Australian premiere of West End hit Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Event Details

What: Everybody's Talking About Jamie
When: Saturday 18 July - Sunday 30 August 2020
Where: Drama Theatre
Tickets: Insiders pre-sale 7am Tuesday 10 March 2020, What's On pre-sale 9am Wednesday 11 March 2020, tickets on sale to the general public 9am Tuesday 17 March 2020.

Sydney – Sunday 8 March, 2020. The Australian premiere of the critically-acclaimed West End hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, starring Simon Burke AO, Helen Dallimore and introducing James Majoos, will be presented at the Sydney Opera House for a strictly limited season from 18 July – 30 August 2020, as the first season of the national tour.

Based on a true story and adapted from the documentary film Jamie - Drag Queen at Sixteen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie centres on the coming-of-age of 16-year-old school boy Jamie New from Sheffield, in Northern England, who finds his true self with the support of his loving mum. It’s a life-affirming musical that tells a universal tale of friendship, chasing your dreams, beating the bullies, overcoming prejudice and stepping out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Rising star James Majoos, fresh from Yve Blake’s Fan Girls (Belvoir/Queensland Theatre Company), will steal hearts as Jamie New. Veteran stage, film and television performer Simon Burke AO - known for his roles in Devil’s Playground (NBC/Universal), Playschool (ABC TV), Mary Stuart (Sydney Theatre Company), La Cage Aux Folles (West End), Mary Poppins (Australian tour), The Sound of Music (West End, Toronto), and The Phantom of the Opera (West End) -  will play Jamie’s mentor Hugo/Loco Chanelle. Stage and television star Helen Dallimore, who wowed audiences in Wicked (West End), Into the Woods (London) and Here Come The Habibs! (Nine Network) and who won the 2013 Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical - for her role in Legally Blonde The Musical (Australian tour), will playJamie’s loyal mum, Margaret New. 

Featuring an all Australian cast of 22 performers, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will also star Elise McCann (Matilda The Musical Australian tour) as Miss Hedge, Shubshri Kandiah (Aladdin Australian tour) as Pritti, Helpmann Award-winner Christina O’Neill (Calamity Jane Arts Centre Melbourne) as Margaret’s best friend Ray and newcomer Harry Targett as Dean.

Originally produced by Sheffield Theatres, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has a feel-good pop score written by Dan Gillespie Sells – the lead singer of British rock group The Feeling – that has more than 12 million song plays on Spotify. The music will be performed live by a seven-piece band under the musical supervision of Theo Jamieson. The on-point book and lyrics are penned by BAFTA and Olivier Award nominated screenwriter, author and playwright Tom MacRae (Doctor Who BBC, The Librarians TNT), from an idea by Jonathan Butterell. This Olivier-nominated musical features original choreography by hip-hop sensation Kate Prince.

NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, says: “It is absolutely wonderful to see Sydney Opera House champion this Olivier nominated musical direct from the West End and host the Australian premiere of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in New South Wales. This heart-warming, diverse and contemporary story will appeal to Sydneysiders and visitors of all ages.” 

Sydney Opera House, Head of Contemporary Performance, Olivia Ansell, says: “The Sydney Opera House is working with esteemed co-producers Nica Burns (UK), Garry McQuinn (UK/Australia), who was behind the smash-hit musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Lyndi Adler to produce and present the Australian national tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. It’s a timely and an important coming of age story about beating prejudice and feeling brave enough to be yourself. Hot on the heels of our sold-out season of SIX, Contemporary Performance at the Sydney Opera House continues to push boundaries with mavericks of the modern musical, showcasing fiercely engaging works that highlight issues everybody should be talking about.”

After the Sydney Opera House, the Australian production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will travel to the Sydney Coliseum (Western Sydney), The Arthouse (Wyong), Arts Centre Melbourne (Melbourne), QPAC (Brisbane), Canberra Theatre Centre (Canberra), His Majesty’s Theatre (Perth) and Her Majesty’s Theatre (Adelaide). Full tour details can be found here.

Music by Dan Gillespie Sells
Book and Lyrics by Tom MacRae
From an idea by Jonathan Butterell
Directed by Jonathan Butterell
Design by Anna Fleischle
Choreography by Kate Prince
Musical Supervision by Theo Jamieson

Originally produced by Sheffield Theatres, and produced in the West End by Nica Burns, Ian Osborne, Paula Marie Black, Teresa and Craig Beech.

Directed by Matt Ryan from original direction by Jonation Butterell
Choreographed by Danielle Lecointe aka Rhimes from the original choreography by Kate Prince
Musical Supervisor Theo Jamieson

Casting by McSweeney Newman

Produced in Australia by Nica Burns, Garry McQuinn, Sydney Opera House, and Lyndi Adler