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Last Night (29/1/24) - I was invited to attend the regional press night of the current UK Touring production of ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking.
With a fantastic reception from Ryan and the rest of the team, I had a wonderful time!
Finton Flynn was covering the leading role of ‘Jamie New’ at this performance, and what a performance he gave! Flynn served lots of riffs and vocal choices that I have never heard from a ‘Jamie’ before - giving the musical numbers his own flair. The role was approached with care and sensitivity as well as a great deal of energy which kept the pace of the show high and brought so much joy and laughter to the audience. This is a difficult role - Jamie is on the stage for the majority of the show, and Finton Flynn handles that perfectly with gorgeous vocals and a fantastic character. What a reason to come and see this show!!
In the role of Margaret New (Jamie’s Mum) was Rebecca McKinnis. Not only does McKinnis serve outstanding vocals singing some well-written songs such as ‘If I met myself again’ and ‘He’s my boy’ , she also has a well-thought out portrayal of this character. Margaret goes through a lot during the show but McKinnis handles each of these emotions perfectly, her relationship with her onstage son shines through and you can see the pair have great chemistry - particularly during ‘My Man, Your Boy’.
Shobna Gulati returns to the role of ‘Ray’ and is as fabulous as ever! Having seen Shobna Gulati in this role back in 2021, it was interesting to see how she has found new lines and parts of the show to play with and different ways she interacts with the characters when they are played by other performers! Her duet with ‘Jamie’, ‘Limited Edition Prom Night Special’ was fun and a joy to watch.
Talia Palamathanan plays Jamie’s Best Friend - Pritti Pasha. This character is so much fun and sticks by Jamie throughout the show. Her rendition of ‘It means Beautiful’ was stunning and very moving. Palamathanan plays this role so wonderfully, I think that every single interaction between herself and Finton Flynn (Jamie) was lovely to watch.
Giovanna Fletcher is playing ‘Miss Hedge’. When I heard that Giovanna was going to be in the show, I was both really excited and particularly interested to see what she would do with the role! Fletcher brought a great deal of character to the slightly dislikable ‘Miss Hedge’. Her vocals were on point during ‘Work of Art’ and she was someone you could not take your eyes off - as her performance was entirely convincing and excellent to watch. This is a fantastic example of when star casting works well!
Performing in the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle is John Partridge. Partridge brings a slower, unique take on the role of Hugo/Loco - one very different to the number of performers I have seen before. This meant that in many of the scenes the pace slightly dipped - However John does bring a fantastic camp energy and hits most of the comedy lines spot on, receiving a great reaction from the audience. His rendition of ‘The Legend of Loco Chanelle’ not only served a great deal of comedy but also some stunning vocals’ and WOW does he look good in drag!! That fabulous reveal will have your jaw on the floor of the auditorium.
The Ensemble of this production was great! Each student brought a different character with different thoughts and reactions and you could see the time and thought they had put into developing these. The dance routines were all slick and impressive - each performer as talented as the next - executing with style, Kate Prince’s choreography.
The Lighting, Set design and wonderful performances from the cast and band - all combine to create an energised, camp, fun and vibrant show - that all can sit back and enjoy.
Overall, I’d recommend this show to anyone who wants a show full of catchy tunes and a lovely hearty story with some utterly outstanding performances.
30th January 2024
Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants