Sheffield Theatres’ smash-hit coming-of-age musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will transfer to the Apollo Theatre this winter, along with the majority of the original cast.
The modern day fairytale is based on the true story of a 16 year-old with a secret to tell – and dreams to realise – with catchy new songs by Dan Gillespie Sells, lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, and writer Tom MacRae.
The new British musical will preview at the Apollo Theatre from Monday 6 November, with press night on Wednesday 22 November. It is initially booking until Saturday 21 April 2018.
Jamie New is sixteen, doesn’t quite fit in, lives on a council estate in Sheffield – and has a secret to tell. 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 to become a sensation, in a fearless, funny, fabulous brand new musical sensation.
The musical came to fruition when the real-life Jamie (Jamie Campbell) approached a documentary film maker (Firecracker Films), asking if they would help him tell his story. The resulting documentary was seen by a theatre director and it inspired him to create a musical, backed by a producing regional theatre (Sheffield Theatres).
Jamie then bumped into a famous musical theatre star (Michael Ball) who introduced him to a well-known pop composer who was working with a lyricist and book writer. The theatre put on the production, and a major producer (Nica Burns) saw it and offered them a West End theatre.
The cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Photo: 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.”
Producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said: “This is an uplifting musical for our times and for everyone.”
You can book your tickets for show at the Apollo Theatre through us here.