A lot has happened since a 2011 documentary spawned the musical theatre behemoth that is Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. It originally ran in Sheffield before transferring to the West End, was made into a film, and now returns to London and the Peacock Theatre as part of a UK tour, directed by Matt Ryan.
Our title character, Jamie New is based on the real life Jamie Campbell, who at aged 16, aspired to be a drag queen and wanted to wear a dress to his prom, only to face prejudice from his peers and school.
Jamie may be the one everyone is talking about, but Tom MacRae’s book takes the time to explore other characters that inhabit Jamie’s world. Rebecca McKinnis is heartfelt and raw as Margaret, while Shobna Gulati is hilarious as family friend Ray.
We see parallels in Jamie’s plight with that of his best friend Pritti Pasha (Talia Palamathanan) a “Muslim with a Hindu name”. Even antagonist Dean (played wonderfully by Jordan Ricketts) is given the space to allow the character to grow.
The story itself lacks enough drama, and while Jamie faces prejudice, the character doesn’t have to put up much of a fight to be accepted; Miss Hedge (Giovanna Fletcher) isn’t quite mean enough as a character for the audience to see her as a threat to Jamie’s lifestyle choices.
But where the story is lacking, the music from Dan Gillespie Sells’ music sends the audience home on a euphoric wave. Songs such as ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’ are already well known to audiences thanks to previous runs, and so this Everybody’s Talking About Jamie already has an advantage.
Anna Fleischle’s set design is identical to the West End run and allows us to transition from classroom, to family home, to drag club with ease. John Partridge’s Hugo/Loco Chanelle is a highlight of the show, but the night does belong to Ivano Turco’s stunning portrayal of Jamie.
Bursting with joy, this fun and fabulous musical has earned its status as one of the best new British musicals in years. This new tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie gives audiences up and down the country to bask in its messages of positivity.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie runs at the Peacock Theatre until 23 March before continuing to tour the UK visiting Bristol, Plymouth, Sheffield, Liverpool, Eastbourne, Portsmouth, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Northampton, Canterbury, Milton Keynes, Hull, Norwich, Bradford and Leicester.
