Brett Herriot

***** (5 Stars)

“Emotional and Powerful the Production everyone will be talking about!”

Edinburgh based Find Your Light productions return for their 2026 season with a brand-new challenge for 28 young, up and coming performers they have just two weeks to go from meeting for the first time to staging a fully realised musical production to a professional standard, can it be done? This time the show of choice is the critically acclaimed modern musical smash hit Everybody’s Talking about Jamie and my word the company deliver a show packed with astoundingly mature performances that touch the heart. This show bleeds emotion and power in a production that everyone will be talking about!

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie the 2017 musical adapted from Jenny Popplewell’s critically acclaimed BBC documentary, Drag Queen at 16 which threw the spotlight onto teenager Jamie Campbell in his quest to wear a dress to his school prom. Featuring a score by Dan Gillespie Sells and book & lyrics by Tom MacRae this is a true coming of age musical that deals with matters of the family heart, prejudice on many levels alongside bullying as Jamie seeks to escape the darkness and become the Drag Queen inside.

Rory Pentland As Jamie New (C) Find Your Light Productions

Directed by Stephen Graham- Martin with Choreography and Musical Direction from Charlotte Henshall it’s a brave show to pick as its story speaks to the heart of both the 28 strong company but also the audience. Especially in this production which features a stripped back and emotionally truthful performances from the entire cast whilst also delivering the glamour and comedy of the drag world but effortlessly keeping it real, which is a true achievement for the entire company.

Performances across the board are simply excellent, however the leads in the show are bound for great things in the performance arts industry. Rory Pentland (who will alternate with Olly Freeman-Ferguson) plays Jamie New with an emotional breath and depth that belies his years. His vocals are rich and fulsome, but his acting skill is breath-taking with the emotions of Jamie’s heart being explored with incredible maturity and truth. His performance of “My Man, Your Boy” is heart rendering as it beautiful. The same is true of Isla Nisbet (who will alternate with Brook Dunbar) as Jamie’s mother Margaret New. This is the trickiest role in the show given that both Pentland and Nisbet are around the same age bracket in reality but Nisbet delivers a convincing, heart renderingly impactful performance throughout. Her take on “He’s My Boy” is the shows pure 5 star shimmering moment in motion that brings a tear to all who witness it.

Speaking of 5 star moments special mention must go to Lucymarie McEvoy as Pretti Pasha and her show stopping take on “Beautiful” that’s sung from the heart and although simply directed by Graham Martin delivers the real heart of both the song and the show.

The show also embraces its drag world setting with the inclusion of up-and-coming professional drag queen Cherry West alias Sam Carlin taking on the dule role of Hugo/ Loco Chanelle. Carlin delivers a wealth of comedy talent and lush vocals, and the company have cleverly ensured that whilst aesthetically the character looks like Cherry, they are very much Hugo and Loco throughout.

Joining Carlin in high heels are Robbie Wilkins (Laika Virgin/ Levi), Fionn Cameron (Tray Sophisticay/ Jamies Dad) and Ruaridh Laidlaw (Sandra Bollock/ Mickey) they bring comedy joy and prove they can move in the heels especially when delivering Henshall’s fast paced and fresh chorography. Also, thanks to clever double casting they show off great acting chops too.

Dylan Hynd as Dean and Eve Morrison as Miss Hedge have the challenge of playing baddie parts however they deliver them with conviction and unlike “Jamie’s Dad” they get a redeeming happy ending that has the audience cheering them on come the final curtain.

Production wise, it’s hard to believe the show as brought together in just over a week prior to opening. A clever rotating set and a pair of portals are used to make the most of the space on stage at the Churchill Theatre accompanied by a technicoloured riot of a lighting design from Edinburgh based LA Create. Owen and Chris at LA Create also deliver a flawless sound design. Miranda Burns inspired, inventive and fresh Costume design adds professional polish to this production, Burns choices bring out the best in both performances and the shows story.

Find Your Light’s production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie gets to the heart of Jamies story in a way in which the professional production often doesn’t. It’s performed by a company many of whom are living there own Jamie journey in real life. It’s a production rooted in the truth that we are all uniquely special and deserved to be love for who and what we are! One thing is for sure there is a lot of love in this show, and you must do what you can to grab one of the last remaining tickets and find your own little bit of glitter in the Gray! Camp, Gay, Honest, with a rich heart everything Jamie should be! wonderful stuff indeed.

Find Your Light Presents, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh, Runs until Saturday 18^th July 2026. For more information and tickets go to: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Tickets | Fienta

Arts News!

Remembering Tony Challis, 1946 – 2026

July 16, 2026 Brett Herriot

Scotsgayarts.com is deeply saddened to learn of the death of the great Tony Challis at the age of 80 at his home in Nottingham. Tony was a long-term contributor to our predecessor Scotsgay Magazine and was a respected reviewer of nearly 20 years’ service to SGFringe.com writing close to 1000 reviews for the site and the hard copy magazine all of which explored LGBTQIA+ Themes.

Scotsgay magazines former editor Taylor Hunter spoke to Scotsgay Arts saying, “Tony Challis was far more than a reviewer, to me he was a mentor, a champion of the arts and a passionate advocate for Scotland’s LGBT community.”

“When I took the reigns as Editor of Scotsgay magazine, Tony was already a respected and long serving writer renowned for his Edinburgh Fringe reviews of Gay focused performances. He welcomed me with generosity, offering advice, encouragement and the benefit of his experience at a time it was needed most.”

“Beyond Journalism, Tony Played an instrumental role in the development of the Scotsgay Awards, Tony highlighted excellence in the arts and several of the productions he gave awards too would develop into both West End transfer’s and National UK Tours. Tony’s legacy will live on through the artists whose work he championed and the wider community he helped strengthen in a plethora of ways, Rest in Peace Tony”

Tony Challis was also a lifelong humanist alongside being a former wedding celebrant, he was a passionate and dedicated gay rights pioneer and a published poet. A warm, passionate, and steadfast activist, Tony spent over half a century fighting for equality. He was a long-time supporter of Humanists UK and a co-founder of LGBT+ Humanists.

Tony’s journey in activism began in the early 1970s. After becoming involved with the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE), he joined the Bath Gay Awareness Group in 1972. He was among the brave cohort who marched in London’s second-ever Pride march in 1973. Speaking on a recorded oral history interview for the Humanist Heritage project, Tony recalled:

“I went on the [Pride] march in ’73, which was only the second London one. And at that time, it was much smaller, and you had police all the way along both sides, and you did have people, both National Front types and religious extremists, sort of abusing you and shouting at you.”

For the last 36 years Tony called Nottingham his home having moved there in 1990. He would continue to make his annual pilgrimage to Edinburgh every August writing for Scotsgay Magazine, SGfringe.com and latterly Broadway Baby but Nottingham was always home where he founded Pink Ink, a gay writing group that nurtured local creative talent. He was a dedicated poet, which culminated in the publication of his debut chapbook, Rainbow Candles, by Five Leaves in 2025. His poetry reflected on his life as a gay man during eras of profound social change with a trademark wit, optimism and hope.

Tony Challis was a joy to know, to work with and leaves a legacy of love for both the written word and the arts. He is indeed one of the giant’s today’s LGBTQIA+ community stands on the shoulders of. We are all better for having known Tony and Scotsgayarts.com sends our love to his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace.

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Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Preview:

July 11, 2026July 11, 2026 Brett Herriot

Summer is here, Schools have broken up and for many young people it’s time for their traditional summer theatre school experiences with productions taking place up and down the country. Year-round company SJM Creative found a niche in the market with young people looking to challenge themselves by mounting a fully produced musical and performing it to a professional standard in just two weeks. Hence a new subsidiary company, Find Your Light, was born in 2024.

Following acclaimed and sell out productions of Grease the musical and Legally Blonde the musical the company return to their home of the Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh with a new production of the critically acclaimed, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.

The 2017 musical adapted from Jenny Popplewell’s critically acclaimed BBC documentary, Drag Queen at 16 which threw the spotlight onto teenager Jamie Campbell in his quest to wear a dress to his school prom. Featuring a score by Dan Gillespie Sells and book & lyrics by Tom MacRae this is a true coming of age musical that deals with matters of the family heart, prejudice on many levels alongside bullying as Jamie seeks to escape the darkness and become the Drag Queen inside.

The show is a beloved modern classic and alongside the local rights becoming available the show is scheduled for a new professional production set to tour the UK throughout 2027 to mark the shows 10^th anniversary.

It’s a brave choice of show for Find your Light to choose, especially with its strong LGBTQIA+ themes and the need for several of the characters to dawn those stiletto high heels. It’s also a show with real heart so why did the show’s co-producer Stephen James Graham- Martin choose the show?

He says “Everybody’s talking about Jamie is one of the modern musicals that so many young teens are living in real time. Within the creative industry itself we see the growth and strength from the queer community. But we are also living in a time of real fear and diversity. Jamie is a real story that shows the struggles, and joys, and fun, and tears of a young boy just trying to be his authentic self. Jamie manages to find this wonderful balance of creating a show that is full circle in its story and musical theatre narrative but will also strike a chord with everyone in the audience – it will give everyone a memory to think about or an occasion to remember.”

Graham Martin goes on to say “This talented cast are not only incredible dancers, singers and actors – they are wonderful storytellers that haven’t shied away from the hard themes in the story or the importance of the narrative. Some of them have lived through it, are living through it now or know someone that is – and that power and strength that comes from the diversity is really special. Unity is diversity. So come as you are and see a story that you may or may already know – but we can guarantee that you will be leaving talking about Jamie. “

Sharing the role of “Jamie New” are Rory Pentland and Olly Freeman-Ferguson speaking exclusively to Scotsgay arts we asked them:

What drew you to auditioning for the part of Jamie?

Rory Pentland “Jamie has been my dream role for really long time. It is a really deep rooted character that i can relate too in many different ways and i feel honoured now to play the lead in such an amazing modern story.”

Olly Freeman-Ferguson: “Jamie has already been my dream role and once I saw that there was a production in Edinburgh, I knew I had to take the opportunity! I also feel like I relate to relate to the role and the story a lot.”

As rehearsals progress what’s your favourite number in the show to perform?

Rory goes on to say “My Man Your Boy as its such an emotional number to sing. The story of Jamie and his mum leads up to this point in such a wholesome way that i am so glad to be doing it with my best friend at Find Your Light Isla who is playing the role of Margaret”

Olly says “My favourite number to perform in the show definitely has to be Work Of Art! Closely followed by My Man, Your Boy!

Why should audiences snap up those final remaining tickets?

Rory: “Find Your Light is more of a family than a company. everyone has worked so hard together to create the masterpiece that is Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. it is being portrayed beautifully by the whole cast who make the show funny, sad and so relevant to the world we are in today.

Olly: “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has such a powerful and inspiring true story that has helped many people find their identity and it will be definitely leave you feeling all the emotions.”

Also returning to the show is the red berry of Edinburgh, professional drag queen star Miss Cherry West alias Sam Carlin, following his star turn as Jamie in Edinburgh Children’s Theatre production of the show during 2024 Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival. Cherry went on to perform in their own sell out festival show in 2025 and has recently appeared in BBC’s The Agency Unfiltered Season 4.

Sam and Cherry will take on the role of Hugo and Loco Chanelle and will appear at all performances, so what drew him to returning to the show but this time as the elder queen of loco?

“As I get older within drag; seeing how Hugo takes Jamie under his wing to help young queer people find themselves really made me want to put my own spin on this role”

As you can see from our exclusive rehearsal snaps, Find Your Light are promising to deliver a very special take on the show filled with impassioned performances, fearless vocals and a heavy dash of glamourous drag which will ensure a thrilling night out for all! So be sure to grab your tickets now.

Find Your Light Presents, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Church Hill Theatre Edinburgh, Performances from Thursday 16^th to Saturday 18^th July 2026. For more information and tickets go to: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Tickets | Fienta

Mary Woodward Review

A little bit of Rigoletto and A little bit of The Elixir of Love, Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh, Review

June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 Brett Herriot

***** (5 stars)

“What a joy!”

A packed town hall enjoyed Scottish Opera at its best – bringing the thrills and terrors of opera “where you are” and holding the audience captive with a pared-down but emotionally full-fat performance of not one but two major operas by Verdi and Donizetti.

Scottish Opera’s pop-up operas are most frequently performed in the open air, using a specially adapted trailer which provides the performers, at least, with a bit of shelter from the elements. Today we had the luxury of an indoor venue – and some shelter from the sweltering heat outside.

The pop-up formula is simple: two singers, two musicians, and a narrator tell the story and perform some of the music from an opera. What makes it fascinating for me is the skill with which the essence of the story is extracted from the wealth of detail that surrounds it, and the choices that have to be made about which bits of music are chosen to bring the narrative to life.

It was even more fascinating to me with Rigoletto and Elixir, because both of them have a central role for a tenor – the villain in the former and the hero in the latter. No tenor her, but a soprano, Holly Teague, and a baritone, Colin Murray, between them playing a wide range of parts. In Rigoletto the baritone got to sing the really famous tenor aria La donna è mobile [lucky man!] but Nemorino’s challengingly high aria from Elixir [una furtiva lagrima] was given to the cello, whose emotionally nuanced rendition was, for me, one of the high spots of the evening.

Rigoletto is the court jester to the womanising Duke of Mantua. Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda, is the duke’s latest object of desire. Rigoletto plans to have his master assassinated but it all goes horribly wrong when Gilda chooses to offer herself to the assassin’s blade – she still loves the duke though she knows he’s a bastard. The father of one of the duke’s earlier conquests cursed Rigoletto – the jester realises that the curse has struck.

In Elixir clumsy, not-over-bright Nemorino is hopelessly in love with the clever, witty and beautiful Adina, who has no time for him. Dr Dulcamara, a travelling mountebank comes to the village peddling his magic elixir, the cure for absolutely everything. Nemorino has overheard Adina telling the villagers the story of Tristan and Isolde, and demands that Dulcamara sells him some of the Isolde’s magic potion. Under its influence [cheap red wine] his changed behaviour intrigues Adina. A flirtatious recruiting officer, a gossiping best friend, more elixir, and a sudden inheritance contribute to a happy-ever-after ending – with some gloriously lively music surrounding the outpourings of emotion from the love-lorn hero.

Colin Murray was having a field day with so many opportunities to display his superb mastery of character and ability to reach out and engage us in the dramas played out before us. In Rigoletto he was not only the jester but also the wretchedly miserable father, Monterone, the determinedly professional assassin Sparafucile – and to crown it all, got to sing the Duke’s truly memorable signature tune. He didn’t get to sing Nemorino’s big aria, but had enormous fun with other bits of our hero’s part while also swaggering as self-appreciative recruiting officer Belcore and pulling everyone’s strings [except Adina’s!] as Dr Dulcamara.

Holly Teague was an impressive Gilda – face, voice, and body language all expressing the young woman’s tentative first forays into the world of love; her deep love and compassion for her father, who still deeply loves her long-dead mother; her shame at her treatment at the hands of the duke, her anguish at his betrayal and, despite all this, her inability to stop loving him and so choose to sacrifice herself to save his life. Power, richness, delicacy, subtlety and perfect control of the quietest notes were all here – I hope Holly gets to sing the complete role very soon. As Adina we had a very different woman: confident and in control, sure of herself and determined to get someone better than the stupid peasant boy who sighs over her from afar… how wrong she is! And she realises this, and acts with determination, and gets her man [and takes a little bit of time en route to be the gossiping Gianetta who spreads the good news of Nemorino’s sudden and unexpected change in fortune.

Dani Heron’s storytelling was utterly brilliant. Totally immersed in the action, not just observing from the sidelines: playing some of the characters, commenting wryly on the situations, always totally engaged and engaging, she kept us enthralled all evening. I particularly appreciated her feisty weegie take on Elixir’s narration. Allan Dunn’s brilliant narratives struck the perfect balance between translating from the original Italian and creating superbly witty and memorable language. A friend brought her ten-year-old son and his friend: they were gripped throughout, particularly loved Elixir, and have been talking about their solves being problemed ever since!

And oh gosh the skills of the two musicians! It was a joy to watch guitarist Sasha Savalone and cellist Andrew Drummond Huggan’s involvement in the music and their total attention to the singers. I never cease to marvel at the extremely clever arrangements of the richly emotive scores written for a large-scale orchestra. Sasha does a miraculous job of providing the total orchestral ‘backing’ for Andrew’s cello, which soars and pleads in Rigoletto and sings out true love and devotion in Elixir. Andrew and Derek Clark as music directors have produced two wonderful scores, the stories entertainingly illustrated by Agnes Xantippa Boman [Rigoletto] and Essi Kimpimäki [Elixir].

Director Darren Brownlie has done a superb job with these twostrongly contrasting and superbly realised productions. Applause at the end was loud, prolonged, and richly deserved!

Scottish Opera Pop-ups: A little bit of Rigoletto and A little bit of The Elixir of Love, Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh run ended for outdoor dates and more information go to: Pop-up Opera 2026 | Scottish Opera

Brett Herriot Review

The Karate Kid, The Musical, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Review

June 24, 2026 Brett Herriot

**** 4Stars

“ A joyous nostalgia filled evening of musical joy “

There can’t be an 80’s movie classic that hasn’t at some point been adapted into a stage musical, the one film cannon that seemed the most unlikely to be given the stage treatment is 1984’s The Karate Kid starring the late Pat Morita as Mr Miyagi and the still youthful Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso.

Debuting in 2022 in St Louis the Karate Kid the musical see’s the return of the motion pictures screen writer Robert Mark Kamen to write the book with music and lyrics composed by Drew Gasparini, directed by Amon Miyamoto and featuring choreography from Keone and Mari Madrid. It’s a musical that succeeds because it stays true to the spirit of the original, retelling the timeless tale of good over adversity and the discovery of what a person can do if they find balance and self-belief in ones self. The musical also cleverly stays with in the 80’s world many of us remember in our childhoods. The songs and score have a terrific 80s pop feel and are delivered in style by both cast and a stellar ten strong pit orchestra under the baton of Musical Director Chris Poon.

Performances are excellent with the cast being lead in style by Adrian Pang as Mr Miyagi who delivers a performance that brings out the best of Pat Morita’s original film interpretation but also makes the character more human. The gorgeous Gino Ochello makes his professional stage debut as Daniel Larusso as well as having an uncanny resemblance to Macchio he brings a youthful innocence to the role but also possesses a beautiful singing voice. The leads are joined by a 14 strong ensemble many of whom appear in featured roles. Special mention goes to Sharon Sexton as Lucille Larusso, Daniel’s erstwhile and hard-working mother. Her voice is on point, and she brings real emotional valour to the part.

Production wise this is a west end worthy production with Derek McLane’s Scenic design blending San Francisco with the Orient with ease however there was a set malfunction in that the automated screens came in to far onto stage, so the audience got to see the magic of live theatre to often as the crew changed set between scenes. That said the set is beautifully lit by Bradley King with additional inspired support from Peter Nigrini’s projection design. Ayako Maeda’s lush costume design brings fresh life to 80’s americana and Kai Harada’s sound design is faultless.

Karate Kid the musical works as a musical adaptation as it doesn’t pretend to be something its not, its clearly a work of passion for both the company and the production team, blending a cherished story with classic elements of theatre, especially the use of a physical Greek chorus that ultimately delivers a joyous nostalgia filled evening of musical joy and a night well worth the ticket price.

So why not head to the festival theatre and grab a ticket for journey to an 80’s classic and discover your true self all over again! Wonderful stuff.

The Karate Kid, The Musical, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh runs until Saturday 27thth June for more information and tickets go to: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/the-karate-kid/

The UK Tour continues and the Production will visit the Theatre Royal Glasgow Tuesday 30^th June to Saturday 4^th July 2026

Author: Brett Herriot

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh, Review:

Remembering Tony Challis, 1946 – 2026

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Preview:

A little bit of Rigoletto and A little bit of The Elixir of Love, Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh, Review

The Karate Kid, The Musical, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Review