Bianca Del Rio and Preeya Kalidas Join Cast Of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the award-winning feel good musical sensation, is delighted to welcome BAFTA and Olivier Award nominee actress, singer and radio presenter Preeya Kalidas from 17 November 2019 and thrilled to welcome back Roy Haylock, best known as his Drag alter ego, Bianca Del Rio, to reprises his West End debut role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle from 9 December 2019.

Preeya Kalidas said:

I fell in love with Everybody's Talking About Jamie from the first time I saw it. The music is contagious, the diversity of talent being represented on a West End stage is incredible.

So to be joining the cast as Miss Hedge, I am extremely excited to be part of a show that makes the audience feel so elated, and reminds us all that being unafraid to do and be whoever you want to be can be extremely powerful.

Roy Haylock said:

I'm so thrilled and excited to be re-joining the cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie in the West End! I had such a blast playing Hugo/Loco Chanelle earlier this year. I'm honored and beyond grateful to have the opportunity to work with such an incredibly talented cast and crew once again!

Nica Burns, Producer of Everybody's Talking About Jamie said:

As Everybody's Talking About Jamie starts its third fabulous year in the West End, we are delighted to welcome back the equally fabulous Roy Haylock/Bianca Del Rio as Hugo /Loco Chanelle and the much-loved musical theatre and TV star Preeya Kalidas as Miss Hedge. Roy was a huge hit with audiences when he performed the role earlier this year and Preeya always brings a star performance to every show she is in.

Preeya Kalidas is a stage and screen actress best known for playing Amira Masood in BBC's EastEnders. Preeya also starred in the British smash hit film Bend it Like Beckham, and then later originated the role of Pinky in the original West End musical cast, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Olivier Awards.

Other film credits include: Empire award winning Four Lions, East is East, Sari and Trainers, Jump Boy and Bollywood Queen.

TV credits include: C4's Britz alongside Riz Ahmed, BBC's Bodies , BBC's England Expects with Steven Mackintosh, Carrie in BBC's Mistresses, BBC's Bedtime, BBC's Casualty, BBC's Doctors, BBC's Goggle eyes, BBC's Banglatown Banquet, Carmen in BBC Three Bollywood Carmen (BAFTA Nominated) .

Theatre credits include: Aisha in Chiaroscuro at Bush Theatre, Priya in AR Rahmans Bombay Dreams at London's Victoria Apollo Theatre, Loraina in Oxford Street at The Royal Court, Narrator in revival of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre , Reema in Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's Khandan at Royal Court/ Birmingham Rep, Patty Di Marco in the Original London Cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's School Of Rock.

Preeya currently hosts her own radio show on BBC Asian Network every Sunday afternoon from 1pm.

Roy Haylock, as Bianca Del Rio, was the season six winner of the hit TV series RuPaul's Drag Race. A self-proclaimed "clown in a gown," he received the Best New Television Personality Award from NewNowNext in 2014 and made Variety magazine's list of Top 10 Comics To Watch for 2015. The New York Times called Haylock the "Joan Rivers of the Drag World", and Joan Rivers herself referred to him as "So funny! So sharp!"

Since winning RuPaul's Drag Race, Roy has completed three solo stand-up tours to sold-out audiences around the world, starred in two feature films (Hurricane Bianca and Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate) which are now available on Netflix, and wrote his first book: Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert on Nothing With an Opinion on Everything.

As Bianca, he made guest appearances on MTV's Mardi Gras with Britney Spears and Carson Daly and In Bed With Joan starring Joan Rivers, as well as starred in the LogoTV Christmas special Not Today Bianca. On stage Haylock has had theatrical starring roles that include Angel in Rent, the Emcee in Cabaret, Miss Industrial Northeast in Pageant, and Miss Mazeppa in Gypsy.

Roy is wrapping up his fourth solo stand-up show, It's Jester Joke, which reached six continents and over 25 countries in 2019. The tour included performances at New York City's Carnegie Hall and London's Wembley Arena, where he was the first time a drag queen to headline both of these venues with a solo act.

Preeya and Roy will join cast members: Layton Williams (Jamie New), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), Alexander Archer (Mickey), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Marvyn Charles (Swing), Daniel Davids (Levi), Marlon G Day (Dad), Momar Diagne, Melissa Jacques (Margaret), Zahra Jones (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Emily Kenwright (Vicki), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Luke Latchman (Sayid), Jordan Laviniere (Cy), Harriet Payne (Bex), Sabrina Sandhu (Pritti Pasha), Rachel Seirian (Swing), Biancha Szynal (Swing), Adam Taylor (Swing) and Tilly La Belle Yengo (Fatimah).

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield.

Jamie doesn't quite fit in.

Jamie is terrified about the future.

Jamie is going to be a sensation.

Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. With catchy songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells, and book and lyrics by writer Tom MacRae, this funny, fabulous, feel-good, musical sensation has been wowing audiences and critics alike. Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.