Darren Day Joins the Cast of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

Darren Day will join the cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie as Hugo/Loco Chanelle from 21 November – 30 December 2023. Darren shot to fame in 1993 playing Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the London Palladium and has been a regular on the West End stage since with credits including Godspell, Copacabana, Summer Holiday, Grease, The Rocky Horror Show, Carousel, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, We Will Rock You, Les Miserables, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Hello Dolly. He also appeared on the first series of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me out of Here and was a finalist on Celebrity Big Brother.  Darren will be appearing in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Blackpool Winter Gardens, Venue Cymru in Llandudno, and for the three week Christmas season at Oxford New Theatre.

Darren Day said “I can’t wait to step into Loco Chanelle’s heels and join the brilliantly talented cast of the UK Tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. It’s a wonderfully uplifting show filled with great music and humour and has a beautiful message at its heart. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

Harriet Payne (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Original Cast, The Wild Tonics) joins the tour as Miss Hedge in Llandudno and Oxford having originated the role of Bex in the show in Sheffield and at the Apollo Theatre, and covered the role of Miss Hedge in the West End and Los Angeles.

They join Ivano Turco (Get Up, Stand Up!, Cinderella) as Jamie New, Rebecca McKinnis (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End, Dear Evan Hansen, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables) as Margaret New,  Shobna Gulati (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End and Film, Coronation Street, Brassic) as Ray and Talia Palamathanan (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Tour and film) as Pritti.

The show also stars John Partridge as Hugo / Loco Chanelle from 7 September – 19 November 2023 and 8 January – 23 March 2024. Kevin Clifton plays Hugo / Loco Chanelle from 25 March – 15 July 2024. Hayley Tamaddon plays Miss Hedge from 7 September – 26 November 2023. Giovanna Fletcher plays Miss Hedge from 8 January  -  23 March 2024 and Sam Bailey plays Miss Hedge from 25 March – 15 July 2024.

Completing the cast for the 2023-24 UK Tour are KY Kelly (Anthony Gyde) (Laika Virgin), Garry Lee (Sandra Bollock), David McNair (Tray Sophisticay), Akshay St Clair (Dad), Jordan Ricketts (Dean), Liv Ashman (Vicki), Rhiannon Bacchus (Fatimah), Geoff Berrisford (Sayid), Jessica Daugirda (Bex), Finton Flynn (Young Loco Chanelle / Jamie New cover), Annabelle Laing (Becca), Luca Moscardini (Levi), Joshian Omana (Cy), Thomas Walton (Mickey), Takayiah Bailey (Swing) and Georgina Hagen (Understudy Margaret / Ray / Miss Hedge).

Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold out UK & Ireland Tour and Amazon studios award-winning film the show opens at The Lowry on 7 September 2023 before visiting Sunderland, Nottingham, Bromley, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, Leeds, Blackpool, Llandudno, Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Woking, London, Bristol, Plymouth, Sheffield, Liverpool, Eastbourne, Portsmouth, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Northampton and Leicester with further tour dates to be announced.

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

This ‘Funny, outrageous, touching’ (Daily Telegraph) musical sensation is to be experienced by all the family and not to be missed!

Set to an original score of catchy pop tunes that will ‘blow the roof off the theatre’ (Mail on Sunday) by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who). Choreographed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince (Into The Woods, Some Like It Hip Hop, SYLVIA, Message In A Bottle). This ‘sparkling coming-of-age musical’ (The Times) will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.

Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.

About Darren Day

Darren’s big break came in 1993 when he landed the lead role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the London Palladium a role that he went on to play many more times in the West End and on UK and World Tours. From the Palladium he went on to play Jesus on the official London cast recording of Godspell conducted by Stephen Schwartz at the iconic Abbey Road Studios.

Other theatre credits include the lead role of Pip in a musical adaptation of Great Expectations at Theatre Clwyd; Tony Parker in Copacabana (West End); Don in Summer Holiday (West End and UK Tour); Danny Zuko in Grease (West End); Frank n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (25th Anniversary Tour); Billy Bigelow in Carousel (UK Tour); Bob in Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Theatre Royal, St Helens); Bumblescratch in Bumblescratch (West End); Vice Principal Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (UK Tour); Lead Vocalist in Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show (UK Tour); Defending the Caveman (UK Tour); Raul in Extremities (The Old Red Lion, Islington); Alfie (Watford Palace Theatre); Kashoggi in We Will Rock You (UK Tour); Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (West End); Gideon in The Last Session (Tristan Bates Theatre); The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (UK Tour); Bob Wallace in White Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Dessert (UK Tour); Teen Angel in Grease (UK Tour); Cornelius in Hello Dolly (UK Tour); Beau in Mame (Salisbury Playhouse); Billy Flynn in Chicago (UK Tour); Rev. Shaw Moore in Footloose (UK Tour); and Michael Witney in the world premiere of Close Up – The Twiggy Musical (Menier Chocolate Factory). Between 1994 and 2020 Darren was a leading role in no fewer than 22 pantomimes playing parts which ranged from Buttons to Captain Hook for which he was also nominated in the category of Best Male Villain at the Great British Pantomime Awards.

In 1994 Darren achieved his first top 20 hit after signing with Simon Cowell at Arista Records and RCA Records. At that years Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, Darren was awarded the gong for Best Male Singer.

Television credits include: You Bet (ITV, Host); Don’t Try This At Home (ITV, Host); Doctors (BBC); I’m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here (ITV); Extreem Soap (Pilot); Celebrity Scissorhands in aid of Children in Need, Danny Houston in Hollyoaks (E4); Finalist in Celebrity Big Brother (Channel 5); Will Morgan in Stella (BBC); Holby City Christmas Special (BBC); Stormin Norman in Make It Plumb (ITV); Graham Watts in Crime Stories (ITV); Jeff Slade in The Bill (ITV); Jonathan in Mile High (Sky One); Pinch of Portugal (Hallmark).

Film credits include: Rudy; White Island; Rough Cut; The Krays; Demon Eye; Hellbreeder; and Dangerous Game.

Tour Dates

The Lowry, Salford Quays
Thu 7 - Sun 17 September 2023
Website: www.thelowry.com

Sunderland Empire
Tue 19 – Sat 23 September 2023
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire 

Nottingham Theatre Royal
Mon 25 – Sat 30 September 2023
Website: www.trch.co.uk

Bromley Churchill Theatre
Mon 2 – Sat 7 October 2023
Website: www.churchilltheatre.co.uk 

Birmingham Hippodrome
Tues 10 – Sat 14 October 2023
Website: www.birminghamhippodrome.com 

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Mon 23 – Sat 28 October 2023
Website: www.wmc.org.uk 

Brighton Theatre Royal
Tue 31 October – Sat 11 November 2023
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

Leeds Grand Theatre
Tue 14 – Sun 19 November 2023
Website: www.leedsheritagetheatres.com 

Blackpool Winter Gardens 
Tue 21 – Sat 25 November 2023
Website: www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk 

Venue Cymru, Llandudno
Tue 28 November – Sat 2 December 2023
Website: www.venuecymru.co.uk 

New Theatre, Oxford
Tue 12 – Sat 30 December 2023
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tue 9 – Sun 14 January 2024
Website: www.mayflower.org.uk

Newcastle Theatre Royal
Tue 16 – Sat 20 January 2024
Website: www.theatreroyal.co.uk 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Tue 23 – Sat 27 January 2024
Website: www.grandtheatre.co.uk 

New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Mon 29 January – Sat 3 February 2024
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

Peacock Theatre, London
Thur 8 February – Sat 23 March 2024
Website: www.sadlerswells.com

Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol
Mon 25 – Sat 30 March 2024
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

Theatre Royal, Plymouth
Mon 1 – Sat 6 April 2024
Website: www.theatreroyal.com

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
Tue 9 – Sat 20 April 2024
Website: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Mon 22 – Sat 27 April 2024
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May 2024
Website: www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Kings Theatre, Portsmouth
Mon 6 – Sat 11 May 2024
Website: www.kingsportsmouth.co.uk

King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Mon 13 – Sat 18 May 2024
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Tue 21 – Sat 25 May 2024
Website: www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/his-majestys-theatre

Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Mon 27 May – Sat 1 June 2024
Website: www.royalandderngate.co.uk

The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
Mon 3 – Sat 8 June 2024
Website: www.marlowetheatre.com

Milton Keynes Theatre
Mon 10 – Sat 15 June 2024
Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/miltonkeynestheatre 

Hull New Theatre
Mon 17 – Sat 22 June 2024
Website: www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Norwich Theatre Royal
Mon 24 – Sat 29 June 2024
Website: www.norwichtheatre.org

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Mon 1 July – Sat 6 July
Website: www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/the-alhambra-theatre

Curve Theatre, Leicester
Mon 15 – Sat 20 July 2024
Website: www.curveonline.co.uk

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!