The acclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has revealed its lead actors as it prepares to mark a decade since its Sheffield Crucible premiere with a nationwide tour. The production will introduce a new song by creators Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will embark on a tenth anniversary tour opening at Leeds Grand Theatre on 15 January 2027. The tour commemorates the original 2017 premiere at Sheffield Theatres and features the story of 16-year-old Jamie New, a teenager from a Sheffield council estate who dreams of becoming a drag queen.

Ashcon Rahmani will make his professional stage debut as Jamie New, with Rebecca Trehearn cast as Jamie’s mother, Margaret New. Rahmani described the role as a personal milestone, noting the show’s importance as representation for young queer people from northern England.

Director Jonathan Butterell expressed enthusiasm for the casting, highlighting the significance of Rahmani’s debut and Trehearn’s role as a supportive figure onstage. He praised the musical’s celebration of youthful courage and the joy it brings audiences across the country.

Originally conceived by Butterell, with music by Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by Tom MacRae, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie first moved to the West End’s Apollo Theatre in 2017. It played there until 2021 and won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Musical in 2018.

The show has toured widely across the UK and Ireland and has been staged internationally. There is also a film adaptation directed by Butterell starring Max Harwood and Sarah Lancashire, released on Amazon Prime.

The upcoming tour will be directed by Matt Ryan, with design by Anna Fleischle, choreography by Kate Prince, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound design by Paul Groothuis, musical supervision by Theo Jamieson, and casting by Will Burton.

This latest tour not only celebrates the show’s milestone but also introduces new material with a song written by Gillespie Sells and MacRae, reaffirming Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s continuing evolution in the UK theatre landscape.