Once upon a time there was a 16-year-old boy who had a secret he wanted to tell … So, he approached a documentary film maker as you do, and asked if they would help him tell it. The resulting documentary was seen by a theatre director and it inspired him to create a musical. A producing regional theatre backed him. He then bumped into a famous musical theatre star who introduced him to a well-known pop composer who was working with a lyricist and book writer. The theatre put on the production. A major producer saw it and offered them a West End theatre.
So, thanks to Jamie Campbell, Firecracker Films, Michael Ball, Sheffield Theatres and Nica Burns, a new British musical by a new British theatre writing and directing team, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opens at the Apollo Theatre on Wednesday 22 November 2017.
Sheffield Crucible Production Cast. Photo by Johan Persson
Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie 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.
This fearless, funny, fabulous brand new musical sensation hits London with catchy new songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae. Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.
John McCrea in Sheffield Crucible Production. Photo by Johan Persson
John McCrea will reprise his role of Jamie, alongside the majority of the Sheffield Crucible cast including: Josie Walker, Mina Anwar, Tamsin Carroll and Daniel Anthony, Luke Baker, Courtney Bowman, James Gillian, Harriet Payne, Shiv Rabheru, Lucie Shorthouse, Kirstie Skivington.
Director Jonathan Butterell, Composer Dan Gillespie Sells and writer and lyricist Tom MacRae said:
“After Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was commissioned we spent three hours in a wig room in Sheffield in which we wrote the complete plot and framework for the show before catching the train back to London. The three of us just clicked and we were instantly a team. It has been a new adventure for all of us, this is our first musical and going from zero to West End has felt like a fairy tale. There is a bit of all three of us that has ended up in Jamie. We knew we needed a very specially talented performer to play him and when John McCrea walked into the room he was perfect. We hope that audiences will see a bit of Jamie in themselves too.”
Producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said:
“Everybody seemed to be talking about the show so I went to see the final matinee in Sheffield with no expectations. I came out of the auditorium singing the tunes having laughed, cried, laughed again and dancing with happiness. I found the director, and immediately offered to produce the show in London at one of my theatres. It had to come to the West End. This is an uplifting musical for our times and for everyone.”
BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Apollo Theatre | 31 Shaftesbury Avenue | London W1D 7ES
Jamie New is sixteen. He’s from Sheffield. And he has a secret.
He doesn’t quite fit in at school. His Dad’s left home. He’s about to sit his GCSEs. The future is terrifying.
With his brilliant mum behind him, will Jamie be brave enough to stand up for who he really wants to be?
A coming-of-age story with a twist, with catchy new songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae, this brand new musical will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.
Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres Robert Hastie announces the cast for the world première of Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae’s new musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Jonathan Butterell directs Daniel Anthony (Levi), Mina Anwar (Leigh), Luke Baker (Dean), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Tamsin Carroll (Miss Hedge), Charles Dale (Hugo), Raj Ghatak (Sandra Bollock), Barney Hudson (Mickey), Gabrielle Brooks (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Kush Khanna (Salah), John McCrea (Jamie), Harriet Payne (Bex), Shiv Rabheru (Callum), Lucie Shorthouse (Pritti), Kirstie Skivington (Vicki and Dance Captain), Spencer Stafford (Laika Virgin / Jamie’s Dad) and Josie Walker (Margaret).
The production opens on 13 February, with previews from 8 February, and runs until 25 February.
Dan Gillespie Sells is best known for being the lead vocalist and principal songwriter in The Feeling. Their debut album, ‘Twelve Stops And Home’ sold over a million copies, whilst their second album, ‘Join With Us’ reached the No. 1 spot in the UK Charts. The band’s 5th album is to be released in March 2017. His theatre credits include The Bad, The Sad, And The Broken Hearted (Soho Theatre and The Steve Allen Theatre, Los Angeles), 3WITHD (London Coliseum and Stuttgart Ballet). He wrote the theme music for television series Beautiful People. Gillespie Sells won the Ivor Novello award for Song Writer of the Year in 2007.
Tom MacRae’s theatre credits include Crash Of The Elysium (Manchester International Festival). His television credits include The Librarians, Bulldog Drummond, Fungus The Bogeyman, Threesome, Overboard, The Store, Uniform, Snake Tattoo, Pulse, Escape, Money Can Buy You Love, School’s Out, Doctor Who, Bonekickers, Lewis, Mayo, No Angels As If, U Get Me, Mile High.
Mina Anwar returns to Sheffield Theatres to play Leigh – she previously appeared in King Lear. Her other theatre work includes Oats (RSC), Birth International Theatre Festival (Royal Exchange), The Infidel – The Musical (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and The Iron Man (Young Vic). Her work for television includes Damned, The A Word, In the Club, Upstart Crow, Cuffs, Marley’s Ghosts, Scott and Bailey, Moving On, Happy Valley, House of Anubis, A Passionate Woman, Scoop, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Shameless and Love Soup; and for film, The Infidel and Maybe Baby.
Tamsin Carroll plays Miss Hedge. For theatre, her work includes Strictly Ballroom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Miss Saigon, Oliver! (West End), Barnum (Chichester Festival Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ragtime (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Magistrate (National Theatre), Dusty – The Original Pop Diva (Australian Tour) and Measure for Measure (Australia). For television, her work includes A Difficult Woman, Above the Law, All Saints, Heartbreak High and The Three Stooges; and for film, Goddess, Holy Smoke and Ms Understanding.
Charles Dale plays Hugo. For theatre, his work includes The Wars of the Roses, The Comedy of Errors, Coriolanus and The Winter’s Tale (English Shakespeare Company), Cyrano de Bergerac (Haymarket Theatre, London), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Dealer’s Choice (West Yorkshire Playhouse). His television work includes series regular roles in Casualty, Where the Heart Is, Rocket Man, The Eustace Man, Paradise Heights, Coronation Street, At Home With the Braithwaites and The Lakes. Other television work includes Belonging, The Royal, Robin Hood, Vincent, Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire and Touching Evil.
John McCrea plays Jamie. His theatre work includes The Busker’s Opera (Park Theatre), Streets (Hackney Empire), Rent! (Cockpit Theatre), Spring Awakening (Bull Theatre), The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium). For television, his work includes Documental, The Catherine Tate Show, Kerching!, New Tricks and Bleak House; and for film God’s Own Country.
Lucie Shorthouse plays Pritti. Her theatre work includes The House of In Between (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe), Spring Awakening (The Space, 2014 Edinburgh Festival), Jumpers for Goalposts (The Sheridan Studio) and Liola (The Avondale Theatre). For television, her work includes Line of Duty and The Sound of Music Live.
Josie Walker plays Margaret. Her theatre work for the National Theatre incudes The Plough and the Stars, Husbands and Sons, 3 Winters, Silver Tassie, War Horse (West End and NT Live). Other theatre includes Matilda The Musical (Royal Shakespeare Company and also West End), Enjoy, Side by Side by Sondheim, The Beautiful Game, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats (West End). For television, her work includes Midwinter of the Spirit, Call the Midwife, Waterloo Road, Psychoville and Blessed; and for film, Where Hands Touch, Fishbowl and Sleeping Beauty.
Jonathan Butterell directs. His recent directing credits include Love Musik (La Plaza, Buenos Aires), Second Chance (The Public Theatre, New York). Other work includes Whida Peru, Resurrection Tangle, Tres Niñas (Inner Voices for Premier Stages), Giant (Signature Theatre), Soho Cinders (Soho Theatre), Alone Together – Divas at the Donmar (Donmar Warehouse and Royal Haymarket Theatre). His international directing credits include Orpheus Descending and Creditors (Theatre Project Tokyo), The Sound of Music (Opera Theatre, Buenos Aires). Butterell co-directed Sweeney Todd (Opera North and Sadlers Wells) with David McVicker. He also co-directed Peter Pan (Royal Festival Hall) with Julia McKenzie and Into The Woods with John Crowley (Donmar Warehouse). His musical staging credits include Passion (West End), The Light In The Piazza, Assassins, Fiddler On The Roof (Broadway), Wise Guys (Off-Broadway), Public Sings! The 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Public Theatre (New York City Center). He choreographed Nine (Donmar Warehouse, Buenos Aires and Tokyo), How I Learned To Drive, Company (Donmar Warehouse and West End) and Habeas Corpus (Donmar Warehouse), A Man Of No Importance (Lincoln Center Theatre) and was movement director for Electra (Donmar Warehouse and Broadway). His film credits include film for FindingNeverland and Stay.
Crucible Lyceum Studio
55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA
Box Office 0114 249 6000 – Mon – Sat 10.00am to 8.00pm
On non-performance days the Box Office closes at 6.00pm
Sheffield Crucible Production Cast. Photo by Johan Persson
John McCrea in Sheffield Crucible Production. Photo by Johan Persson
