Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a stage musical around a coming-of-age story, with music by Dan Gillespie Sells and Book and Lyrics by Tom MacRae. It was inspired by the 2011 British Television documentary ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’ and is based upon the true-life story of 16-year-old schoolboy Jamie Campbell, as he overcomes prejudice and bullying to step out of the darkness and become a drag queen.

As you entered the auditorium to take your seat, a DJ with a desk etc., (who just happened to be Matt Charlton one of the Drag Queens), was encouraging the audience to participate in the singing of well known disco-type songs which culminated in getting everyone on their feet and waving arms to ‘Heart to Heart’. What a ‘warm-up’!!

There wasn’t a set as such. The whole stage was surrounded by black curtains and used for exits and entrances and there was a two-level structure made from scaffolding posts on to which were fixed eight strips of lighting which were very well utilised for varying effects. I must add at this juncture, that the Winding Wheel stage is not really made for theatrical productions so the company successfully made full use of an extremely effective lighting plot to help in the identification of different scenarios together with appropriate props. There was also a very large stage extension which helped enormously for the larger routines and for different scene locations. 

James New is the 16-year-old boy who lives on a council estate in Sheffield with his mother. He doesn’t quite fit in, is so worried about his future and harbours a secret dream to become a drag queen. Evan Mason captured every nuance of this somewhat troubled boy with outstanding acting skills portraying his vulnerability, his strength, his effeminate struts, flounces and gestures with such confidence and style, it was just an exceptional portrayal. But not only that, he has a super singing voice so evident in the songs ‘Wall In My Head’ and ‘Ugly In This Ugly World’ which were so expressively delivered. But not only that, he is a brilliant dancer too, as witnessed in the many dance routines he was involved in - he most definitely has it all, and how he managed to move around in those extremely high heeled shoes defies belief! It was a truly brilliant and awe-inspiring performance, deserving of every accolade. Georgia Cupitt was first class as Pritti Pasha, Jamie’s best friend. They had a lovely meaningful relationship and she so understood the dilemmas facing Jamie as she too was the victim of bullying. Her singing of ‘It Means Beautiful’ was indeed just that - beautiful and her passionate outburst at the Prom was terrific. What a superb performance came from Sarah Morrell as Margaret New, Jamie’s mother. She captured her loving, caring, supportive and encouraging nature towards Jamie to perfection, even covering up for her ex-husband’s total dismissal of Jamie. Her singing of ‘If I Met Myself Again’, which was accompanied by an interpretation of the song by two superb dancers and her supposed husband Wayne, was fabulous and her glorious singing of ‘He’s My Boy’ was so movingly and so heartfelt and so powerfully sung, it was spine-tingling. Margaret herself has great support from her best friend Ray, extremely well played by Sarah Sargent. Laura Ashby certainly commanded the stage as the no-nonsense teacher, Miss Hedge. She too has a great singing voice and the number ‘Work of Art’, along with Jamie and Year 11, was excellent. Danny Winson, as Wayne New, most definitely succeeded in delivering the prejudiced, aggressively hostile and homophobic attitude he had for his son Jamie and also in the callous and cruel way he treated his ex-wife Margaret. As Dean Paxton, Jamie Beesley tries his level best to quietly undermine and bully both Jamie and Pritti, but in the end, has no success. Jon Bennett excelled as Hugo, a former drag artist known as Loco Chanelle, who is the owner of a Drag Shop that Jamie visits. He so wonderfully and tenderly became the mentoring guide for Jamie none more so than in the touching scene when he finds Jamie after he has been attacked. He superbly sings ‘The Legend Of Loco Chanelle’ which is superbly ‘enacted’ by dancers and the drag queens. The transformation we see when Hugo, now attired as Loco Chanelle, was absolutely stunning. The song ‘Over The Top’ was so movingly and brilliantly sung by Jon as he tries to reason with Jamie to accept who he really is. Jason Finch as Sandra Bollock, Alisdair Adams as Tray Sophisticay and Matt Charlton as Laika Virgin were all superb in portraying the various aspects of their individual roles and their outfits, make-up and wigs were spectacular. The Class of 2025 namely Naomi King as Vicki, Gabrielle Laidlaw as Fatimah, Larissa Wallington as Becca, Kat Burton as Mickey, Annabelle Brooks as Bex, Jack Laird as Levi, and Alison Doram as Cy all gave excellent support in their respective roles as did the eleven members of the Ensemble. The singing by the principals and indeed, by the whole cast was top-notch as were the many superbly choreographed numbers which were all so amazingly executed and the required northern accent, being so close to Sheffield, was spot-on. The costumes, wigs and make-up were absolutely fabulous, even the Band wore school uniforms.

This was a mammoth undertaking and resulted in a most entertaining and thought provoking show of the highest standard. Many, many congratulations to Director Karl Brennan-Collis, to Musical Director Helen Ingham, to Choreographer Paula Wilson, to Producer Pauline Hindle along with Assistant Producer Sarah-Jane Blackburn, to the Back Stage and Lighting Crews, to the excellent Band members, to everyone involved in any way and of course, to the exceptionally talented cast. It was quite a lovely surprise when leaving, to see the four Drag Queens lined up in the Foyer to wish everyone goodnight. Thank you so much for the warm welcome that I received and a special thanks to Charlotte, for being a delightful hostess. Following this fabulous production, everybody, most certainly, will be talking about Jamie!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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