The hit musical ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ is breathtakingly fantastic! Inspired by the TV show in 2011 titled ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’, the musical first premiered in the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
'It’s the real deal. Everyone really should be talking, singing, shouting about Jamie now’ said the Times, who gave it five stars, and it is ‘a palpable hit’ said The Daily Express who also gave the hit show five stars. Not only has it had amazing reviews, it has been seen by many notorious individuals, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, RuPaul and Maggie Smith. Representing different diversities and sexualities, ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ is truly amazing and on 12th February 2020, the year 11 drama GCSE class had the pleasure to watch it in the ‘The Apollo Theatre’.
The musical is about a year 11 class in Sheffield – specifically 16-year-old Jamie New. The 2 hours and 40 minutes follows his experience of ‘[overcoming] prejudice, [beating] the bullies and [stepping] out of the darkness, into the spotlight’. He is introduced to life as a drag queen, after not quite fitting in with the rest of the year 11 class, and starts to become much more confident in himself. Surrounded by his best friend (Pritti Pasha), his loving mum (Margret New) and his mum’s friend (Leigh/Ray), Jamie is shown immense support throughout the show. On the whole, the moral of the show is about being yourself and being freely able to express it however you wish.
Personally, I thoroughly adored the show; the singing, dancing and acting were all astoundingly incredible, and I have had the songs on repeat since seeing the show! Not only is it relatable for many teens around the country going through tiresome year 11, it is absolutely hilarious and is bound to bring a laugh to everyone’s face. Noah Thomas, who is currently playing Jamie New, was brilliant and portrayed his character perfectly. Roy Haylock, also known for his drag alto ego Bianca Del Rio, is best known for his appearance on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and played outstandingly as Hugo. I highly recommend you try watch ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ in the theatre, however if you are unable to, it is scheduled to be released as a film in October 2020!
Tia Bhatti
