Review National Theatre Live: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie by Danielle O’Shea

National Theatre Live: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Gwyn Hall, Neath

July 5th 2018

Running time: 2 hrs 40 mins

 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

 

There’s a reason that everybody is talking about this show and that is that it is the sort of optimism we need in these times. With sheer positivity, catchy songs and a laugh a minute, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie blew its audience away whilst not shying away from heavier topics such as divorce and bullying.

This musical tells the story of Jamie, a boy with dreams bigger than his small town, in his pursuit of a career as a drag queen and how both his friends and family support him in this endeavour.

John McCrea is a delight as Jamie however the real star of the show is Josie Walker as his mother, Margaret New, who pushed the audience to tears during the musical’s more emotional moments.

Despite this, the show seems to lose its spark and fizzle out drawing to an unsatisfactory conclusion to several storylines with the dramatic finale we dreamed of way out of sight.

To conclude, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a hilarious tale with a heart but it lacks polish and needs to pull up its tights and get its heels back on for the ending.

Written by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom Macrae

Directed by Jonathon Butterell

Design: Anna Fleischile (designer) Kate Prince (choreographer) Lucy Carter (lighting director) Paul Groothuis (sound designer) Luke Halls (video designer) Will Burton (casting director)

Cast: John McCrea, Josie Walker, Shobna Gulati, Tamsin Carroll, Lucie Shorthouse, Phil Nichol, Alex Anstey, James Gillian, Daniel Jacob, Ken Christiansen, Luke Baker, Courtney Bowman, Jordan Cunningham, Daniel Davids, Ryan Hughes, Harriet Payne, Shiv Rabheru, Lauran Rae and Kirstie Skivington.

Danielle O’Shea

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