| What: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie When: July 9-19, 2025 Where: Artscape Arena, Cape Town Tickets: R200 Bookings: Webtickets Company: Waterfront Theatre School Director: Paul Griffiths Musical director: Garth Tavares Choreographer: Ursula Lubbe Lighting: |
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is on at the Artscape Arena from July 9-19, 2025 and everybody’s raving about this stunning production with feisty, audacious performances, dance and staging. It is a wow vocally, solo vocals, sublime harmonies, astonishing performance and innovative staging – inspirational, moving, edgy, thrillingly entertaining.
This is the South African premiere of the West End hit musical and is presented by the Waterfront Theatre School. Jamie, based on a true story hinges around “fabulous”. Jamie, a lad of 16 in working class Sheffield, wants to become a drag queen and go to his high school prom in a dress. He is a boy who sometimes wants to be a girl and dress up as a girl. He is clear what he wants. Jamie (brilliantly played by John Marshall) does not want to be a fork lift driver, as suggested by a psychometric test. With dogged determination, he pursues his dream – despite vitriolic pushback from his absent dad (Dante Verona) and the school bully, Dean (Khanya Gwe). Jamie’s shoes are fabulous. Jamie’s dress is fabulous. It lights up in the dark, as he transforms into his drag persona, Mimi Me. The drag queens and Hugo his mentor and alter-ego, Loco Chanelle – are all fabulous – glamming it up in Sheffield. His mother (Danielle Bosman)and best friend, Ray (Isabella Schnetler) are fabulously fierce in their protection and nurturing of Jamie to be himself.
Gender and sexuality is part of a vigorous conversation which is threaded into the dialogue of the book and lyrics by Tom MacRae and glorious music by Dan Gillespie. However, under the nuanced direction of Paul Griffiths, this production is more than a coming-of-age polemic being about “fabulous” and makes for compelling and mesmerising theatre with the protagonists fleshed out, transcending archetype.
The production pops and sparkles with glitz and sequins, heightened by coloured clothes hanging on a rail against the wall of the Artscape Arena. The palette and variety of outfits underlines that there is a place for all of us and visually presents a shimmering rainbow of possibility, with glimmering lighting design .
The pared down set features a multi-level tiered pyramid rostrum, with disco balls dangling from the ceiling. The platform arrangement reminds me of tiered wedding cakes, with each tier symbolising aspects of a life of a couple – what has led to this point, now and what lies ahead. The multi-tiered decking provides space for the large cast and imbues the space with depth as they navigate each layer. Jamie and the performers are confined within the levels and must somehow balance and not fall off. Delia Sainsbury of the WTS: “Yes, the idea was to create the feeling of confinement which Jamie feels, but also being able to ‘rise above’ opinion and be finally in control of what is happening ‘below’ you”.
It is interesting to note that the set has been designed by Waterfront Theatre School student, Asanda Mngadi who plays Jaimie’s mentor, Hugo and his drag persona, Coco Chanelle. A beautiful performance from Mngadi. By the way, other students are involved in the creative team. Costumes were co-ordinated by Abbi Cohen. Noah Herbert is lighting operator and stage manager is Hanpan Brissett.
I was fascinated as to how the large company dances, balances on the multi-tiered pyramid and this goes beyond the story line of Jamie and becomes pure theatre. Ursula Lubbe as choreographer has drawn widely from dance expressions, including disco, voguing, ballroom and TikTok. The use of chairs vividly signify school setting and evoke for me, choreography by Bob Fosse. There is a dynamism to the chair dance and movement which heightens the edginess and imparts a sense of cabaret which ties in with the disco balls and club setting.
Set in working class Sheffield, accent is a visceral character in this production with the students of the Waterfront Theatre School nailing accent and reflecting different dialects in Jaimie’s class – including a delicious Jamaican and Indian accent. They keep the accents while singing as well as in the spoken parts. A shout out to dialect coach, Tandi Buchan and vocal coach, Samantha Landers. The work with accent/dialect is an astonishing aspect of this production. It is not an easy accent. Sainsbury explains about the Sheffield accent: ”Words like COME as we would pronounce CUM with a long “ U” are pronounced COOM but short as in BOOK, not long as is BROOM if that makes sense? It took a lot of work…” It is lyrical to listen to and the nuance in accent works in tandem with the nuance in gesture of each student, as they interact with each other. This is testament to the superb direction by Griffiths – articulating each character – even in the ensemble.,
Stunning performances all round. The Waterfront Theatre School holds auditions across its four year programmes. The principals are all theatre majors and include 2nd year students which is remarkable.
John Marshall who plays Jamie is in 3rd year
Kate Lagan plays Pritti is in 2nd year
Danielle Bosman plays Margaret – mother of Jamie – is in 4th year
Isabella Schnetler plays Ray – the friend of Margaret- is in 2nd year
Azande Dube plays Mrs Hedge – is 4th year.
Remember their names. They ought to become famous, this cohort.
John Marshall brings a vulnerability and feistiness to Jamie, acting as a foil to his “fabulousness” and preventing him from mawkish and stereotyped. His dramatic and comedic timing gave me goose bumps. His Jamie conjures up a “bravery” which is absolutely awe inspiring. Watch for the end – when he sings “a place where all belong”. Danielle Bosman who plays his mother Margaret and Kate Lagan who plays Pritti have sublime voices – like angels. Pritti is Jamie’s bestie. They unite in their outsider status. The scene where they are in her bedroom is pure magic, with the song, “Beautiful” in which she urges him to be himself. Magnificent performance by Lagan – vocally and theatrically – wow. Another scene which is utter magic is between Jamie and his mother, Margaret with Danielle Bosman bringing the house down as she sings about “her boy”. She sings and performs with an emotional range, beyond being a 4th year student, Azande Dube as Mrs Hedge commands the stag. I had difficultly believing that she as student at all. Lovely performances from the drag queens; Khanya Gwe as the bully, Dean, Dante Verona as Jamie’s dad and the ensemble of students. Wow – all round.
This special musical talks to many people on many levels, beyond coming-of-age story, resilience and self-determination. It is about parenting and those who step up to the plate of parenting even if they are not the birth parents. It is about keeping family/friends/offspring in your corner, no matter what. It is about friendship at all stages of life. It is about being brave and courageous. It is about identity, being authentic, creative, finding happiness and a lot more. I urge people to go and see this stunning production. I have used the word “stunning” several times in this review and with good reason. Go and see Everybody Talking About Jamie, Cape Town 2025.
| Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – South Africa The cast features: John Marshall as Jamie, Khanya Gwe as Dean, Kate Lagan as Pritti, Asanda Mngadi as Hugo, Andrew Woods as Laika Virgin, Andrew Ingram as Tray Sophistacay, Krys Igirubuntu as Sandra Bollock, Danielle Bosman as Margaret, Azande Dube as Miss Hedge, Isabella Schnetler as Ray and Dante Verona as Jamie’s Dad. |
✳ Featured image – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Waterfront Theatre School, Artscape Arena, Cape Town, July 9-19, 2025. Pic: Michael Dupré. Supplied.
