Teen drag queen musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie lands five Olivier Award nominations

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae, , Director - Jonathan Buttered, Designer - Anna Fleischsle, Choreographer - Kate Prince, Sheffield Theatres, 2017, Credit: Johan Persson/

Teen drag queen musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been nominated for five Olivier Awards.

The groundbreaking musical is based on the real-life story of Jamie Campbell, who became a drag queen aged 16.

The show, which opened in the West End last February, was today nominated for a string of Oliviers.

The show’s star John McCrea, who plays Jamie in the show, was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical, while Josie Walker, who plays his mum Margaret, is up for Best Actress.

The Feeling singer Dan Gillespie Sells, who wrote the music for the show, is up for the Outstanding Achievement in Music award, while choreographer Katie Prince is up for Best Choreographer.

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae, , Director - Jonathan Buttered, Designer - Anna Fleischsle, Choreographer - Kate Prince, Sheffield Theatres, 2017, Credit: Johan Persson/

(Johan Persson)

The show is also nominated for Best New Musical.

It will face stiff competition from Lin Manuel-Miranda’s international hit Hamilton, which is nominated for a record 13 awards after opening in London last year.

Meanwhile, the National Theatre’s production of AIDS drama play Angels In America has 6 nominations in the play categories, including Best Revival.

Former Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield is up for Best Actor, while James McArdle and Denise Gough are nominated in the supporting actor and actress categories.


Angels in America director Marianne Elliott is also up for Best Director.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of Society of London Theatre and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards, said: “This year’s Olivier nominations reflect a strong and exciting performing arts scene in the UK with fresh, new work coming to the fore.

“It is wonderful to see so many first time nominees and we look forward to welcoming everyone to this celebratory occasion on Sunday 8 April”.

The full nominations are below:

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Michael Jibson for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Ross Noble for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre

Jason Pennycooke for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Cleve September for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Sheila Atim for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic

Tracie Bennett for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Rachel John for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Lesley Joseph for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Music and Orchestrations by Dan Gillespie Sells, his debut as a musical theatre composer and orchestrator at Apollo Theatre

Follies – The Orchestra, under the Music Supervision of Nicholas Skilbeck and Music Director Nigel Lilley at National Theatre – Olivier

Girl From The North Country – Music & Lyrics by Bob Dylan, Original Orchestrations & Arrangements by Simon Hale at The Old Vic

Hamilton – Composer-Lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda at Victoria Palace Theatre

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION

Flight Pattern by Crystal Pite at Royal Opera House

Goat by Ben Duke for Rambert Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells

Grand Finale by Hofesh Shechter at Sadler’s Wells

Tree Of Codes by Wayne McGregor and The Paris Opera Ballet at Sadler’s Wells

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

Rocío Molina for pushing the boundary of flamenco in Fallen From Heaven (Caída Del Cielo) at Barbican Theatre

Francesca Velicu for her performance in English National Ballet’s production of Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre Du Printemps at Sadler’s Wells

Zenaida Yanowsky for her performance in Liam Scarlett’s Symphonic Dances at Royal Opera House

BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY

David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny at Garrick Theatre

Derren Brown: Underground at Playhouse Theatre

Dick Whittington at London Palladium

Five Guys Named Moe at Marble Arch Theatre

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER

Andy Blankenbuehler for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Bill Deamer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Kate Prince for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre

Randy Skinner for 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Christopher Wheeldon for An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre

MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

On The Town at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Ciarán Hinds for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic

John McCrea for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre

Giles Terera for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Jamael Westman for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Janie Dee for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Shirley Henderson for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic

Imelda Staunton for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Josie Walker for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre

BEST REVIVAL

Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Hamlet at Almeida Theatre

Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre

Witness For The Prosecution at London County Hall

BEST NEW COMEDY

Dry Powder at Hampstead Theatre

Labour Of Love at Noël Coward Theatre

Mischief Movie Night at Arts Theatre

The Miser at Garrick Theatre

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AFFILIATE THEATRE

The B*easts at Bush Theatre

Killology at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

The Red Lion at Trafalgar Studios 2

The Revlon Girl at Park Theatre

WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Howell Binkley for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Paule Constable for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Paule Constable for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Jan Versweyveld for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Tom Gibbons for Hamlet at Almeida Theatre

Gareth Owen for Bat Out Of Hell The Musical at London Coliseum

Eric Sleichim for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Nevin Steinberg for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Hugh Durrant for Dick Whittington at London Palladium

Roger Kirk for 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Vicki Mortimer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Paul Tazewell for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

BLUE-I THEATRE TECHNOLOGY AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN

Bunny Christie for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre

Rob Howell for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Vicki Mortimer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Bertie Carvel for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

John Hodgkinson for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

James McArdle for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Peter Polycarpou for Oslo at Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Bríd Brennan for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Denise Gough for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Dearbhla Molloy for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Imogen Poots for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION

La Bohème at Trafalgar Studios 2

The Exterminating Angel at Royal Opera House

Semiramide at Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA

Paul Brown for his set and costume designs for Iolanthe at London Coliseum

Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona for their performances in Semiramide at Royal Opera House

Roderick Williams for his performance in The Royal Opera’s The Return Of Ulysses at the Roundhouse

BEST ACTOR

Paddy Considine for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Bryan Cranston for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Andrew Garfield for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Andrew Scott for Hamlet at Almeida Theatre

BEST ACTRESS

Laura Donnelly for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Lesley Manville for Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Wyndham’s Theatre

Audra McDonald for Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Wyndham’s Theatre

Imelda Staunton for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST DIRECTOR

Dominic Cooke for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier

Marianne Elliott for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Rupert Goold for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Thomas Kail for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Sam Mendes for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

AMERICAN AIRLINES BEST NEW PLAY

The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre

Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton

Oslo at Harold Pinter Theatre

MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL

An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre

Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic

Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre

Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre