York, you’d better be ready to werk – as Pick Me Up Theatre sashays onto the Joseph Rowntree Theatre stage this week. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is full of sequins, sass and serious soul.
It’s always such a delight to see contemporary musicals thrive on the amateur theatre scene, enabling another platform for upcoming talent to shine. Heartfelt and hilarious, this production celebrates identity, acceptance, and the joy of being exactly who you are – so what’s not to love!
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 July.
Jamie New is no ordinary Sheffield lad; as he reaches his 16th birthday, his drag dreams bloom and thus unleashes his desire for stardom. And with a little help from his new acquaintance, ex drag queen Hugo, and the support from his maternal family, anything is possible for this rising star.
There is no debating who that star is; everybody is talking about Harvey Stevens, or our irreplaceable Jamie New. A boy in a dress is something to be laughed at, but a drag queen is something to be feared.. and even the highest calibre of West End royalty will find tough competition from Stevens. He wasn’t just walking in heels, he was flying, perfectly executing every single part of Jamie’s complex character. The future is bright for this dazzling drama queen.
Sharing the spotlight was another gender-bending beauty; Zander Fick donned the electric red wig as he breathed new life into drag star Loco Chanel, whose drama and vocals set the stage alight. Fick is no stranger to a York stage, but this may be his most memorable performance of all.
While our Jamie is a rising star, our band sat proudly amongst them, raised on the pedestal as they so deserved. The music flowed effortlessly throughout the production, led by musical director Adam Tomlinson. The band switched seamlessly between each number, whether it be the high-energy Don’t Even Know It to the poignant and still If I Met Myself Again – a number accompanied by Jess Dawson’s beautiful dancing, perfectly executing Mum Margaret’s haunting personal reflection.
It was Gemma McDonald who took on this role as our steadfast Mother, quietly juggling both parenting roles, even if in secret. It was refreshing to see McDonald take a step out of her usual pantomime stripes or colourful wig to portray a character with such depth, a challenge she met with touching sincerity.
Likewise, Lottie Farmer swapped her usual backstage role for one onstage, as the fabulous and feisty Ray, always adding wickedly comedic gold to the most serious of scenes. Farmer, McDonald and Stevens created an onstage bond that pulsed with warmth and authenticity.
Honourable mentions must of course go to more unfavourable characters; Alexandra Mather as the discouraging Miss Hedge hindering Jamie’s dreams from their very first careers lesson, and Fergus Green as jarring school bully Dean Paxton, both fulfilled convincingly. This enabled Ruby Salter’s growth as Pritti to become even more rewarding to witness, as her character became braver and bolder than ever before.
Whilst there were a few mis-steps and sticky scene changes, these minor bumps did not detract from the overall impact of this production. This offering from Pick Me Up Theatre felt like the warmest of hugs. The ensemble thrived, the audience laughed and cried, and the standing ovation was more than earned.
Creative team Robert Readman, Andrew Isherwood, Ilana Weets and Adam Tomlinson should be proud of this powerful production, which offers hope and acceptance – a message that defies the boundaries of pride month, and deserves to be heard loud and clear, each and every day.
There’s a place where you belong this week, and it’s at Joseph Rowntree Theatre seeing this phenomenal production, grab your tickets here. Tickets start from £20.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is at Joseph Rowntree Theatre until Saturday 26 July.
