REVIEW: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the original British musical, is still standing strong in the West End. Opening back in 2017 after a hugely successful run in Sheffield, the show launches a UK tour this year alongside a new film adaptation, so it's clear to say this musical is going nowhere! 

Following the story of 16-year-old Jamies New in his quest to become a Drag Queen, he decides to go to prom in a dress however this isn’t received the way he thought it might be. 

The show remains to be one of my personal favourites on the West End; it has heart and passion in it with loads of comedy and lightness to it. It remains tight and fresh as the day it started. 

The show welcomes its new cast in, including the new Jamie, Noah Thomas, who hasn’t even finished drama school yet! He plays the role with a real truthfulness in it, similar to the qualities we saw in original Jamie John Mcrea. He has a naivety and an innocence with confidence that just pulls you in straight away and we really go on the journey with him. It is a finely crafted performance that for any performer, let alone someone still in their third year, is a huge achievement. 

REVIEW: Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Jamie, a 16 year old high school student, has aspirations to become a drag queen and when his School prom comes around he wants to attend it in a dress. This doesn't go down well with some of the students and after his struggles with his family and bullying at school he over comes this and realises what his teacher really means by “keeping it real”, even if she doesn't know it herself. 

Everybody’s talking about Jamie has one of the most important messages being told in theatre right now and for it to be in such a mainstream commercial bracket is incredible, it is so vital for people to witness this story because it could change the way people view and think about young people, their teenage years, sexuality and career aspirations. This show isn’t just an inspiring story about a gay kid becoming who he truly is, it is so much more.

Jamie has recently welcomed many new faces to the company in its first major cast change. 

REVIEW: Everybody's Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre

Tuesday 6th November 2018 marked Everybody’s talking about Jamie’s first Birthday in the West End. After having a sell-out run at the Sheffield Crucible in 2017, its transferred to the Apollo theatre later that year. Since then the show has been broadcast all around the world in cinemas and has recently announced that it has a movie version in the works. 

The show is based on the BBC Three documentary ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’ that aired in 2011. Having not long seen the documentary, the show differs quite a lot from the original story. This, however, is not a bad thing. Theatrical license has allowed them to bring the show into 2018 and add the diversity it needs to bring it into this modern world. 

The show follows 16 year old Jamie New who has a dream of becoming a drag queen. We follow his struggles at school and his longing to go to school prom in a dress and his journey on becoming the performer he has always dreamt of being.

FULL CAST announced for West End transfer of URINETOWN

Simon Paisley Day (Musketeers, Doctor Who, Titanic, Sherlock, Spartacus, Being Human) will be reprising his critically-acclaimed role as the tyrannical Caldwell B. Cladwell, the machiavellian Head of UGC (Urine Good Company) in the West End transfer of Jamie Lloyd's ground breaking, splash hit production of URINETOWN The Musical.

Returning to the show after its sell out season at The St James Theatre, rising star Matthew Seadon-Young will be taking on a new role, as Bobby Strong, Urinetown's most unlikely hero, alongside BBC's The Voice star Nathan Amziwho will be playing the role of Officer Barrel.

Further cast announced today for Urinetown The Musical are Alasdair Buchan (Swing), Christina Modestou(Swing), Kane Oliver Parry (Robbie The Stockfish) and Vicky Lee Taylor (Swing).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: Theatre Review

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Bit of a mouth full isn’t it?! Based on the much loved novel by Mark Haddon, This recent National Theatre production had a majorly successful run at the Cottesloe. The production was also shown throughout cinemas worldwide in the National Theatre Live programme. The production has now transferred to the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End and has extended its initial run by 14 weeks, now finishing on the 31^st August.  
This touching story is about 15 year old Christopher who has Asperger Syndrome, one of his neighbours Dogs gets killed and he decides to become a detective and find out who did this, along the way he finds out things he wish he never knew and also finds his mother. Although Christopher has Asperger Syndrome it is never actually said in the play, I think it’s very important that as an audience you don’t watch the play knowing he has this otherwise it becomes an observing experience. The clever thing that Simon Stephens has clearly done in his adaptation of the production is to not make reference to it, as an audience you can clearly see this fact about Christopher but by this not being pointed out you can then freely go on the journey with the character and the experience of watching the play becomes an emotional experience and one that means you can really understand this fascinating boy.