Jamie Campbell (personality)
Jamie Campbell (also known as Fifi la True) is a British drag queen and media personality who is the inspiration behind the film and musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Jamie Campbell (personality) | |
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![]() Jamie Campbell at the 2018 Olivier Awards | |
Born | Jamie Joseph Campbell 12 December 1994 (age 28) County Durham, England |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Fifi la True |
Early life
Campbell was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. He was raised by his mother Margaret. His parents divorced when he was 7 years old.[1] He came out as gay at the age of 14.[2]
Campbell attended St John's Catholic School from 2005 to 2011 and studied his A-Levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College.
Documentary
In 2011 Campbell contacted a number of film production companies, proposing to capture the story of his journey to high school prom in drag.[3] Director, Jenny Popplewell,[4] alongside Firecracker Films[5] produced Jamie: Drag Queen at 16[6] for BBC Three as a part of their Extraordinary Me series.
Musical
Director Jonathan Butterell saw the documentary by chance and decided to turn it into a musical.[7] He worked with writer Tom MacRae and composer Dan Gillespie Sells for the score.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie premiered at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in February 2017. West End Producer Nica Burns saw the show and brought it to the Apollo Theatre in November 2017 where it ran until September 2021.
Alongside the West End production, there have been two UK tours[8] and international productions in the USA,[9] Mexico,[10] Italy,[11] South Korea[12] and Japan.[13]
The musical was nominated for 5 Olivier Awards[14] and won Best New Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards[15]
Film
Warp Films acquired the rights to adapt the stage show for the on-screen musical version of the same name. Butterell, MacRae and Gillespie-Sells served in the same roles as they did for the original musical for the film adaptation.
New Regency and Film4 Productions produced the film and the distribution rights were originally with Disney via their acquisition of 20th Century Studios.
Originally intended for a 23rd October 2020 release, the film was pushed back because of the Covid 19 epidemic. The film was eventually released on 17th September 2021 by Amazon Studios on Amazon Prime.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 75th BAFTA Awards in 2022.[16]
References
- "I was banned from prom for dressing in drag – now my story is a West End musical". BBC Three. 2018-01-23. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Lee, Veronica (2017-11-04). "'A lad in a frock': the gay teen who inspired a West End show". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Frymorgen, Tomasz (2017-12-15). "I was banned from prom for dressing in drag – now my story is a West End musical". BBC. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Jenny Popplewell Filmography". BFI. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Firecracker, Films. "Firecracker Films Homepage". Firecracker Films. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "BBC Three - Jamie: Drag Queen at 16". BBC. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Lee, Veronica (2017-11-04). "'A lad in a frock': the gay teen who inspired a West End show". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Everybody's Talking About Jamie UK". everybodystalkingaboutjamie. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Ell, Jenny (2021-08-14). "Layton Williams & Bianca Del Rio to reprise roles in North American premiere of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Jamie el Musical, Mexico". jamieelmusical. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "'Everyone is talking about Jamie', a musical that breaks all prejudices and gives a universal message". Italian Post. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Eun-byel, Im (2020-07-28). "Herald Review 'Jamie' kicks out hate with red high heels". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Everybody's Talking About Jamie is a smash hit West End musical. A Japanese version will be performed in Tokyo in August this year". Japan-British Society. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Olivier Awards 2018: Winners in full". BBC News. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Bowie-Sell, Daisy (2018-02-25). "Winners of the 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced: David Tennant and Olivia Colman win". Whats On Stage. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Raven, Chris (2022-02-04). "Everybody's Talking About Jamie movie scoops BAFTA nomination". West End Theatre. Retrieved 2023-07-26.