Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

After arriving in Chester with plenty of time to spare (see yesterday’s blip), it all started to unravel once I arrived at mum’s. I’d been told that “the microwave wasn’t working properly”, which turned out to mean “the microwave is totally trashed”. So I had to dash to the nearest Curry’s for a replacement. Which meant we were late setting off to Manchester and thus got caught in traffic over Thelwall. Not too bad though and we arrived at the Metrolink Park & Ride in good time to catch the tram to Media City and then find something to eat. Except…the trams weren’t running due to engineering works, so it was back in the car and find our way through the traffic to a car park near The Lowry. All of which meant we only had half an hour to grab something to eat. Pizza Express lived up to its name however. After explaining how little time we had to the waiter - and saying we only wanted a simple Margherita to share anyway - he pulled out all the stops and we were fed, watered and on our way by 7!
The show was excellent. We’d originally booked to see it back in 2020, but we all know what happened then! When restrictions were lifted, the show was not rescheduled and we just received a refund. So I was delighted when a new tour was announced last year and even happier that I managed to book a couple of tickets on the front row of the circle.
As well as being a lively musical with some great songs and dance numbers, it pulls no punches, tackling subjects like homophobia and racism head on. The fact that it is based on a true story, somehow made those scenes more poignant. It was noticeable that the predominantly young audience stayed quiet and attentive throughout. I think a lot of the issues raised struck a chord, judging by comments I overheard.
Very glad we finally got to see this show. If you get the chance to see it, I heartily recommend you do so. It certainly gives you hope that our society is becoming more tolerant, despite what the Daily Fail and its readers would have you believe.