Everybody’s Talking About Jamie began life back in 2017 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The musical extravaganza was inspired by the 2011 documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16 which told the true story of Sheffield schoolboy Jamie Campbell, who wanted nothing more than to become a Drag Queen and attend his Year 11 prom in drag. The story centres around the reaction of his teachers, friends and wider community to his dream. In essence, it is a story about coming of age, being true to yourself, and overcoming the preconceptions and prejudices of those around you. The production (music by Dan Gillespie-Sells and book by Tom MacRae) has been selling out venues across the land ever since it first saw the stage, taking the West End by storm and wowing the nation. This week it plays at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham.
Right from the off, the undisputed star of the show is Ivano Turco as Jamie New. Turco plays the role with such relish and an enormous and cheeky smile on his face. He moves with grace and dignity (goodness knows how in those magnificent heels!) and the audience cannot help but be on his side from the moment he speaks of his dream. Turco has a magnificent voice – it is rich and powerful and his range is phenomenal. He takes us on a journey through song and for me, there are a couple of stand-out numbers where he really shines – ‘The Wall in My Head’ which conveys such frustration and ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’ which is infused with bitter sadness. Here is a performer who can truly move an audience through the power of his performance.
Along the way, we meet the other members of Jamie’s world. A particular favourite is best mate Pritti Pascha played by Talia Palamathanan. Pritti is a humble and loyal friend who studies hard and aspires to be a doctor. Herself a victim of bullying and unkindness, she understands Jamie instinctively, although the two characters would struggle to be any more different from each other! (Isn’t that so often the way with true friends?!) Palamathanan gives Pritti heart and conviction. She grows in confidence and finds her voice as the story progresses and has a particularly joyous moment just before the finale which has the audience whooping with joy – you’ll have to see for yourself.
Miss Hedge (Hayley Tamaddon) is the careers teacher who is seemingly on the side of the students but in fact is giving them all the wrong advice. She believes Jamie needs to conform in order to thrive. We know better of course. Tamaddon shines here and manages to play both aspects of the character to perfection. We initially sympathise with her exasperation when faced with the boisterous and cheeky students. But we quickly lose faith in her as it becomes clear that she’s actually rather an unsupportive and disenchanted individual.
The emotional heart of the piece comes from the interactions between Jamie and his mum Margaret (Rebecca McKinnis). Margaret just wants Jamie to flourish but is worried about the cruel world that awaits him. McKinnis is completely magnificent in the role and her ballad ‘He’s My Boy’ has the audience reaching for the tissues. Her duet with Turco ‘My Man, Your Boy’ is absolutely beautiful. This relationship is juxtaposed with that of Jamie and his dad (Akshay St Clair) who is distant, blokeish and disappointingly hardened in his views. Just as we fear the emotional atmosphere might be getting a bit heavy, Margaret’s best friend Ray appears and cuts through it like a knife. Shobna Gulati gives Ray such wonderful comic timing and a uniquely dotty flamboyance. She is more than comic relief however. She is another voice in the community who is gently encouraging and in her own way inspiring Jamie.
The ultimate inspiration for Jamie comes in the form of a chance meeting with drag artist Hugo/Loco Chanelle (John Partridge). Hugo helps Jamie to understand the art of Drag, exploring with him the difference between simply being a boy in drag and inhabiting a persona. Partridge is able to convey the difference between the two with just a look, a gesture or in the way that he speaks a particular line. He is a very clever performer who plays both aspects of the character brilliantly. He gives Hugo real pathos, and Loco such glamour! His rendition of ‘The Legend of Loco Chanelle’, accompanied by his magnificently named entourage, is magical.
The staging is versatile and dynamic – for which credit must be given to designer Anna Fleischle. Choreography by Kate Prince is fun and utilises the stage space very cleverly indeed.
This is a stunning production. At the curtain call, the audience are on their feet and it is so clear that the cast have enjoyed telling this story every bit as much as we’ve enjoyed hearing it. It feels like Turco doesn’t want to leave the stage. It also feels like the audience would be quite happy to see the show again – immediately. Tonight.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie really is so much more than just another musical – it is a phenomenon. Get yourself a ticket while you still can! Jamie is only in town until 30th September…limited tickets for the run remain.
