Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Review – Apollo Theatre
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
A review by Tanya Howard
The new cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, headed by Layton Williams in the title role, at The Apollo Theatre absolutely dazzled us this week in a show that is brimming with energy, enthusiasm, comedy, charm and all the drag glamour a girl could ask for.
Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield.
Jamie doesn’t quite fit in.
Jamie is terrified about the future.
He is going to be a sensation.
Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.
Jamie is an aspiring drag queen and with the support of his loving mum, who buys him his first pair of killer red high heels, he sets out on the quest to let his inner self out. He has to overcome many hardships with a father who is ashamed of him and bullies who don’t understand or accept him for being gay.
Alongside the support of his Mum, her friend Ray, and his best friend Pritti, he finds support and help in the form of ex drag queen, the one and only Loco Chanelle, played by none other than Mr Shane Ritchie, he embraces his inner diva and overcomes adversity to be the star of his school prom.
It may sound like a classic story of a teenager overcoming the bullies and stereotypes to accept himself and showing them that actually they’re in the wrong. But when you throw in a trio of drag queens, Shane Ritchie in a pair of gorgeous thigh high black boots (yes, I was drooling over the shoes) and a talented cast of actors, dancers and singers you have anything but a classic.
Sabrina Sandhu who plays Jamie’s best friend and “fag hag” Pritti has an incredible voice and her rendition of It Means Beautiful is just stunning. Her and Layton have a great chemistry on stage, and you can truly feel the love of their friendship and when Pritti swears at the prom I’m almost in as much shock as the rest of the cast.
Most of the characters were so instantly loveable and I was especially taken with Jamie’s Mum Margaret played by Rebecca McKinnis who has been in the show since the beginning. When she sings He’s My Boy, and any song for that matter, her voice is so powerful that you almost want to rush the stage and hug her. What a set of pipes!
Despite the cast including drag queens it’s Sejal Keshwala in the role of Ray who brings the ultimate sass as fierce protector of both Jamie and Margaret ever since her husband walked out on the two of them. Sejal also rocks some fabulous shoes through the show, could someone please release a line inspired by this show.
The performance oozes with humour and glamour but is still at heart a working-class British show so you feel like you can relate to these kids, their hardships and their quest for acceptance through hope and love. I would definitely recommend seeing Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which you can buy tickets for from here.
