EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE is musical you will love or hate, but I suspect in years to come drama kids everyone will be singing these songs of liberation and celebration. JAMIE started as a BBC documentary which was then turned into a musical and is now an Amazon smash. I hope the real Jamie and his mom are making millions and living on Easy Street!
Max Harwood is a joy as the young teen whose desire to become a drag queen propels our journey. His mother, the sensational Sarah Lancashire, his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and a gay pathfinder (Richard E. Grant) give him tons of love and support to counterbalance the horrible dad who walked out of his life. There are many hi-jinks in the school, and some scenes of bullying – not all of it done by students.
B
ut Jamie and his mother are strong, and the time we spend with them in the second half of the film is powerful. Who can resist amazing sons of love between mother and son?
Jonathan Butterell directs with great abandon, with the screenplay by Tom MacRae based on the stage musical by Buttrell and Dan Gillespie Sells. I don’t think the score will win any awards, but the songs are serviceable, and the energy of the student ensemble is infections.
JAMIE covers some of the same territory of BILLY ELLIOTT which had a much more experienced creative team. But in this season of musicals new and old – WEST SIDE STORY, COME FROM AWAY, and ANNETTE to name but a few, JAMIE deserves his crown.