PRESS RELEASE: 21 June 2017 Nica Burns presents the Sheffield Theatres production of Music by Dan Gillespie Sells Book and Lyrics by Tom MacRae From an idea by Jonathan Butterell Directed by Jonathan Butterell Design by Anna Fleischle Choreography by Kate Prince Lighting design by Lucy Carter Sound design by Paul Groothuis Musical direction by Theo Jamieson Casting by Will Burton Apollo Theatre Previews from Monday 6 November 2017 Press Night Wednesday 22 November 2017 Once upon a time there was a 16-year-old boy who had a secret he wanted to tell... So, he approached a documentary film maker as you do, and asked if they would help him tell it. The resulting documentary was seen by a theatre director and it inspired him to create a musical. A producing regional theatre backed him. He then bumped into a famous musical theatre star who introduced him to a well-known pop composer who was working with a lyricist and book writer. The theatre put on the production. A major producer saw it and offered them a West End theatre. So, thanks to Jamie Campbell, Firecracker Films, Michael Ball, Sheffield Theatres and Nica Burns, a new British musical by a new British theatre writing and directing team, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opens at the Apollo Theatre on Wednesday 22 November 2017. Fairy tales really do come true. “Touching, Funny, Joyous” THE OBSERVER 1 “Sends you out on a feel-good bubble of happiness” DAILY TELEGRAPH “Everyone should really be talking about Jamie” THE TIMES “The show is terrific and John McCrea gives an exceptional performance. The West End has a talented new leading man.” MICHAEL BALL Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. This fearless, funny, fabulous brand new musical sensation hits London with catchy new songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae. Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true. John McCrea will reprise his role of Jamie, alongside the majority of the Sheffield Crucible cast including: Josie Walker, Mina Anwar, Tamsin Carroll and Daniel Anthony, Luke Baker, Courtney Bowman, James Gillan, Harriet Payne, Shiv Rabheru, Lucie Shorthouse, Kirstie Skivington. Director Jonathan Butterell, Composer Dan Gillespie Sells and writer and lyricist Tom MacRae said: “After Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was commissioned we spent three hours in a wig room in Sheffield in which we wrote the complete plot and framework for the show before catching the train back to London. The three of us just clicked and we were instantly a team. It has been a new adventure for all of us, this is our first musical and going from zero to West End has felt like a fairy tale. There is a bit of all three of us that has ended up in Jamie. We knew we needed a very specially talented performer to play him and when John McCrea walked into the room he was perfect. We hope that audiences will see a bit of Jamie in themselves too.” Producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said: “Everybody seemed to be talking about the show so I went to see the final matinee in Sheffield with no expectations. I came out of the auditorium singing the tunes having laughed, cried, laughed again and dancing with happiness. I found the director, and immediately offered to produce the show in London at one of my theatres. It had to come to the West End. This is an uplifting musical for our times and for everyone.” Watch the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie trailer here Listen to the music here 2 NOTES TO EDITORS The musical has drawn inspiration from the story of Jamie Campbell and his mother, Margaret. It is a dramatised portrayal of a period in Jamie’s life but is not a faithful account. Certain events and characters have been fictionalised. BIOGRAPHIES Jonathan Butterell’s theatre credits include Love Musik (La Plaza, Buenos Aires), Second Chance (The Public Theatre, New York), Whida Peru, Resurrection Tangle and Tres Niñas (Inner Voices for Premier Stages New York), Giant (Signature Theatre), The Sound of Music (Opera Theatre, Buenos Aires), Orpheus Descending and Creditors (Theatre Project, Tokyo). Broadway credits include Musical Staging for the 2005 Tony Award Winning Nine, Fiddler On The Roof, Assassins, Light In The Piazza. Further New York work includes Musical Staging for the original workshop of Sondheim’s Wise Guys (New York Theater workshop), A Man of No Importance (Lincoln Center Theatre), and staged the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Public Theater titled Public Sings! (New York City Center). UK theatre credits include Musical Staging and Movement direction for Donmar Warehouse productions of Company (West End Transfer), Habeas Corpus, Into The Woods (co-directed with John Crowley), How I Learned To Drive, Electra (Broadway Transfer) and The Maids. Jonathan also devised and directed Michael Ball; Alone Together – Divas at the Donmar (also at the Royal Haymarket Theatre, London). Co-directing credits include Sweeny Todd (Opera North/Sadlers Wells) and Peter Pan (Royal Festival Hall). Jonathan’s film credits include. Dan Gillespie Sells is best known for being the lead vocalist and principal songwriter in The Feeling. Their debut album, Twelve Stops and Home sold over a million copies, whilst their second album, Join With Us reached the No. 1 spot in the UK Charts. The band’s 5th album was released in March 2016. Before The Feeling, Dan worked as a session musician. Dan’s additional theatre credits include The Bad, The Sad, and the Broken Hearted (Soho Theatre, The Steve Allen Theatre Los Angeles), which is currently being developed as a series in America and 3WITHD (Colosseum and the Stuttgart Ballet). Dan was the recipient of the 2015 Stonewall award for Entertainer of the Decade for his work in the LGBT community and the 2007 Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year. Tom MacRae has written extensively for television, with credits including Doctor Who, Mayo, Marple, Lewis, Bonekickers, Casualty and Fungus The Bogeyman. He wrote and created Comedy Central UK’s Threesome, and is currently working as a writer and producer on UK TV drama The Librarians. Tom is also a children’s author and has had three picture books published, including the award winning The Opposite. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie marks Tom’s debut as a playwright and lyricist. John McCrea plays Jamie New. His theatre credits include The Buskers Opera (Park Theatre), Peter Pan (Adelphi Theatre), Streets and RENT! (Cockpit Theatre), The Sound of Music and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium), Barney’s Colourful World and The King and I (National Tour). John’s television credits include Documental, The Catherine Tate Show, New Tricks, Kerching! and Let’s Roll With Roland Butter. 3 Film credits include God’s Own Country (Sundance Film Festival 2017), Late Night With Albin, Balbita and The Cult (Shorts). Workshops include Stella Boulton in Fanny & Stella, Jez in Philip Ridley’s Moonfleece and Jamie in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Nica Burns has produced over 100 award winning and nominated productions including an iconic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Christian Slater and most recently Long Day’s Journey into Night (Oliver Award, Best Revival) Nell Gwynn (Olivier Award, Best New Comedy), Dead Funny and This House (Olivier nomination, Best Revival). She is co-owner and Chief Executive of Nimax Theatres which owns six West End theatres and is building a new theatre with Derwent London Limited at the top of Charing Cross Road. She is a Fellow of UCL, former President of the Society of London Theatres and in 2013 won Private Business Woman Of The Year and was awarded an OBE for services to theatre. She is proud to be producing Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, her first new musical. Firecracker Films are the production company behind some of the highest rating and most talked about factual television of the last ten years including the record breaking international smash hit Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. Drawn to extraordinary characters and stories, other notable successes have ranged from series like Unsafe Sex in the City, Born in the Wrong Body, Daredevils, Repo Man and Dr. Christian Will See You Now to single documentaries like Secrets of the Living Dolls, The Autistic Me, Don’t Look Down, The Man With The Ten Stone Testicles, The Human Spider, The Brit Who Tried To Kill Trump and Susan Boyle: Unlikely Superstar. In a world of disposable viewing Firecracker aim to make programmes that audiences will remember for years and Jamie: Drag Queen at Sixteen was a perfect example. First broadcast on BBC3 in 2011 the documentary told the moving and inspiring story of Jamie Campbell and his dream of going to his school prom in drag. This musical is a testament to the impact it had on audiences. The film was made by Producer Director Jenny Popplewell with Assistant Producer Laura Ellings. The Executive Producers were Tom Barry and Firecracker’s Chief Creative Officer, Jes Wilkins. Sheffield Theatres is the largest producing theatre complex outside of London, home to three theatres: the Crucible, the Studio and the Lyceum. In recognition of its success in creating new work, its bold approach to new classics and accessible ticketing policy, the Theatre was recently named Regional Theatre of the Year 2017, by The Stage, for an unprecedented third time, adding to wins in 2013 and 2014.