Shane Richie, best known for playing Alfie Moon in BBC’s EastEnders will take on the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle in award-winning musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre from 28 January until 4 May 2019.
Richie will be joining the cast at the same time as Layton Williams also takes over the role of Jamie New. Further casting is to be announced.
Shane Richie said: “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a terrific show so I jumped at the chance to play Hugo/Loco Chanelle. It’s so different to any role I’ve played before and too good an opportunity to miss.
“I started my career in night clubs and cabaret pubs – the kind of world Hugo inhabits – where I met some wonderful characters. So in a sense I feel like I’ve met Hugo/Loco Chanelle before. I’ve had lots of ideas about how to portray the character and sing the songs. As for my dress and heels, hang onto your handbags!”
Producer Nica Burns said: “We are all delighted that Shane is joining the cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, he’s an incredibly talented performer. I know he’ll pull out all the stops and make Hugo/Loco Chanelle entirely his own. It’s going to be a lot of fun!”
Inspired by a true story, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and book and lyrics by writer Tom MacRae, from an idea by Jonathan Butterell who also directs. The musical has won seven major theatre awards and was nominated for five Olivier Awards.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is also to be made into a major film by Sheffield-based production company Warp Films, completing the fairy-tale journey from a 16-year-old approaching a documentary maker to hit West End Show and now the big screen. Filming is expected to commence in spring 2019.
Bio
Shane Richie has had a hugely successful career in theatre, film and television spanning four decades and is a regular fixture on primetime television. He is best known for his role as Alfie Moon in the BBC’s EastEnders which he first started playing in 2002 and for which he has won several industry awards.
On stage Richie has starred in Grease (West End), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (UK Tour), Scrooge: The Musical (UK Tour), Lone Star and Private Wars (King’s Head Theatre). He also played the leads in Peter James’ The Perfect Murder and Not Dead Enough. Richie co-wrote and co-produced the UK tour of Boogie Nights which went on to a season at the Savoy Theatre in the West End.
