Theatre performance is something to talk about

It is a production brimming over with exuberance and energy and if you like such hit shows as Kinky Boots, Billy Elliot and Matilda, there is a good chance you are going to be talking about Jamie too.

As the dark nights of autumn and winter arrive, this award-winning show is a perfect highlight for a London weekend.

Head for the bright lights of the West End and make the short walk up showbiz street, Shaftesbury Avenue, to the Apollo Theatre to find out why Jamie is the talk of the town.

If you fancy a brew while you get in the mood, visit the Theatre Cafe practically opposite where the staff regularly burst into song along with the soundtrack of show tunes served up alongside the teas and lattes.

Based on a true story that was made into a TV documentary about a Sheffield schoolboy who wanted to go to his prom in a dress, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie lived up to its title when it opened to rave reviews late last year with its celebrity fans including Graham Norton, Beverley Knight and Sophie Ellis Bextor.

At its core is a moving story about a mother’s love for her son as 16-year-old Jamie New is encouraged by his mum, her plain-talking pal and Jamie’s best friend in class to pursue his dream of becoming Yorkshire’s youngest drag act.

He has to overcome bullies and his school’s low expectations, where his careers teacher suggest he drive a forklift truck rather than rock a frock. Worst of all, he has an absent dad who has branded him ‘disgusting’.

But the message from writer Tom MacRae never becomes too heavy, as Jamie’s joyfulness comes shining through with a multi-cultural class of singing and dancing school mates and some sensational songs from Dan Gillespie Sells. The frontman and songwriter from pop group The Feeling has created some memorable tunes to go with MacRae’s sharp and witty lyrics.

This show could win over the hardest of hearts, even those who may wince at the thought of a boy in a dress and high heels being eloquently defended by his bestie in a hijab and spectacles.

John McCrea has been a sensation as Jamie but faces tough competition from the production’s alternative Jamie, Luke Bayer, who was outstanding in the performance I caught in late September and who has taken over the role.

A strong supporting cast included Rebecca McKinnis, from the stage production of Mama Mia!, as Jamie’s mum Margaret.

Her emotional performance of the song He’s My Boy is a highlight. There is also a familiar TV face as Shobna Gulati (ex-Coronation Street and EastEnders) plays her forthright friend Ray, while sweet-voiced newcomer Lucie Shorthouse is Jamie’s BFF, Pritti Pasha.

The Nimax-run Apollo is in the heart of Soho’s theatreland and you could easily even hobble on Jamie’s high heels to this ornate Edwardian theatre from Piccadilly Circus Underground Station.

I stayed at the Park Plaza London Park Royal, which is located opposite the Park Royal tube station, just half an hour from the West End via the Piccadilly Line. This is a stylish modern hotel which opened in 2017, and has a relaxed fashionable vibe with its cool jazz background music, scattered art books and curious pop-art furniture.

The six-floor hotel has 120 bedrooms plus 92 studio rooms with additional space and sofa beds. My room was an oasis of calm after the bustle of the West End with its mood lighting, huge TV, large and very comfortable bed and gleaming ultra-modern bathroom with shower. The large windows offered a view over surprisingly leafy West London.

Guests can enjoy the Westway Bar and Kitchen, an eatery serving British classics and chic bar serving London beers alongside a range of wines and spirits. There is also a fitness suite and room service is only a call away with a 24-hour reception.

Breakfast was a veritable feast with full English available, alongside fruit, cereals, continental cheeses and cold meats and, nice touch, the opportunity to order your eggs how you want them and cooked to order.

The hotel on Western Avenue is also handily placed for Wembley Stadium, the Harry Potter set at the Warner Bros Studio Tour and shoppers’ heaven at Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush.

But I opted for Camden Market, less than an hour from the hotel via the Piccadilly Line and Northern Line, and just two stops from Euston station if heading back home to the West Midlands afterwards.

Camden on a Saturday is probably busier even than the West End, attracting tourists and youngsters to explore funky Camden Market with its vast range of stalls ranging from original art and jewellery to vintage cameras, antiques and health foods.

It also boasts one of London’s biggest range of permanent street food stalls, plus lots of satellite markets selling T-shirts, Goth and Punk gear. Very buzzy, very busy, Camden was the sort of place Jamie could have strut his stuff in that red dress and heels and no one would bat an eyelid.

Prices start from £95 for one night's accommodation at the Park Plaza Park Royal in a Superior Room based on two people sharing, based on a Friday night arrival. Check-in is from 2pm.

Tickets for Everybody's Talking About Jamie range from £10 to £65, with 7.30pm performances Monday to Saturday, plus 2.30pm matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Call the box office on 0330 333 4809, visit www.nimaxtheatres.com or www.EverybodysTalkingAboutJamie.co.uk for more details