 2018, with most of the Crucible Theatre cast returning. On 11th January 2018, the show announced a booking extension to 6th October 2018, and on 30th May 2018, the show announced a booking extension to 6th April 2019. The production was also broadcast live in cinemas across the UK on 5th July 2018

Plot

Jamie is out and proud, and about to finish school. His careers teacher proposes he work as a fork-lift truck driver, but Jamie wants to be a drag queen. As part of this, he decides to attend his school prom in a dress. With the support of his single parent mother, her friend Ray, his friend Pritti, and a mentor Hugo (and Hugo’s alter-ego Loco Chanelle), Jamie attempts to overcome prejudice, beat the bullies and step out of the darkness, into the spotlight. But can he overcome the doubts caused by his father calling him “disgusting” when he caught him wearing a dress ?

In A Nutshell

Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true and be fabulous.

Production

My seat was literally in the back row of the Grand Circle, but I still had a fantastic view. The staging was excellent, but it is the performances that really stood out. All the reviews praise John McCrea as Jamie, but I feel as much credit should also go to Rebecca McKinnis as his mother, Margaret, and Lucie Shorthouse as Pritti. I was also pleased to see two more recent cast replacements meant that two actors whose work I enjoy were now in the production, Shobna Gulati (‘Dinnerladies’ & ‘Coronation Street’) as Ray, Margaret’s best friend, and Lee Ross (‘Press Gang’, ‘The Catherine Tate Show’ and Doctor Who episode ‘The Curse of the Black Spot’) as Hugo and the ‘fabulous’ Loco Chanelle. The story was both funny and affecting, and the musical numbers were great. And there was a Supertram joke, which only I seemed to get in my section of the theatre !

Highly recommended.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie runs at the Apollo Theatre, London until at least 6th April 2019.

Favourite Song

It has to be ‘He’s My Boy’, sung by Jamie’s mother, closely followed by ‘It Means Beautiful’ sung by his BFF (and fellow ‘weirdo’) Pritti, and ‘The Legend of Loco Chanelle (And The Blood Red Dress)’ sung by Hugo.

Did I Buy The Cast Recording ?

Selected songs downloaded at home.

Links

Production Website: http://www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/

YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQIJanfTE-THPMaq30NQG7RQgGpg7wQ0r