Thomas will succeed Layton Williams who, with Shane Richie, will lead the U.K. tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, opening in Sheffield in February 2020.
Thomas will be the third actor to play the title role in the musical, also following John McCrea, who originated the role at Sheffield Crucible Theatre in February 2017 and opened the production in the West End.
In a statement Thomas, who was cast in Oliver! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane when he was 11, said, “What a whirlwind! Only two weeks ago I was studying at Mountview and had very little time to prepare for the audition, which I saw as a chance to gain some experience in the industry. I was asked back the next day, not expecting anything, and they asked me if I would like to play Jamie. I couldn’t believe it. [Producer] Nica [Burns] told me to go outside the theatre and look up. It was then I realized that my face would be in lights on Shaftesbury Avenue. This is so surreal, and I am so ready for whatever this experience holds.”
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has music by Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by Tom MacRae from an idea by Jonathan Butterell.
Butterell also directs with
design by Anna Fleischle, choreography by Kate Prince, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound design by Paul Groothuis, musical direction by Theo Jamieson, and casting by Will Burton.
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