Noah Thomas to join Everybody's Talking About Jamie in the West End
(© Matt Crockett)
Noah Thomas will take over the lead of Everybody's Talking About Jamie after the show held open auditions, it was announced today.
Thomas is currently studying at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and will take over from Layton Williams – who leaves the West End to lead the UK touring production – from 6 January.
The performer will join the recently announced Bianca Del Rio – who will reprise the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle – and Preeya Kalidas, who will play Miss Hedge.
Producer Nica Burns said: "Noah was the 211th and final performer we auditioned for Jamie. After he'd sung the opening number and read the first scene, I was tingling with excitement. We had found our Jamie. Noah is making his professional debut in one of the biggest and most demanding roles in musical theatre: it needs a really good actor who can also sing and dance to the highest level."
The musical first opened at Sheffield Crucible in spring 2017, transferring to the Apollo Theatre later that year, where it won a number of WhatsOnStage Awards including Best New Musical.
The show, which recently celebrated its second year in the West End, is inspired by a documentary about Jamie Campbell, who wanted to be a drag queen at the age of 16.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie has music by The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells, book and lyrics by Tom McRae, direction by Jonathan Butterell, set and costumes by Anna Fleischle, choreography by Kate Prince, lighting by Lucy Carter, sound by Paul Groothuis and video by Luke Halls. Theo Jamieson is the musical supervisor, Richard Weeden the musical director, Will Burton the casting director and George Richmond-Scott the associate director.
The film adaptation of Everybody's Talking About Jamie will open in cinemas on 23 October, where Jamie will be played by newcomer Max Harwood. Richard E Grant will take on the role of Hugo/Loco Chanel, with Sarah Lancashire playing Margaret New, Sharon Horgan as Miss Hedge and Shobna Gulati playing Ray after having taken on the role in the West End. The film is directed by Butterell, with MacRae writing the screenplay.
