Everybody's Talking About Jame

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie follows the real life story of Jamie New. A sixteen year old who dreams of becoming a drag queen. Although Jamie worries about his future dream, his is supported by his mum who will do anything for her son, even pretending to send cards and gifts on behalf of his dad who, unbeknownst to Jamie, doesn’t want to part of his life. Jamie’s best friend, Pritti is there for him every step of the way, reminding him that he is beautiful inside and out. Jamie defies the odds and with the help of Hugo and Loco Chanelle, introduces the world to his drag queen persona Mimi Me. 

The show opened to an energic, colourful performance of “And You Don’t Even Know It”. This number really set the tone for what was in store. Alfie Pringle as Jamie New was just perfect. He captured Jamie’s diva essence, yet remained vulnerable when necessary. His ability to walk and dance in 6 inch red heels was flawless, with not a stumble in sight. There was a beautiful friendship portrayed between Jamie and his best friend Pritti (Ellie Hollenbeck). Ellie’s version of “Beautiful” was stunning. She played the part so well that when her character completely lost it with Miss Hedge at the end of Act 2, you could hear a pin drop in utter shock! Tilly Stephen-Smith as Jamie’s mother, Margaret New was nurturing and caring. Tilly is always able to bring such emotion to songs, tugging at the heartstrings of the audience, especially in “He’s My Boy”. Rupert O’Brien had the challenging job of playing Hugo and his diva alter ego Loco Chanelle. He was able to show how versatile he is as a performer, confident in both roles. The cast in the smaller roles were just as strong in their performances with bounds of confidence, each owning the stage.  

The choreography by Abbie McLellan was fresh and fitting for the youth cast. The numbers were full of energy and you could see that the dancers were giving it their all. The story telling by the two dancers in “If I Met Myself Again” was beautiful and really supported what Jamie's mother, Margaret, was illustrating in the lyrics. 

Sue Bond provided the musical direction. The songs were clear, even when many parts of songs interlinked. The cast were confident in their singing and harmonies which could be heard clearly. The flawless music was provided by a live band which was in balance with the vocals.   

Megan Jones directed the musical and was able to bring out the raw emotions of the characters along with clear story telling. The cast were confident in their lines and were well rehearsed. The scenery and props were in keeping with the context of the scenes. It was creative of the team to have several frames of lights on the backdrop which lit up in time with the music on scene changes, keeping the audience engaged.

The lighting throughout was colourful and added excitement, especially in the energetic musical numbers. There were no issues with the sound and microphones, all characters could be heard. 

I’m always amazed at the level of talent on the stage, each cast member performed to their best ability, showing maturity in their roles. It was a brilliant performance and very entertaining. Well done to everyone involved creating this wonderful performance. 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.