Submit a new musical
BYMT is the largest commissioner of new musical theatre in the UK. We programme six full productions in leading venues and development camps where ideas for new shows can be trialled over a week with a group of young people in a residential setting. The development, interests and needs of young people are central to our programming.Â
How we programme
BYMT’s programming is done in dialogue with our Young Company Panel. This is to ensure the work we produce is aligned with the interests and values of young people. Upon reviewing submissions, the BYMT programming team will select a longlist, which will then be discussed with the Young Company Panel. Their recommendations for the shortlist, along with discussions with venues and the Board, will form the 2026 programme. We programme works at all stages of development, from the inception of an idea, to fully written shows.
Productions at BYMT
Every production is given a two-week rehearsal process with a cast of 36 young people, a band of young people and professional musicians, and a full creative and production team, culminating with performances in a leading theatre venue. Past venues have included Birmingham Hippodrome, Lowry in Salford and Southwark Playhouse.
What is a Development Camp?
Development camps are 6 day residential R&D (research and development) periods, where writers can explore new ideas, and develop work with a group of 40 young people. Led by a professional creative team, writers can work on entirely new ideas or expand existing material in a collaborative environment.
What We Offer
- BYMT offers writers the rare opportunity to develop work on a large scale, as we only programme pieces that are suitable for a cast of 36.
- We work with a full creative and production team of leading industry professionals to develop and stage new work in top theatre venues across the UK.
- The opportunity to be an integral part of the staging of new work, to have involvement in the casting process for productions, and contact time onsite during rehearsals and the production week.
- Dramaturgical support from the BYMT team.
- Support in future licensing, or strategy for your show.
- Marketing & PR support.
- An ongoing relationship with BYMT beyond just programming, including supporting writers’ journeys as artists, not just the journey of a particular project.
- Opportunities for invited guests to see writers’ work.
Submission Criteria
- Shows must be suitable for a cast of 36 young people. The cast should all have meaningful, named roles that contribute to the piece.
- Shows must be designed to engage young people, and have a clear reason for involving a young company.
- Shows should be original concepts, or writers should confirm they have secured the rights for existing IP prior to applying.
- BYMT shows are usually under 90 minutes without an interval, with 8-12 songs, the majority being ensemble numbers, and minimal solos.
- The show must be realistically achievable in a very short rehearsal period.
- The show must be suitable to be performed with a maximum band size of 6 (including one professional musician, and one professional MD).
- We programme works at all stages of development, from the inception of an idea, to fully written shows
What We’re Particularly Excited About
- Gender-inclusive stories. Our auditionees are 70-75% female identifying, and we embrace both gender fluid and gender conscious casting in our programming.
- Ensemble driven theatre-making. We’d love to receive pieces that embrace ensemble-led storytelling, and are specifically designed for large casts.
- Writers who align with the ethos of BYMT. We want to meet writers who are excited about working with young people. We know how valuable the artistic voices of young people are, and we want to work with people who are committed to nurturing young artists.
- Movement-led pieces. We usually programme one movement-led piece a year, where choreography is integral to the storytelling.
- Adaptations. Our young people are interested in new, innovative and unconventional ways of telling well known stories. Our young companies are particularly interested in fairy tales and mythology.
- Real world issues. Historical or present day, our young people are interested in real stories, and important issues that matter to them.
BYMT is committed to creating an inclusive culture in all its activities, ensuring equality of opportunity for all our creative practitioners and encouraging applications from individuals regardless of disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We are particularly keen to hear from writers from global majority backgrounds and those who self-identify as disabled, as they are under-represented in the new music theatre sector.
How to Apply
You will be asked for the following information in our submission form:
- What stage is the show at so far? (e.g full script & demos available, full first draft, early stages of writing or just conceptual)
- Writer bios (300 words max per writer)
- Please attach a synopsis (no more than one A4 page)
- Please attach a character breakdown, if available (including character ages, playing gender and vocal ranges)
- Please attach 2 contrasting songs by the writers, either from the proposed show or previous work. These do not need to be fully produced demos. We accept all levels of recording quality and will assess based on writing, not recording quality.
- Please contextualise each song (100 words per song)
- Between 6 to 10 pages of dialogue (ideally consecutive and from the proposed show, but otherwise from a previous piece)
- Please detail the musical language of the piece, including style, and any band requirements (300 words max)
- How would exploring your idea with BYMT specifically benefit the piece? What would you like to get out of a development opportunity? (400 words)
- If available, please include any links to additional material such as video footage from past work, scripts, scores, or previous production information.
Submissions close on the 31st August at midday. In late September, we will finalise our longlist, and update all candidates of the outcome.
