Skip to main content

Review of Everybody's Talking About Jamie at Milton Keynes Theatre

Everybody's Talking About Jamie first appeared back in 2017 as a stage musical with a score written by Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by Tom MacRae and co-writer/original director Jonathan Butterill. However, the beginning of this story, and the true story that it is, came to the public eye a little earlier with a 2011 British television documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16. This tells the story of Jamie Joseph Campbell (also known as Fifi la True) and his coming-of-age journey to the world of drag, and this musical inspiringly tells this tale.

Without hesitation and from the outset there is no question that Everybody's Talking About Jamie is an exceptional show. The key initial reason for this is that it has a stunning collection of songs, and what better requirement for a musical? It sets the benchmark high from the very beginning number and never drops in standard. Dan Gillespie Sells songs from start to finish are pure magic, be that a proud anthem (And You Don't Even Know It), a pure pop one (Work of Art) or a stunning, emotional powerhouse (He's My Boy), for a relatively new musical the collection is incredible. These are complimented with some brilliant lyrics by Tom MacRae and Jonathan Butterill and their genuinely funny and heartwarming book.

With a good show comes the requirement for an excellent cast to deliver it and this new UK Tour has an exceptional one. Jamie New himself is played with genuine love and drive by Ivano Turco. He does at times have such a softness of delivery that he can occasionally be difficult to hear and this does translate to some of the big numbers where he can be overshadowed by the music or fellow singers. However, it does sit well with the character as well and his early development comes through as he builds confidence. No question though, it is an amazing performance holding the show together throughout and commanding the stage.

If it is Turco's drive that gives the show momentum, it is Rebecca McKinnis who gives the show its heart, a tremendous beating heart of emotion. Her performance is incredible and in particular her two solos of If I Met Myself Again and He's My Boy. Anyone with a dry eye after the latter is made of strong stuff.

As Hugo AKA Loco Chanelle, Kevin Clifton is quite a revelation. Quite a departure from his cheeky clean-cut image from Strictly Comes Dancing, his swaggering sweary performance here comes as an initial shock. While you could quibble that he is far too young for the role, he still nails both the character and singing numbers, including a very good performance of the immensely fun The Legend of Loco Chanelle.

The entire cast is top-notch to be fair, with a minxy performance from Talia Palamathanan as "family member" Ray, and a touching performance from Talia Palamathanan as Jamie's closest schoolfriend Pritti. Jordan Ricketts plays the totally unlikeable Dean with total conviction making it a powerful character to its end. Finally of the cast, there is a great understudy turn by Georgina Hagen, on for the absent Sam Bailey, as Miss Hedge, this includes a great performance on the unbearably catchy number Work of Art.

Kate Prince's choreography is visually striking from up-to-date-in-your-face dance routines to sublime contemporary, every number has its own visual style offering great depth to the show. Designer Anna Fleischle has also created a sharp set with swift stylish set changes offering no delay to the show which director Matt Ryan keeps moving with flair.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie is simply a beautiful, captivating show, one of the very best of new musical offerings and deserves all the success it continues to have.

Joyous and uplifting, everybody should be talking about Jamie.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Performance reviewed: Monday 10th June 2024 at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 15th June 2024.

For further details about Milton Keynes see their website at http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

Production photos: Matt Crockett


Popular posts from this blog

Review of Calamity Jane at Milton Keynes Theatre

Should you never have seen Calamity Jane before, as I hadn't before catching it on its UK tour's arrival at Milton Keynes Theatre this week, you may still very well know a little about it by its name alone. However, barring a couple of well-known tunes, I knew far less than I thought, and it was an excellent experience of discovery. The story of Calamity Jane recounts the town of Deadwood and, specifically, the tomboy Calamity Jane, full of tales and daring deeds that may or, more likely, did not happen. When the local theatre owner fails to bring the American star promised to the stage, Calam sets it upon herself to get the biggest star of the country to grace that darn stage. Calamity Jane is, at its core, just a jolly old-fashioned musical, filled to the brim with disturbingly simple but very catchy numbers from Sammy Fain and lyrics from Paul Francis Webster. Some you will no doubt recognise, such as Deadwood Stage , Just Blew in from the Windy City , and Secret Love . ...

Review of Murder She Didn't Write at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Murder She Didn't Write , stopping off for a four-day run at Royal & Derngate on a lengthy UK tour, treads the now well-worn path of an improvisational evening of theatre entertainment. Unsurprisingly, from the title, this show from Degrees of Error's takes a murder mystery as its inspiration, with the story influenced by ideas from the audience each evening. Due to this, Murder She Didn't Write and a review are very much an individual affair. What I saw in my evening at the theatre will differ significantly from what the audience will see the following evening; however, the fine performers will remain. The touring cast, in no particular order, is Lizzy Skrzypiec, Rachael Procter-Lane, Peter Baker, Caitlin Campbell, Stephen Clements, Douglas Walker, Harry Allmark, Rosalind Beeson, Sylvia Bishop, Emily Brady, Alice Lamb, Sara Garrard, Peta Maurice and Matthew Whittle. For my performance, Skrzypiec, Procter-Lane, Baker, Walker, Bishop, and Clements were on stage alongsid...

Review of Lord Of The Dance at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The stage show Lord of the Dance possibly needs little introduction to most people, as it has become a legend and now, in this touring version, subtitled rather immodestly, 25 Years of Standing Ovations, it reaches a landmark anniversary. Those that do not know of the show would probably well know its spiritual fathers Michael Flatley, and even more likely Riverdance , from which Lord of the Dance sprung with a proper spring in its step. During the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, Riverdance hit the world by storm as Michael Flatley and his troop of dancers possibly presented the most famous part of Eurovision ever, certainly of the non-singing variety at least. Here, this touring show brings that same style Flatley created from traditional Irish dancing across the country once again and it is truly something special to see. The concept of the show is simply a battle between good and evil told through dance, and some captivating and stunning songs performed by Celyn Cartw...