Multi-award-winning musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, will celebrate its 10th birthday in 2027.
Sheffield is home to several musicals which have gone on to have successful West End runs, including the Full Monty, Standing at The Sky’s Edge and ‘Jamie’, which first took to the Crucible stage in 2017.
Jamie, which tells the true story of a young boy who wants to attend his prom in drag, gained a huge following and has since achieved sell-out performances all over the world. In 2021, it was made into a movie starring Sarah Lancashire, Richard E. Grant and rising star, Max Harwood.
Millie Scott, a performer from Sheffield who played a student at Jamie’s school in the film, spoke about her love for Sheffield’s theatres, which make up the largest regional theatre complex outside London.
She said: “We’ve had a few musicals now set in Sheffield that have been impactful and I think they all bring such a community feel to the city.
“I think it’s very special to have had an original stage musical workshopped here at the Crucible and then to be so successful to the point the film was made. It’s a huge testament to Sheffield Theatres.”
Jamie is a coming-of-age story with themes of friendship, self-love and gender expression. Many young members of the LGBTQ+ community have found comfort in the characters and messaging.
Gillian Ford, who played Miss Hedge in both the West End and LA runs of the show, said: “There was a genuine sense that we were telling a story that mattered, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’ll never forget meeting mums and sons at the stage door who would tell us how much the show meant to them – those conversations really stayed with me.”
Thomas Walton, who played Mickey in the 2024 tour, said the show is very personal to him. He said: “I first saw the production when I was training and it instantly transported me back home to working class Yorkshire. The story and characters filled me with nostalgia and I immediately set my heart on being part of this amazing show.”
Thomas is the Founding Director of Theatre North, a community interest company aiming to support and celebrate theatre in the North of England, as well as making theatre more accessible for those from low-income households.
He said: “I was so lucky to be in the 23/24 UK Tour production and felt honoured to tell this story, particularly to audiences across the North. It was on this production that I really reflected on the importance of theatre in the North and shortly after, I founded Theatre North.”
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will tour the UK with shows starting in Leeds in January before coming home to Sheffield in March.
