The British Youth Music Theatre’s 2023 Easter and summer season will feature six new musicals including 2023 BYMT New Music Theatre Award winner Lewis Cornay’s Harry and Greta.
Announced by new chief executive and creative director Emily Gray, the season will run from 14 April until 3 September with performances planned at various venues across the country.
Curated with the Young Company, staff team and freelance artists, the programme also includes: a second run for Jordan Clarke and Ali James’ Angry Salmon; grime musical #50Days written by Thabo Stuck; the story of a successful early 20th century women’s football team Our Girls, Our Game; a dance-led piece with an integrated company of disabled and non-disabled young people; and a version of Romeo & Juliet played and sung by six female and non-binary young people.
Commenting on the programme, Gray said: “We are delighted to announce this 2023 season, with wonderful venue partners including Birmingham Hippodrome, who are passionate about new musicals, and our first ever show at Dundee Rep. When we asked our Young Company Panel what should be in the new season, they suggested epic stories and challenging themes being taken through the unique BYMT collaborative process. We have brought together fantastic teams of professional creatives to work alongside our diverse 2023 Company and bring these music theatre ideas, from historical happenings to future imaginings, to life across the UK.”
The season will open with Our Girls, Our Game, the story of the Dick, Kerr Ladies Football Club, the club’s First World War and post-war success and eventual FA ban in 1921. Composed by Vikki Stone and written by Victoria Saxton, the musical will play The Patrick Studio in the Birmingham Hippodrome from 13-15 April. The creative team for the production also includes director Charlie Westenra, choreographer Jane MacMurtie, musical director Rachel Wells, costume designer Abeda Begum and set designer Anna Kelsey.
Directed by co-writer Ali James, James and Jordan Clark’s Angry Salmon will swim into the Bridewell in London from 4-6 August. The ‘fin-tastic’ tale of the Di Carprio family of salmon is choreographed by Jocelyn Pugh.
Lewis Cornay’s Harry and Greta, a dark re-telling of the story ofHansel and Gretelset against the backdrop of climate change, will play the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich on 4 and 5 August. The production will be directed by Franny Rafferty, with choreography by Chris Tendai, musical direction by Matthew Herbert, and design by Verity Johnson.
Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers are re-located to an English seaside town in composer Joel Hall and writer/director Victoria Gartner’s Romeo & Juliet. The production which will play The Drum at Plymouth Theatre Royal from 11-13 August will be choreographed by Katherine Moran and designed by Lu Herbert.
Inspired by the early 20th century Orphan Trains which transported children from crowded cities in the East of the country to the rural mid-West, The Naughty Carriage on the Orphan Train will steam into the Dundee Rep Theatre on 25-26 August. The creative team for the production includes composer Luke Saydon, writer Carl Miller, director Emily Gray and choreographer Ash Mukherjee.
Featuring music by Dark Star and Duramaney Kamara, the final production, Thabo Stuck’s #50Days is described as a ‘grime musical about a divided nation’. The story of the 50-day build up to the English Civil War in the 17th century will play The Patrick Studio in the Birmingham Hippodrome from 1-3 September.
British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) is the leading musical theatre company for young people, working across the UK and Ireland with West End professionals to offer unique opportunities and high-quality training. Since 2003 they have trained over 8,000 young people, with alumni including Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Lauren Samuels, Charlotte Ritchie, Jack Bence, Lucy Griffiths, Luke McCall and Bradley Jaden.
Angela Thomas
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