On Friday 27^th February, I was lucky enough to watch Trevelyan College Musical Society’s (TCMS) Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in Trevs’ Dining Hall. As both a Trevs student and a theatre nerd, I was very excited. I revelled in the opportunity to spend a night away from academics and into the glittering world of Jamie New.

The show burst into character with the title number: ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’. From this number, it was clear that we were dealing with an incredibly strong ensemble, with some genuinely ingenious choreography from choreographer James Flemming, assisted by Catriona Eke. They captured the glamour, queer joy and ‘edge’ of the show. I particularly appreciated the use of voguing in some of the numbers: a stylised dance technique present in many queer spaces. All of the ensemble commanded the space and brought an essential energy to the production as a collective.

A standout in the school scenes was Ellie Kinch as Miss Hedge. Kinch is practically infamous for her ability to tap into that teacher voice on stage, and to no surprise, she absolutely knocked it out of the park, with her conviction, characterisation, vocals (and rapping!), leaving me genuinely a bit unsettled, feeling as if I was in secondary school again…

Talking of being unsettled: despite having spoken Joshua Brook on multiple occasions and know him to be a lovely smiley person, his performance of Dean, the classic homophobic bully archetype, could have convinced me otherwise. To quote the notes I wrote during the production, “Josh, you are so scary. I hate you. It’s perfect.” And I think that speaks for itself.

All of the ensemble commanded the space and brought an essential energy to the production

Of course, I could not write an all-encompassing review if we did not speak about Finlay Gatehouse’s transformation into Jamie New. With his amazing black, sparkly hot pants, bright red heels, and Ice Spice graphic tee (costumes designed by Hannah Bellamy), he commanded the stage and really became Jamie, without caricaturing him and while maintaining the character’s sincerity and softness. Having previously seen him in Sixth Side’s Lavender as Edward Beaumont, the uptight army general, we may actually have to study Gatehouse’s ability to shapeshift. I only wish that he had more conviction in his singing performances, or that the music directors could have explored lowering the songs a semitone or two to keep them closer to Gatehouse’s range. These productions have been Gatehouse’s first in Durham, and I think he will be a force to be reckoned with for future DST pursuits. 

Alongside Gatehouse was Rishika Senevirathne playing Pritti Pasha, who complemented his performance beautifully. With her soft assurance and incredible vocals, she shone on the stage as a powerful performer, and most of all, she looked like she was loving every minute up there.

Eve Pearce as Jamie’s mum and Hattie Teale as Ray were a captivating and hilarious dynamic duo who glued the show together – I could not help but smile when they were on stage.

Pearce’s renditions of ‘He’s My Boy’ and ‘If I Met Myself Again’ were so full of emotion and conviction, and left me with tears in my eyes. These vocals were some of the most amazing I’ve seen in any theatre production. Pearce’s performances were dynamic, raw, funny, beautiful, and for me, the highlights of the whole production. I hope to see more of Pearce throughout Durham theatre!

I hope to see more of Pearce throughout Durham theatre!

My last nod to the incredible performers in Jamie must go to Jonathan Wilson-Downs who lit up the stage (literally!) with every move he made. His comedic timing, confidence, and understanding of physical comedy were the cherry on top of this production. Everything about Wilson-Downs was completely mesmerising, and I was only asking for more. A standout number was ‘The Legend of Loco Chanel’, where the band, under the musical direction of Jed Godfrey, really got to showcase their talent, as did Wilson-Downs, both in his performance and incredible lighting design.

It is now in the article that I point out that both directors of Jamie were doing way above their pay grade! We saw Wilkes at the lighting desk and Robyn Bradbury on guitar, as well as a quick cameo on stage! While we must recognise their tactical and inventive directing, we should also draw attention to their dedication to this production.

At the heart of this production was, of course, the art of drag. With wonderfully camp makeup from Maggie Reaney, assisted by Hannah Melly, the beauty of drag was brought to life. All of the queens in this performance were beautiful, hilarious and real. Sam Garratt’s Sandra Bollock was my personal favourite.

It is no mean feat to follow in the footsteps of the multiple D’Oscar award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar last year. I think this show did TCMS complete justice, and all of those involved should be incredibly proud of themselves.

Image: Trevelyan College Musical Society