Fresh. Funny. Fabulous.
Having seen the striking graphics and reading a little hype about this new British show, I went to see Everybody’s Talking About Jamie with an open mind. I was curious, but was it really my kind of show? Frankly, it’s absolutely fantastic! Behind the hilarity, the underlying themes of gender, sexuality, race, bullying, acceptance and belonging are each powerful and convincing. It had more than I ever expected, and so much more than just a boy in drag!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is inspired by the true story of Jamie Campbell who featured in a BBC Three documentary entitled Jamie, Drag Queen at 16 back in 2011. I had not (and still haven’t) seen the documentary so my review is based purely on the merits of the musical and not how it compares to the televised documentary.
Set in a council estate in Sheffield, Jamie’s an unusual boy. He’s a bit different and doesn’t really fit in at school. Yes, he's camp, and yes, he’s gay – but this is not a story about a boy coming out. This is the story of Jamie’s self-discovery. Jamie who enjoys trying on his mums’ wardrobe. Jamie who wants to be free to express himself. Jamie who wants to follow his dream to become a drag queen!
Jamie New is played by an incredible young talent John McCrea in his debut principal role in the West End. I was in total awe of his energy, charisma and appeal. His humble mother Margaret New is played by seasoned actress Josie Walker. Their partnership is convincing, and their bond is genuine. They are joined by an energised cast charged with excitement and that raw teenage arrogance to form an array of realistic and likeable group of Year 11 students about to leave school.
The show opens with strained careers teacher Miss Hedge, played by Tamsin Carroll, trying to finish off one of her final lessons to a class of boisterous teenagers before they go off to sit their exams. She asks them what they want to be when they leave school. Jamie has tuned out and studies his fashion magazine, a mere distraction from the homophobic name-calling. When probed, he reveals his desire to be a ‘performer’ which is shot down. “Get real” she shouts before handing him the results of his careers aptitude test. Jamie’s been matched to… a forklift truck driver! Unimpressed, this leads us into his dream and self-revelation that he wants to be a drag queen, And You Don’t Even Know It, a fantastic opening number featuring a rap from Miss Hedge and meticulous fresh adolescent choreography (from Kate Prince) on old school desks which sets the bar incredibly high for the rest of the show.
Dan Gillespie Sells excels in music and orchestrations, mixing some pop together in his familiar yet fresh new score whilst good friend, Tom MacRae tells a truly powerful story through his hilarious book and up-to-the-minute catchy lyrics which are both touching and outrageous! Could this pairing be the West End’s next dynamic, duo comparable only to Lloyd Webber and Rice? Jonathan Butterell, Director and Co-Writer was obviously very ambitious to take this story to the stage having stumbled across the original documentary. It was a big risk, which has paid off!
Jamie’s story continues with his plain mum and family friend Ray, a loudmouth comic wit who tells it as it is (played by Mina Anwar) preparing for his 16th birthday party back home. His mum presents him with a naff card and £20 supposedly from his dad, then hands over her gift, a pair of stunning red high heels – just like Miss Hedge’s! Overjoyed, Jamie steps into his first pair of heels and blossoms, strutting his stuff around the house. McCrea is a natural and glides with ease, now very well practised! As the reality sets in, Jamie starts to doubt himself and struggles to find the confidence to leave the house wearing them. This leads to Wall in My Head, his battle against the negative thoughts and experiences of prejudice, bullying and failing his father’s expectations.
The next day, Jamie sneaks his new heels into school to show his best friend, Pritti (played by Lucie Shorthouse). Like Jamie, Pritti is a bit of an outcast at school and is bullied for being Muslim, for wearing the hijab, and for being a studious geek! After another encounter with Dean, the menacing school bully (played by Luke Baker), Jamie bravely stands up to him and shows great confidence, much to Dean’s embarrassment! Having witnessed this, Pritti encourages Jamie to put on the shoes and step out of the darkness and into the Spotlight, a beautiful song which is accompanied by fellow classmates sitting at a desk in the corner playing ‘cups’ (a bit like Anna Kendrick does in Pitch Perfect) which enhances this fantastic performance!
Next Jamie meets Hugo (played by Phil Nichol) when he timidly visits ‘Victor’s Secret’ to find his first drag queen dress. This scene is played with great humour as Hugo relives his former life as a drag queen, The Legend of Loco Chanelle (and the Blood Red Dress). Jamie is inspired and leaves the shop having booked his first drag appearance at local nightclub, 'Legs Eleven'. Meanwhile, Margaret meets up with Jamie’s dad and admits that she’s been lying to Jamie about him, including the fake birthday card. She can’t bear to tell him the truth. A homophobic father, he probably left home because he was too embarrassed about his son, claiming that he’s not a ‘real boy’. He tells Margaret that he’s moved on and wants nothing more to do with Jamie. Hard to accept, Margaret sings If I Met Myself Again, where she ponders what life would have been like if they hadn’t met, but this leads her to consider that she would also have lost the one thing that has kept her going all these years – Jamie. Walker performs this song from the heart and encapsulates Margaret’s woes as a single mother with great respect. Artistically, she is complemented by two young dancers on stage, reminding her of her youth all those years ago.
Back in school, Jamie tests out some make-up in the toilet and makes a mess with his eyebrows so asks Pritti to help him sort it, but they are caught by a very sceptical Miss Hedge! Pleading that it’s part of Jamie’s art project, she tells Jamie that he should be proud to be part of an art project and parades him around the school as though he’s on a catwalk to the sound of Work of Art. Under this pressure, Jamie flourishes and actually grows in confidence before openly admitting that he’ll be performing in drag later that night, inviting his classmates to check it out! En route however, he is accosted by Dean who tells him that he is a disgusting ‘minger’ which diminishes Jamie’s new-found buoyancy. Despite his narrow-minded attitude, Baker perhaps captured an essence of Dean’s personal insecurities and the need for stability in his own life. A couple of times it crossed my mind that Dean was battling with his own demons and that he too was going to find himself and come out as gay. So with some encouragement from his mum, Ray, Hugo and those wonderful Legs Eleven ‘girls’, facing the back, Jamie slips into Over The Top, his red dress and long blonde wig before the screen falls for his big unveil as ‘Mimi Me’ on a projection. Slightly disappointed that you don’t see Jamie, you can understand the logistical challenge for transformation to full drag makeup in less than 60 seconds would be something of a miracle, so this was both clever and effective, whetting your appetite for more in Act 2.
It’s the morning after the night before, and the school is in a frenzy of gossip about the goings on at Legs Eleven and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and his drag debut! Totally buzzing, each student adds another shocking detail which is passed onto the next before Jamie appears. Wearing enormous canary yellow eyelashes, he is oozing confidence and is certainly not shy to appear in front of his classmates, Dean or Miss Hedge. Now thinking ahead to his next outing at Prom, he starts to make amendments to his dress and even manages to add a set of flashing lights, just like a Christmas tree – it’s all a bit too much for Margaret but Ray finds it hilarious as they sing Limited Edition Prom Night Special. Next, we find the trio answering to Miss Hedge after she’s received a parental complaint about Jamie wearing a dress to Prom.
After having a rant, he is encouraged by Pritti to drop the drag act 'Mimi Me' and just go to Prom as Jamie, but in a simple dress. He’s reluctant and thinks that he needs his drag persona but Pritti tells him that he needs to remember that beauty lies within, It Means Beautiful. Shorthouse has a fantastic voice and plays an incredible role in this show which should not go unnoticed when up against self-seeking Jamie. Whilst the show is built around Jamie, it dips into the lives of so many supporting characters including Pritti. It is a very rare occurrence for a musical to feature a central Muslim character, but this show does so in a quiet yet unreserved way.
Pritti suggests that Jamie visits his dad which brings another shocking revelation for him, that his father doesn’t want to know and that his self-sacrificing mum had been lying to him all these years. Jamie is distraught and blames everything on his mum, singing Ugly In This Ugly World. The road eventually leads Jamie home to confront her before screaming some abuse and running away. Margaret is totally heartbroken and beckons him home as Walker sings He’s My Boy with sincere emotion – it’s one of those moments when you know you’ve been truly affected by theatre and share a temporary connection with the audience. I look around and the woman sitting next to me (who has come down from Sheffield with her son James) is in floods of tears. I may not have cried, but I felt it too.
Jamie then goes on a stereotypical teenage binge, drinking cider and wandering the streets late at night until he is beaten up by a group of homophobic thugs. He is rescued by Hugo who manages to sober him up and send him off home to apologise to his mum. Together, Jamie and Margaret sing My Man, Your Boy as they each acknowledge their pitfalls, commitment and love of each other. Very touching.
Finally, we reach the Prom Song and everyone turns up in their finest, boys in their suits and girls in their dresses. Lyrics are hilarious, particularly as the boys ooze testosterone. Even Miss Hedge ditched her strict black suit for this event! We’ve been kept waiting to see if Jamie turns up, and if so, what will he be wearing due to the ban on him wearing a dress? A simple white dress, homemade. Simple white heels. No frills. No flashing lights. No outrageous make-up. No fake tits. Just Jamie, in a dress. But despite his subtle option, neither Dean nor Miss Hedge are impressed. He is turned away until an almost unrecognisable Pritti turns up wearing a beautiful blue dress and make-up which shocks yet pleases everyone (well maybe everyone except Dean). She starts a teenage revolution which overpowers Miss Hedge and Jamie is allowed into Prom after all. Even Dean seems to have been won round and reluctantly accepts the offer of a dance with Jamie!
After the bows, Jamie reappears in a somewhat more extravagant (customised) denim outfit and leads the cast in a final party anthem, Out Of The Darkness (A Place Where We Belong) to close the show. Whilst they could have gone further with more grit and detail, I loved this show. Despite still being a relatively unknown West End contender, I sincerely hope that Jamie’s story will continue to make headlines and empower young people to express themselves. This show is a celebration of diversity in today’s modern society and if you get the chance, go see it!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opened at The Apollo Theatre, London in November 2017 and is currently booking until 6 October 2018. A live broadcast will also be screened in cinemas around the UK on 5 July 2018.
© All images featured on @JamieMusical twitter account.