Critics have been raving the film adaptation of the Olivier Award nominated smash hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie out now on Amazon Prime. The success of the film is now set to bring the stage version to even more International acclaim coming up. There are various productions already in the works including Japan, Australia, and will finally be debuting here in the United States.
Get a look below at the current London company of EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE in action from the stage of its inaugural home at London’s Apollo Theatre.
For those who don’t know or need a little reminder, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE is a coming of age musical based on a true story that was captured in a 2011 BBC Three documentary JAMIE: A DRAG QUEEN AT 16. It tells the inspirational story of “Jamie New”, a 16 year old underdog misfit from Sheffield, England with big aspirations and dreams of becoming a drag queen. Along the way, he overcomes prejudice, takes a stand against the bullies, and makes his dreams come true. It features a score and book by Tom MacRae and Dan Gillespie-Sells. Notable songs include AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW IT, THE WALL IN MY HEAD, WORK OF ART, OVER THE TOP, the title song itself EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE, HE’S MY BOY, and OUT OF THE DARKNESS.
The show had its world premiere at The Crucible Theatre Sheffield in 2017 for a small stint. With the show being a huge success, it transferred to London’s West End at the Apollo Theatre where it continues to play to packed houses every night. The show went on to receive rave reviews and a huge following from fans in the UK and all over the world begging for productions everywhere. Under the direction of Jonathan Butterell and choreographed by Kate Prince, the cast features…
Olivier Award nominee John McCrea (later Layton Williams and Noah Thomas) as “Jamie New”,
Olivier Award nominee Josie Walker (later Rebecca McKinnis and Melissa Jacques) as “Margret New”,
Lucie Shorthouse (later and Hiba Elchikhe) as “Pritti”,
Tamsin Carroll (later Michelle Visage, Hayley Tamaddon, Faye Tozer, Rita Simons, Preeya Kalidas, and Katy Brand) as “Miss Hedge”,
Phil Nichol (later Lee Ross, Roy Haylock, Bill Ward, and Rufus Hound) as “Hugo” / “Loco Chanelle”,
Mina Anwar (later Shobna Gulati and Sejal Keshwala) as “Ray,
Luke Baker (later and currently Jordan Ricketts) as “Dean Paxton”,
Ken Christiansen (later and currently Marlon G. Day) as “Jamie’s Dad”,
and more.
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE was nominated for 5 Olivier Awards in 2018 including BEST NEW MUSICAL. However, it lost all the categories.
The show was one of the many productions that got abruptly shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s currently back in London’s West End playing for a limited engagement at the Apollo Theatre through September 26th, 2021. However, it’s not a full farewell. The show will be taking a brief leave of absence but is scheduled to return to the West End in 2022. At the same, the show is currently on a UK / Ireland Tour.
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE’s American debut is set for this upcoming year of 2022 in Los Angeles. It will play the Ahmanson Theatre for a strictly limited engagement from January 16th-February 20th, 2022. With the original creative team, the cast will be led by the show’s 2 former London cast members themselves….
Layton Williams as the titular role of “Jamie New”
and
Roy Haylock (known as Bianca Del Rio) as “Hugo” / “Loco Chanelle”.
Additional casting will be revealed later.
Early talks have also been made of the production also possibly heading for Broadway.
The current film adaptation of EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE originally scheduled to be released in Theaters next month from 20th Century Studios. It would be delayed twice before a decision was made that the film instead would go directly to Amazon Prime. Under the direction of Jonathan Butterell, the cast is led by….
Newcomer Max Harwood as “Jamie New”,
Olivier nominee Sarah Lancashire as “Margret New”,
Lauren Patel as “Pritti”,
Emmy nominee Sharon Horgan as “Miss Hedge”,
Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Richard E Grant as “Hugo” / “Loco Chanelle”,
Shobna Gulati reprising her performance from the stage production as “Ray,
Samuel Bottomley as “Dean Paxton”,
Ralph Ineson as “Jamie’s Dad”,
and more.
How powerful is this musical?!!!
