Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a show that everyone has been talking about since it debuted at the Crucible in 2017. Now, after three years in the West End and a UK & Ireland tour, this fabulously, unashamedly camp musical comes to the Birmingham Hippodrome. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (dir. Matt Ryan) follows Jamie New (Ivano Turco), a 16-year-old gay teenager living in Sheffield, who dreams of becoming a drag queen and attending the school prom in a dress. With the help of best friend Pritti (Talia Palamathanan), mum Margaret (Rebecca McKinnis), family friend Ray (Shobna Gulati), and drag queen Hugo ‘Loco Chanelle’ (John Partridge), Jamie dares to defy the odds in order to follow dream.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie bursts into life from the moment the lights go down. The student dance ensemble leap onto the stage as the live band strikes up and break straight into a fantastic dance routine. The skill and talent of these dancers is incredible; they make Katie Prince’s brilliant choreography shine. The set design and lighting are bold and striking, and the actors move pieces of set as they enter, exit, and dance on stage, thus working set changes seamlessly into the performance. One would expect a show about drag to shine when it comes to the outfits, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie steps up to the mark . The drag queen outfits are, of course, fabulously colourful, glittery, and gorgeous, but the characters’ everyday costumes are also excellent, from Ray’s staple high boots to the children’s school uniforms. A big shout out to the entire wardrobe, wig, and make-up team is in order: Iwan Harries, Katie Whatman, Ashleigh Hassell, Anthony Tester, and Kane Lea-Sales – hats off to you.

Any good musical requires strong vocal performances to make it sing, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie does not disappoint in this regard. A high standard of singing is displayed across the board, with Turco, McKinnis, and Palamathanan’s performances standing out. Turco and Palamanthanan’s voices work perfectly together in their duet ‘Spotlight (Reprise) (Star of the Show),’ while McKinnis’s solo songs beautifully portray the personal struggles, but also joys, of motherhood. ‘He’s My Boy’ is perhaps the most technically difficult and most emotionally powerful song of the whole musical – it is almost impossible not to be moved to tears.

Finally, the acting from the cast really makes Everybody Talking About Jamie the funny and moving musical that it is. Turco seems born for the role of Jamie – every mannerism, voice inflection, and confident strut looks effortless, and Turco balances perfectly the contrast between Jamie’s confident moments and his more vulnerable scenes. McKinnis is another stand out actor, capturing the supportive, loving mother who puts her son first in everything – her shared scenes with Turco are some of the most moving of the entire production. Similarly, Palamathanan’s performance as best friend Pritti is outstanding, totally inhabiting a character who is smart, studious, funny, and courageous.

On Tuesday night, as the curtains rose for the cast to take their final bows, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie received a standing ovation almost immediately. The cheering was so loud that I could feel my eardrums vibrating, and even had to cover my ears for a moment! There was a palpable energy in the room; everyone just loved the show. I believe that this same energy will be felt in every performance of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie throughout its entire run at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Rating 5/5

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