Everybody's Talking About Jamie as presented by Quay Players MDS

Quay Players

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Saturday 19^th April 2025

‘Everybody's Talking About Jamie’ is the kind of show that would probably never have seen the light of day in this country twenty-five years ago. Based on a true story, its themes of bigotry, bullying, homophobia, strained father-son relationships, and parental rejection may have been too much for an Irish audience. But it is a story that has needed to be told for a long time. Visibility is everything and any young person struggling with identity could only have been inspired by Waterford’s Quay Players’ hard-hitting, funny, and truly uplifting production. Theatre has great power and this group is to be commended for its bravery and talent in bringing this very important and special show to the stage. 

There was a very warm welcome front of house in the lovely Garter Lane Theatre. Everything was exceptionally slick and well organised as audience members arrived and took their seats for what we knew was going to be an exciting presentation.

Director David Hennessy’s casting was just about perfect and what a joy it must have been for Mr. Hennessy to work with such a team of gifted performers. He got the irreverent humour of the show, its unique style of comedy and hilarious one-liners, but it was the raw emotion and authenticity of this true story that Mr. Hennessy captured so beautifully. And boy, did it resonate with the audience. ‘Everybody's Talking about Jamie’ focuses on relationships and Mr. Hennessy excelled at painting some deep and complex relationships between the show's main characters. The central character Jamie's relationships with his mother, his estranged father, and his best friend, Pritti, were beautifully explored by the director. The opening scene featured much familiar classroom banter. I loved how Jamie initially blended into the mayhem, an indication perhaps that sometimes when someone is different, they can be lost and fade into the background. The wonderfully original introduction of young Jamie was a very thoughtful touch. However, I did feel that more could have been done with lighting to emphasise those throwback sequences as we observed young Jamie's pivotal moments. The projected, moving stars on the screens during ‘It Means Beautiful’ were gorgeous and so effective and I did wonder if more projection could have been used throughout the show. Overall, a really strong piece of direction, particularly when teasing out the really important relationships and dynamics between the central characters. 

Musical director Jimmy Brockie played in and conducted a seven-piece band, which were housed on the upper level of the set behind screens. There was an excellent sound from the band, generally, with good balance between instruments for the most part. However, on occasion, the band was too loud and overpowered vocalists. Mr. Brockie and his musicians captured Dan Gillespie Sells’ score so well, with its catchy, upbeat, high-energy numbers and its heartfelt emotional ballads. Offstage vocals in ‘The Wall in My Head’ were exceptionally good, as were the ensemble vocals in ‘Spotlight.’ Offstage vocals were too high in the mix for ‘The Legend of Loco Chanelle.’ Principal singing was of a really high standard throughout. A super job overall by Mr. Brockie.

Michelle Condon brought a wealth of experience to the show as choreographer. Her choreography was raw and real, harnessing teenage angst and hormonal energy. I loved the high-energy, raw movement of ‘And You Don't Even Know It’ with its brilliant use of the school desks. It was like ‘Matilda’ on stimulants. So slick, so synchronised, so powerful and so gritty. Slickness was to be seen in all aspects of Ms. Condon's choreography. The title number ‘Everybody's Talking About Jamie’ was a brilliant routine, full of energy and powerful performances from the remarkable year 11s. ‘Out of the Darkness’ was equally strong and I loved the bows which were so cleverly staged. A superbly choreographed show from Ms. Condon that captured the gritty, raw subject matter in such a clever way. 

Andrew O’Grady was the emotional core of the show as Jamie New. This was an incredibly raw, real, and believable performance as the 16-year-old, openly gay teenager in working-class Sheffield, who follows his dream to become a drag queen. Mr. O'Grady's performance was something very special. He was full of vulnerability, determination, and an emotional range that was quite astonishing. It was a beautifully balanced performance. His Jamie wasn't always the most likable character. His treatment of his mother left a lot to be desired.“It's no wonder Dad left you!” cut deep. His best friend, Pritti, told him how self-centered he was. But these elements of Jamie's character, played with such truth by Mr. O'Grady, made him more real, more relatable, more authentic. And it was the honesty and authenticity of this performance that really caught the audience's imagination. 

Jamie's mother Margaret was played by the exceptionally talented Greta Rochford. This was a powerful, nuanced performance, which laid bare all of the anxiety, the emotions, and concerns of a single mother whose child faces life's enormous challenges. There was an incredibly real chemistry with Jamie. ‘If I Met Myself Again’ was beautifully sung and performed by Ms. Rochford. But it was the stunning vocals and deep meaning of ‘He's My Boy’ provided the most memorable, incredibly heart-wrenching moment of the show. It was a masterclass in storytelling through song as she poured out her anguish and emotion.

Aoife O'Connor delivered a sensational performance as Pritti, Jamie's best friend and most lovable “fag hag.” She too was an outcast, different because she was clever. Ms. O'Connor played Pritti as an utterly sensible foil to Jamie's dream-filled mind. She brought layers of vulnerability and strength to the role in what was an incredibly intelligent interpretation. Her performance in ‘Spotlight’ was outstanding. The greatest compliment that I can give Ms. O'Connor is that I couldn't see her acting. I believed every word that came out of her mouth. ‘It Means Beautiful’ was a stunning vocal performance, utterly believable. An excellent all-round performance from a young lady with enormous potential.

Jenny Clooney gave a wonderful performance, with impeccable comic timing as Margaret's emotional support and best friend Ray. This was a very real and funny portrayal and her uncensored, expletive-heavy outbursts were simply hilarious. But not for the easily offended, mind you! Her singing was very strong in ‘Limited Edition Prom Night Special.’ A superbly rounded performance overall.

Jennifer White was a suitably stern and humourless schoolteacher, Miss Hedge, who tried to quash Jamie's aspirations, suggesting that he might be more suited to driving a forklift. Her no-nonsense portrayal contrasted brilliantly with her highly theatrical performance of ‘Work of Art,’ which hit us between the eyes with her highly energetic take. She was at her dramatic best in her meeting with Margaret, Ray, and Jamie in her office and it was nice that she got to redeem herself by the end of the show. A super performance from Ms. White.

Conor Lyons brought great authenticity and heart to the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle, the retired drag queen. His Hugo was genuine, tender, and compassionate, seeing so much of himself in Jamie. His Loco Chanelle was larger than life, full of glamour and charisma. There was beautiful support for Jamie after he was beaten by bullies. You just knew that Hugo had been in the exact same situation at Jamie's age. This was a most gorgeous scene so sensitively played by Mr. Lyons. A superb portrayal.

Jack McGrath, Fionnán Dunphy and Brian Flynn were a marvellous trio of drag queens as the outrageously flamboyant Tray Sophisticay, Sandra Bollock, and Laika Virgin. This hilarious threesome brought so much comedy to proceedings, with their irreverent and often vulgar delivery. They looked incredible thanks to some excellent work in the hair and makeup department and commanded the stage for all of their scenes. Their performance in ‘Over the Top’ at the end of Act One was superb.

Bill Stafford was perfectly cast in the role of the narrow-minded, absent father who sees Jamie's lack of manliness as a source of personal insult and embarrassment. He questioned his son being a “real boy.” I loved his excellent reaction as Jamie thanked him for the flowers and dress that he never sent. He was completely devoid of emotional intelligence. A really strong portrayal.

It is almost impossible to deal with the exceptional group of young performers who made up the Year 11 students individually. As a group, they were outstanding. They worked as one and they truly were a revelation in their singing, acting, and dancing. Alex Kavanagh as Becca, Saoirse Lehane as Bex, Eva Leech as Fatimah, Samantha O'Regan as Vicki, Adam O'Neill as Sayid, Adam Du Plessis as Cy, Kingsley Ekedozie as Levi, and Fionn McGrath as Mickey were a sensational group, hugely impactful and believable as the teenage students. Exceptional performances from all.

Sean Murphy was equally brilliant as the aggressive school bully Dean Paxton.This was a very strong performance underpinned by intelligent acting and marvellous presence. Mr. Murphy was cutting, cruel and everything that encapsulates a school bully without ever overplaying it to the point of caricature. 

I cannot let this review go without mentioning young Jamie, played by Danny White Keane. He never uttered a word and was used sparingly, but his contribution, his presence, and his ability to convey confusion and hurt in his fleeting appearances was exemplary. It was a very brave and powerful performance communicating so much and Danny should be very proud of his important performance.

The small ensemble did very well with excellent offstage vocals and a very good contribution to numbers such as ‘Work of Art.’

Stage manager Brian Collins cleverly utilised cast to move a lot of set pieces. Scene changes were generally slick and everything flowed quite seamlessly.

There was a simple double-height stage. This worked very well, creating a flexible, fluid playing space. Whilst there were minimal set pieces used, I felt that things could have been pared back even more, particularly bearing in mind the limited sized stage space in Garter Lane. Margaret's kitchen was very detailed and looked like a typically working-class kitchen. Hugo’s shop was beautifully dressed with fabulous dummies and costumes, although the misspelled ‘Fairwell Tour’ poster kept catching my eye. The band was set behind the imposing screens that provided good options for lighting. In the original production, the band silhouettes were cleverly used to suggest kids in an adjoining classroom. But we weren't as aware of the band in this production. The grey school desks transforming into the lit-up catwalk were very effective, as was the school bathroom truck complete with window. 

Lighting was generally very good in the big production numbers with lots of colour and movement adding to the raw energy of the choreography. There was an ongoing issue with some moving lights, which hadn't been programmed correctly. This was an unfortunate pattern with moving lights sweeping across the audience on numerous occasions before settling on their spot on stage. This really should have been addressed early in the run. There was very good use of haze creating good atmosphere. I did feel that the throwback moments to young Jamie could have been more creatively lit to suggest a more ‘out of body’ experience.

Sound was generally very good. There was great use of appropriate sound effects such as the school bell, traffic, etc. The bell ringing as Jamie entered Hugo's shop was a nice touch.However, it didn't ring as he left. Balance was generally good in the band. On occasion, there were issues with balance between band and vocalists. However, in the softer moments and songs which were less ‘brass heavy,’ things were very well balanced. 

There was a fine array of props in this show. I loved Jamie's flamboyant school bag. The birthday card (supposedly from his dad) with ‘Full Throttle Birthday’ was beautifully awkward.I loved the quirky detail of Hugo's Princess Di mug and the branded bags, Victor's Secret. Ms. Hedges' name plaque would never have had quotation marks.

There was excellent attention to detail in the costume department from Jamie's scarlet stilettoes to the outrageous attire of the drag queens. Nothing was left to chance. I loved the dull school uniforms which were a perfect indication of the mundane world Jamie wanted to escape from. Margaret and Ray's dowdiness reflected the reality of working-class Sheffield.Loco's fabulous red dress, as she came out of retirement, was stunning, as was Mr. Lyons' leather pants, feather headdress and blue sparkly jacket. Costumes were a huge part of the visual success of this show. 

Hair and makeup were exceptional. The drag queens' outrageous looks were so well created and a credit to the team. Mr. Dunphy's mustache for ‘The Legend of Loco Chanelle’ was a strange choice, however. Maybe it just needed a trim. I loved Loco's fabulous red wig, and, of course, Jamie's pink lashes. Huge congrats to the team.

‘Everybody is Talking about Jamie’ has an important, inspiring message for teenagers (or indeed anyone engaged in a process of self-discovery) with its war cry of “Celebrate yourself and f*** the begrudgers!” This was a brilliant production which got that message across clearly and emphatically. Yes, everybody IS talking about Jamie and everybody will be talking about this production for years to come! Bravo to all. 

Pat McElwain

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025