Everybody is definitely talking about Layton Williams, best known to musical theatre fans for his roles in Rent and Hairspray, who will take over as Jamie New in the award-winning Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre from 28 January 2019. Now we are left wondering if John McCrea will be heading to Broadway with the show?
Layton Williams takes over from John McCrea who created the role of Jamie when the show first opened at Sheffield Crucible Theatre in February 2017, and who has played the role since its opening in the West End in November 2017. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will celebrate its first birthday at the Apollo Theatre in the West End on 6 November 2018. Further casting for January 2019 is to be announced and the show is currently booking until 6 April 2019.
Producer Nica Burns said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Layton Williams as only our second Jamie as we say goodbye to the wonderful John McCrea, who created the role and leaves the cast on 26 January 2019. Layton is a supremely talented actor, singer and dancer with a long list of credits.
“He is equally at home on TV in series like Beautiful People and Bad Education as he is on stage in roles such as Angel in Rent and Seaweed in Hairspray. I’m sure he will make the role of Jamie very much his own.”
Inspired by a true story, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by writer Tom MacRae, from an idea by Jonathan Butterell who also directs. The musical has won seven major theatre awards and was nominated for five Olivier Awards.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is also to be made into a major film by Sheffield-based production company Warp Films, completing the fairy-tale journey from a 16-year-old approaching a documentary maker to hit West End Show and now the big screen. Filming is expected to commence in spring 2019.
