Review
Two lucky EDWI members recently had the opportunity to preview a new hit west end musical at the Apollo Theatre – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. And its true, they can’t stop talking about it!
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‘Jamie’ tells the story of Jamie New, a 16 year old from Sheffield who overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. He wants to be a drag queen and he wants to go to prom, dressed exactly how HE wants to dress. Starting with a pair of obscenely high heels, Jamie learns what it means to become a drag artist and how to deal with the knock-on effects of his decision and determination. The story is inspired by a 2011 BBC documentary and is fabulous and uplifting without being trite or polemic.
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The show has the tone and quality of a traditional musical but with pop style music – it’s a refreshing and new blend like nothing seen before. The set design is inspired with simple but clever transitions and the show is filled with the kind of warmth and northern humour reminiscent of perennial favourite Calendar Girls. Even the greatest show is nothing without a wonderful cast and ‘Jamie’ does not disappoint – the titular character played by John McCrea is incredibly well portrayed with exactly the right blend of feisty, go-getting, naivety and innocence. The remaining fabulous cast including Josie Walker, Tamsin Carroll, Mina Anwar, Lucie Shorthouse and Phil Nichol largely transferred from the original production at the Crucible in Sheffield.
Booking and More Information
If you’d like to talk more about Jamie, please talk to Kirsten Ing or Chloe Edges or tickets can be booked directly at Love Theatre. The show is currently booking until 6 October 2018.
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Reviewed by Chloe Edges
Why Everybody Really Should Be Talking About Jamie – Theatre Review