EIFF to screen movie adaptation of hit drag queen stage musical
A film adaptation of an awardwinning hit musical is the latest act to be announced for the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF).
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, starring Richard E. Grant and Max Harwood, will be screened at the Festival Theatre – a coming home of sorts as the stage musical was the last production to play before the pandemic hit in March last year.
Jamie Campbell and his mother Margaret – the subjects of the original documentary that inspired the musical – will be attending the screening.
Inspired by true events, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is about Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teenager in a blue-collar English town with a dream of life on stage.
While his classmates plan their livelihoods after graduation, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition as a fierce and proud drag queen.
His best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his loving mum (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with endless support while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance.
But it’s not all glam. The show also follows the youngster’s relationship with his unsupportive father (Ralph Ineson), an uninspired career advisor (Sharon Horgan) and some school children who attempt to deter him from reaching his dream.
It is a production centred on inspiring one another to be more accepting, and to see the value in facing adversity and fulfilling one’s dreams.
The show takes places on August 20 and will be preceded by an outdoor event in St Andrew Square involving drag queen entertainment and cocktails and a competition for guests to win prizes for the best outfits.
The tickets for the screening can be ordered through EIFF’S first Pay-what-youcan scheme. Tickets to the St Andrew Square event are free, but must be booked in addition to tickets for the film.