Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: Teen Edition
★★★★☆ Optimistic
Broughton High School (Venue 318): Sat 3 – Sat 10 Aug 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Teen Edition, from Forth Children’s Theatre at Broughton High School for Week One of the Fringe only, is a brave choice of production, staged with conviction and joy, and featuring some real talent.
The musical (book and lyrics by Tom MacRae, music by Dan Gillespie Sells) takes its inspiration from true events. It tells of Jamie New, a 16-year-old whose dream of becoming a drag queen – and wearing a dress to the school prom – helps him overcome prejudice.
Sam Carlin and company. Pic Ric Brennan
The ‘teen edition’ has the odd toned-down joke, and quite a lot of incidences of the word ‘chuffing’ instead of a stronger adjective, but the content is still pretty uncompromising – homophobic and racist bullying, broken families and broken dreams. The ending may seem more like wish-fulfilment than anything else – but hey, it’s a musical after all.
While the featured numbers are shared out among the cast pretty fairly, this is pretty much going to stand and fall on its central character, and Sam Carlin’s Jamie has all of the necessary star quality. Fearless, funny, camp and tunefully emotional, he practically owns the stage. If there is any possible criticism, it is that the odd lyric could be more clearly enunciated, but this is a minor matter in a performance of such potential. From the moment he leads the chorus in the opening number And You Don’t Even Know It, it is clear how good he is going to be.
Maia Baxter, as Jamie’s mother Margaret, has a quiet assurance that provides a very effective contrast. Her featured second-act number, He’s My Boy, is an object lesson in how to act through song, and is possibly the highlight of the whole production. It is also one of the moments where the lighting and sound of Callum Farrell and Andy Johnston, outstanding throughout, really come into their own.
comedy and dignity
Corin Wake gives shop owner Hugo and his alter-ego Loco Chanelle a combination of comedy and dignity, as well as a huge stage presence. Mysha Zara Panesar, as Jamie’s best friend Pritti, has an unassuming poise that is highly impressive, while Eva Sutherland has an energy and spark as Margaret’s friend Ray that demand attention.
The seeming ‘baddies’ of the piece – bully Dean and intolerant teacher Miss Hedge – are portrayed with real nuance by Harry Aspinall and Mhairi Smith, demonstrating that everyone has the capability for kindness and growth. Jamie’s father is perhaps less sympathetic, but is played by Ollie Perren with a quiet understatement that works perfectly.
Sam Carlin and Mysha Zara Panesar. Pic Ric Brennan
There are a huge number of named roles in the production, and they are performed without a weak link. Olly Freeman-Ferguson, Sam Hunter and Sean Tomassi as the other drag acts, and Emma Swain, En-yi Lee, Eve Houldcroft, Jenna Masson, Jess Taylor, Clodagh MacLeay, Evi Barzel and Lara Shanks as members of Jamie’s class, all shine.
Which is not even to mention the other dancers and chorus members, who are all on top form. The title number (oddly placed at the top of the second half in what is not the musical’s only peculiar piece of structuring) is particularly good fun.
consistency
The music is good throughout, with a tight band under MD Falk Meier, and the sound balance very good (apart from that perennial problem of mic-switching on occasion). Taylor Doig’s choreography is highly accomplished, and there is a togetherness to the ensemble that speaks of much hard work. There is even a consistency to the Sheffield accents that would shame many more experienced companies.
There are a couple of performers whose initial nerves show, but this is soon forgotten as the show proceeds on a wave of optimism and hope. Yet another excellent production from FCT.
Running time: two hours and 30 minutes (including one interval)
Broughton High School, 29 East Fettes Ave, EH4 1EG (Venue 318)
Saturday 3 – Saturday 10 August 2024
Daily (not Mon) at 7.00 pm; Matinees Wed, Sat 2.00 pm
Details and tickets: Book here.
FCT website: www.forthchildrenstheatre.org
Instagram: @forthchildrenstheatre
Facebook: @forthchildrenstheatre
X: @FCTCompany
TikTok: @forthchildrenstheatre
Sam Carlin and the FCT company. Pic Ric Brennan
ENDS
