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Everybody's Talking About JamieOpening Date: Nov 22, 2017
Closing Date: currently running Air date: July 5, 2018 Medium: cinema Where to watch: not currently available |
Stage Production Notes
Inspired by the BBC documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie tells the story of a gay teenager who lives in a Yorkshire council estate and dreams of becoming a drag queen.
Jamie Campbell decided he wanted to go to prom wearing a dress, and decided having a film crew beside him would make coming out to his school easier. Campbell pitched his story to various documentary makers, and Jamie: Drag Queen at 16 was created. The documentary aired on BBC 3 in 2011.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was composed by first-time theatre writers Dan Gillespie Sells (music) and Tom MacRae (book and lyrics). Sells is the founder and lead singer of British pop group The Feeling, and McRae has written extensively for film and television.
The musical adaptation began workshops in September 2014.
Promoted as “Billy Elliot for today’s generation,” Everybody’s Talking About Jamie premiered at the Crucible in Sheffield where it played for a limited three week engagement (by coincidence, the West End production of Billy Elliot was also filmed live).
Despite the short run, the show received rave reviews and generated substantial buzz. Theatre owner and producer Nica Burns saw one of the final performances of the Crucible production and decided to bring the production to the West End.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opened on the West End at the Apollo Theatre on November 22, 2017.
The West End production received rave reviews. The Times’ Ann Treneman described the musical as a “breath of fresh air,” while the Stage’s Fergus Morgan, described it as a “funny, feel-good story with a big heart and an important, timely message.” WhatsOnStage critic Daisy Bowie-Sell extolled it as “Exuberant, exhilarating, exciting, enchanting,” and a uniquely punchy British musical. Metro’s Adam Bloodworth noted “this is how to do musicals seriously – but still keep them fun.”
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was nominated for 5 Oliviers, and 4 WhatsOnStage Awards. It won 3 WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (John McCrea) and Best Actress in a Musical (Lucie Shorthouse).
The West End run took a pause on September 26, 2021. A UK touring production is currently underway.
A movie adaptation directed by Jonathan Butterell, Dan Gillespie Sells, and Tom MacRae, and starring Max Harwood as Jamie, was released in September 2021.
Inspired by the BBC documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie tells the story of a gay teenager who lives in a Yorkshire council estate and dreams of becoming a drag queen.
Jamie Campbell decided he wanted to go to prom wearing a dress, and decided having a film crew beside him would make coming out to his school easier. Campbell pitched his story to various documentary makers, and Jamie: Drag Queen at 16 was created. The documentary aired on BBC 3 in 2011.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was composed by first-time theatre writers Dan Gillespie Sells (music) and Tom MacRae (book and lyrics). Sells is the founder and lead singer of British pop group The Feeling, and McRae has written extensively for film and television.
The musical adaptation began workshops in September 2014.
Promoted as “Billy Elliot for today’s generation,” Everybody’s Talking About Jamie premiered at the Crucible in Sheffield where it played for a limited three week engagement (by coincidence, the West End production of Billy Elliot was also filmed live).
Despite the short run, the show received rave reviews and generated substantial buzz. Theatre owner and producer Nica Burns saw one of the final performances of the Crucible production and decided to bring the production to the West End.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opened on the West End at the Apollo Theatre on November 22, 2017.
The West End production received rave reviews. The Times’ Ann Treneman described the musical as a “breath of fresh air,” while the Stage’s Fergus Morgan, described it as a “funny, feel-good story with a big heart and an important, timely message.” WhatsOnStage critic Daisy Bowie-Sell extolled it as “Exuberant, exhilarating, exciting, enchanting,” and a uniquely punchy British musical. Metro’s Adam Bloodworth noted “this is how to do musicals seriously – but still keep them fun.”
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was nominated for 5 Oliviers, and 4 WhatsOnStage Awards. It won 3 WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (John McCrea) and Best Actress in a Musical (Lucie Shorthouse).
The West End run took a pause on September 26, 2021. A UK touring production is currently underway.
A movie adaptation directed by Jonathan Butterell, Dan Gillespie Sells, and Tom MacRae, and starring Max Harwood as Jamie, was released in September 2021.
Filmed Production Notes
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was broadcast live via satellite to over 500 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on July 5, 2018. The broadcast was produced by More2Screen and Nimax Theatres.
The screening was the number one film at the UK box office for July 5th, and encore screenings were immediately announced.
The broadcast was screened in cinemas in the US and Canada on November 7, 2018, with encore screenings on November 11 and 14.
Screenings were scheduled for Australia and New Zealand in late November/early December, 2018, and encore screenings in the UK and Europe took place in January 2019.
Like An American in Paris, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie had a dedicated film website where visitors could purchase tickets, view a trailer, and learn more about the show.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie is not currently available to view.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was broadcast live via satellite to over 500 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on July 5, 2018. The broadcast was produced by More2Screen and Nimax Theatres.
The screening was the number one film at the UK box office for July 5th, and encore screenings were immediately announced.
The broadcast was screened in cinemas in the US and Canada on November 7, 2018, with encore screenings on November 11 and 14.
Screenings were scheduled for Australia and New Zealand in late November/early December, 2018, and encore screenings in the UK and Europe took place in January 2019.
Like An American in Paris, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie had a dedicated film website where visitors could purchase tickets, view a trailer, and learn more about the show.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie is not currently available to view.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Apollo Theatre, London
Producer: Nica Burns, More2Screen
Book and Lyrics: Tom MacRae
Music: Dan Gillespie Sells
Director: Jonathan Butterell
Musical Director: Theo Jamieson
Choreography: Kate Prince
Scenic/Costume Design: Anne Fleischle
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter
Sound Design: Paul Groothuis
Cast:
John McCrea (Jamie), Josie Walker (Margaret New), Mina Anwar (Ray), Tamsin Carroll (Miss Hedge), Lucie Shorthouse (Pritti Pasha), Phil Nichol (Hugo), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Ken Christiansen (Jamie’s Dad), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Jordan Cunningham (Sayid), Daniel Davids (Levi), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Harriet Payne (Bex), Shiv Rabheru (Cy), Lauren Rae (Becca), Kirstie Skivington (Vicki)
Theatre: Apollo Theatre, London
Producer: Nica Burns, More2Screen
Book and Lyrics: Tom MacRae
Music: Dan Gillespie Sells
Director: Jonathan Butterell
Musical Director: Theo Jamieson
Choreography: Kate Prince
Scenic/Costume Design: Anne Fleischle
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter
Sound Design: Paul Groothuis
Cast:
John McCrea (Jamie), Josie Walker (Margaret New), Mina Anwar (Ray), Tamsin Carroll (Miss Hedge), Lucie Shorthouse (Pritti Pasha), Phil Nichol (Hugo), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Ken Christiansen (Jamie’s Dad), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Jordan Cunningham (Sayid), Daniel Davids (Levi), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Harriet Payne (Bex), Shiv Rabheru (Cy), Lauren Rae (Becca), Kirstie Skivington (Vicki)
Sources
Articles
Websites
- Adam Bloodworth, “Musicals in London beware! New teen drag show Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a huge audience hit,” Metro (Nov 17, 2018)
- Adam Bloodworth, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie review: Intensely relevant and powerfully feel-good,” Metro (Nov 22, 2017)
- Daisy Bowie-Sell, “Review: Everybody's Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre),” WhatsOnStage (Nov 22, 2017)
- BWW News Desk, “EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Live Screening Reaches Number One At UK Cinema Box Office,” Broadway World (July 6, 2018)
- Henry Hitchings, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: A big-hearted and joyous crowd-pleaser,” Evening Standard (Nov 23, 2017)
- Giverny Masso, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie to be broadcast live to UK cinemas,” The Stage (April 12, 2018)
- Fergus Morgan, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre – review round-up,” The Stage (Nov 24, 2017)
- Benedict Nightingale, “Everybody Might Soon Be Talking About ‘Jamie’ on Broadway,” Daily Beast (Dec 18, 2017)
- Seth Rudetsky, “How John McCrea Went From Unknown to Olivier-Nominated Star,” Playbill (April 16, 2018)
- Mark Shenton, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star John McCrea: ‘It’s fun to play a character so wildly different from you’” The Stage (Nov 13, 2017)
- Nick Smurthwaite, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie inspiration Jamie Campbell: ‘I first knew about it when I heard someone had auditioned to play my mum’” The Stage (Nov 13, 2017)
- Marianka Swain, “Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre review - inclusive and utterly joyful,” The Arts Desk (Nov 23, 2017)
- Paul Taylor, “Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre, review: a Billy Elliot for the gender-fluid age,” The Independent (Nov 22, 2017)
- Ann Treneman, “Theatre review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo, W1,” The Times (Nov 23, 2017)
- Matt Trueman, “Review: Everybody's Talking About Jamie (Sheffield Crucible)” What’s On Stage (Feb 14, 2017)
- Tom Wicker, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie review” TimeOut London (Nov 22, 2017)
Websites
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Accessed via: http://www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Cinema, Accessed via: https://www.jamieincinemas.com/
- More2Screen, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” Accessed via: http://www.more2screen.com/events/everybodys-talking-jamie/
- Sheffield Theatres, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie,” Accessed via: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/news/everybodys-talking-about-jamie-cast-announced
Written by Luisa Lyons (May, 2018, updated Nov 2018, Nov 2021)