“Why isn’t Everybody’s Talking About Jamie on the school curriculum? Everyone should see it!” the lady next to me at Oxford’s New Theatre said, as the standing ovation swept around us like wildfire.
Following a record-breaking stint in the West End, a sold out tour and award-winning film, the smash-hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has landed in Oxford for the festive season.
And what a Christmas offering! Set in Sheffield, 16 year-old Jamie New has set his sights on being a performer, something his school career advisor discourages. And not just any performer but a Drag Queen, which considering his age and background seems unlikely.
‘What a smile, what a voice, what legs stretching up to his armpits! Ivano Turco has got the moves, the swagger and the countenance to pull off this seismic leading role’
But sprinkle a bit of stardust, and a cast that had us whooping, cheering and dancing along, and the gritty, emotional and uplifting coming-of-age story took off.
Rivalling the likes of Billy Elliot, Kinky Boots and The Full Monty, Jamie battles through the school bullies, issues with his father, and constant discouragement, to emerge like a swan.
And while assuring all and sundry that he’s just a boy in a dress, Ivano Turco ensures he’s so much more than that. What a smile, what a voice, what legs stretching up to his armpits! He’s got the moves, the swagger and the countenance to pull off such a seismic leading role with aplomb.
‘Jamie’s mission is, at times, uncomfortable to watch, the bigotry unfathomable yet all too familiar’
And yet Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is so obviously a sum of its parts, and what mighty fine parts they are.
From the stunning sets and choreography befitting a class of 16 year-olds, to the stellar voices emanating from the likes of Jamie’s mum Margaret (Rebecca McKinnis), Jamie’s best friend Pritti (Talia Palamathanan), Jamie’s idol Loco Chanelle played so convincingly by Darren Day (yes really), his fellow drag queens Laika Virgin (Anthony Kyde), Tray Sophisticay (David McNair) and Sandra Bollock (Garry Lee), and who can forget his pseudo auntie Ray (Shobna Gulati)? Between them they raise the roof.
The question is, will Jamie go to the ball (or sixth form prom as it is here), and if so what will he wear? Via his debut at the Legs Eleven drag club, fights, brawls and lots of soul-searching, Jamie’s mission is, at times, uncomfortable to watch, the bigotry unfathomable yet all too familiar.
‘go and enjoy this unforgettable ride around Sheffield’s tower blocks’
And so the entire audience goes on his emotional journey with him, urging Jamie on to the grand finale as the musical’s message about kindness, friendship and diversity reaches a crescendo, dressed in an impossibly high pair of patent red heels.
So yes, the lady next to me was spot on – you should all go and enjoy this unforgettable ride around Sheffield’s tower blocks. And luckily you can because Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is on until December 30. BOOK HERE
