Last week I read about how they were turning ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’ into a film and it is due to be released early next year. I was very excited to read this. And just yesterday the trailer was released and instantly my friend Seb sent me it. It looks wonderful. I can’t wait to go and watch it at the cinema for two reasons. One, it is Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and 2) I really do quite miss the cinema.
It has been a very long time since I last saw any film at the pictures owing to the coronavirus. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is scheduled for release on February 26th 2021 and this cannot come around soon enough. I say scheduled, and really do emphasise this word, because who knows what the coronavirus situation will be like in the New Year. At this going rate, it almost feels like this might be the first film I shall see at the cinema in ages, especially after the news of the Cineworld temporary closure and I imagine other cinema companies will follow suit. This film might do a Bond and be pushed a bit further back. I hope not, as I have followed this from right back from the beginning and I’m so eager to see it now.
In 2011, or maybe soon after, I remember watching a documentary on BBC Three about Jamie entitled ‘Jamie: Drag Queen at 16’. It is available right now on BBC iPlayer. I remember thinking how inspiring it was. It followed Jamie, a gay teenager from County Durham who decided he wanted to do what felt natural to him and wear a dress to prom rather than a conventional suit. He had started to try drag and decided the time was right to show off this alter ego. The school heard rumours of his planned attempt and stated he would be refused entry. Determined to try anyway, he shopped around for dresses and tested makeup and through this journey explored and developed his relationship with drag. Through this mission to get to prom we learn about his relationship with himself, his Mum and Dad. It made me think how important it is to 1) be happy 2) be yourself and 3) to be supportive.
Last year, I went down to London for Gay Pride with Seb. I had decided to go down the day before and meander around but importantly to be in London early ready for Pride the next day. I suddenly thought how appropriate it would be if we could get cheap tickets to see the West End musical for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. For months and months I had been seeing online about how wonderful the theatre production was but always hesitated because of the cost of buying tickets online. Whilst sitting having a drink after a lazy afternoon walking around, I checked one of these cheap ticket apps I have on my phone After faffing around, it finally looked to be going through and then it came up with a message that the quota of cheap tickets had gone for the day. With the idea in mine and Seb’s head we cycled from near Southwark Bridge to the Apollo Theatre and went inside to ask at the Box Office if they had any cheap tickets.
They didn’t have any dirt cheap tickets but they had a few at a slightly reasonable price with a good view. We snapped them up. We watched it and loved it. A very powerful story, as it was when I watched it all those years ago, but with the magic of theatre thrown in too.
PS. Afterwards, we went for a few drinks in Soho. Whilst wandering around, we stumbled across the office of Private Eye. I couldn’t stop looking. It was wonderful.
So seeing this story transferred to film now and hitting the big screens in the New Year will be a wonderful development.
Thanks for listening or reading,
Speak soon,
Samuel. x
