Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
July 9-19, 2025
Artscape Arena, Cape Town
R200
Webtickets
Waterfront Theatre School
Paul Griffiths
Garth Tavares
Ursula Lubbe
The hit musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was first staged in 2017 in Sheffield in the UK and was a hit on London’s West End. The musical was inspired by a BBC documentary about Jamie who at age of 16 wanted to wear a dress for his high school prom and aspired to become a drag queen. A movie adaptation of the musical was released in 2021. The musical is being staged in South Africa for the first time by The Waterfront Theatre School in Cape Town, in the Artscape Arena from July 9-19, 2025. Director Paul Griffiths gives insights into the production. It is interesting to note that they have gone to the 2011 documentary on the real-life Jamie for source material for their staging and have not copied and pasted from the UK musical production:
Is this a new production or is it based on the UK production?
This is an original production and inspired more by the original source which was the documentary produced by the BBC about Jamie Campbell, the real-life Jamie, which the musical was inspired by. We have used that as our source reference rather than previous stage productions. [The BBC Three documentary, Jamie: Drag Queen at 16, was made in 2011, directed by Jenny Popplewell.]
As a director, it must be wonderful to do this musical with a young cast. Your students at the college were 16 not so long ago which is great because this stuff that they can relate to – identity, sexuality, gender in an inspiring coming of age story?
A performing arts college is a wonderfully tolerant and inclusive space, a place where many can find, for the first time, a place where they can belong. At the end of Jamie, the cast remind us all that there is such a place for everyone. This message is hugely relevant at a time where ‘otherness’ is considered threatening.
The musical is set in working class Sheffield in the UK – a very particular milieu. Can you tell us about the set design– in conjuring up Sheffield?
Jamie lives in a terraced street, on a council estate in the middle of an Industrial North England town. He aspires to be a drag queen on a stage in pretty dress. Our design offers him that space – a refuge within the heart of his world – a world that sees things in black and white and is suspicious of anything that appears too grey.
And the costumes – and the prom dress?
There are three groups of characters: the kids – in school uniforms, the adults – in everyday clothes- nothing fancy, and the drag queens – larger than life and fabulous. The dress code for the prom is – Fabulousness!
Can you tell us about the choreography by Ursula Lubbe and the music – musical direction by Garth Tavares?
Ursula has managed to blend the 80s inspired music with contemporary dance vocabulary. Garth is a brilliant musical director and also a Fleur Du Cap Theatre Award nominated director for the Addams family. Not only does he create magic with the score, he also adds dramatic flavour to every beat. Sam Landers has worked with the principles alongside Garth to support the 80s pop sound.
TCR: Anything else to add?
PG: Jamie is a reminder of the damage intolerance does to people. His courage to live and express his true self despite persecution is an inspiration for all of us to do the same. The story of Jamie confirms the healing power of inclusivity and encourages us all to accept diversity with love, kindness and a spirit of non-judgement.
✳ The musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is on July 9-19, 2025 at the Artscape Arena in Cape Town. This is the South African premiere of the acclaimed musical. Image supplied.
