RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Bianca Del Rio will step into the role of Loco Chanelle/Hugo in the award-winning musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the West End from Saturday 6 May until Saturday 29 June 2019.
The drag alter-ego of actor and comedian Roy Haylock will make his West End debut in the hit show, following in the footsteps of Drag Race judge Michelle Visage who took on the role of Miss Hedge in the production from October 2018 until January this year.
Announcing the latest piece of casting news, the production’s West End producer Nica Burns said: “We are so excited to have a genuine drag queen playing the part of Loco Chanelle/Hugo for the first time. Bianca Del Rio is a queen amongst queens, a world famous, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner. This is her West End debut and while dazzling us as Loco Chanelle, she will also be channelling her inner actor in the double role of Hugo.”
Winner of season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race and currently starring in solo stand-up touring show It’s Jester Joke, Del Rio said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic to be joining the brilliant cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie! What better way to return to the musical theatre stage than in a West End production?! It’s such an incredible honour. Helen Mirren beat me to playing Queen Elizabeth, so I accepted the role of the next best admired queen… Loco Chanelle!”
Due to mark its second year in the West End in November, the hit show, originally planned as a limited season at the Apollo Theatre, is now booking up to Saturday 25 January 2020.
Haylock will join current cast: Layton Williams (Jamie New), Faye Tozer (Miss Hedge), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Marvyn Charles (Swing), Marlon G Day (Dad), Momar Diagne, Zahra Jones (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Melissa Jacques, Emily Kenwright (Vicki), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Luke Latchman (Sayid), Jordan Laviniere (Cy), Rebecca McKinnis (Margaret New), Harriet Payne (Bex), Rachel Price (Swing), Sabrina Sandhu (Pritti Pasha), Biancha Szynal (Swing), Adam Taylor (Swing) and Ziggy Tyler Taylor (Levi).
Written by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae, the show is directed by Jonathan Butterell, who also came up with the original idea for the show. The crowd-pleasing show has collected seven major theatre awards to date and filming is due to begin on a movie version of the musical later this year. A UK tour of the show is also planned for 2020.
The production’s creative team includes designer Anna Fleischle, choreographer Kate Prince, musical director Theo Jamieson, lighting designer Lucy Carter, sound designer Paul Groothuis and casting director Will Burton.
The Sheffield Theatres Production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is produced in the West End by Nica Burns, Ian Osborne, Paula Marie Black, Teresa and Craig Beech.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie are available HERE.
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