British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT), formerly Youth Music Theatre UK, is a UK-based national performing arts organisation founded in December 2003. BYMT provides music theatre training to young people aged 11–21 and a stepping stone to drama school or conservatoire. Members can join either through auditions in January and February onto productions or, without audition, onto summer camps. Most of its productions and summer camps are residential and situated around the UK with productions taking place in both regional and London theatres.
The company traded as Youth Music Theatre UK from its incorporation in 2003 until its 15th birthday on 4 December 2018 when it formally changed its legal name to British Youth Music Theatre. This coincided with moving its London office to the new Mountview building in Peckham, south east London. It is one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisations and one of seven National Youth Music Organisations. It receives funding from both the Department for Education and Arts Council England. It is also sponsored by the teachers union, the NASUWT."Sponsorships and Affiliations", NASUWT.
The BYMT training programme focuses almost entirely on new music theatre and by 2019 had produced 127 productions of 101 new works including, in 2009, Loserville which went on to become a professional West End production at the Garrick Theatre in 2012. A number of these productions including Loserville are available for licence either through Music Theatre International in London or directly from the writers.
The company's founder and Executive Producer Jon Bromwich retired in April 2022 and his successor Emily Gray became CEO and Creative Director after leaving her post as Director of Mercury Musical Developments.
Alumni
Alumni include Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Charlotte Ritchie and Daisy Chute (the last two were in All Angels cross-over singing group as well as being actresses), Tara Wilcox of The Wandering Hearts, Baker Mukasa and Kayleigh McKnight (both in Tina: The Musical), Gabriel Mokake and Christopher Tendai (both in Hamilton), Grace Mouat and Tim Mahendran (both in & Juliet).
New Musical Theatre Award
The New Musical Theatre Award is an annual prize established by British Youth Music Theatre to support emerging writers, lyricists, composers, musical producers and creators based in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The prize provides the winning writer or writing team with the opportunity to develop a new musical for full production with BYMT's young company.
Year Musical Creator(s) Original production 2025 Sea Change Will Jackson (book writer and co-lyricist) and Elinor Peregrin (composer and co-lyricist) Birmingham Hippodrome, 2026 2024 The Glamification of Loki Eden Tredwell (writer, lyricist and composer) Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London, 2025 2023 Welcome to Serene Iona Ramsay (writer) and Bethany Tennick (composer) New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, 2024 2022 Harry & Greta Lewis Cornay (writer, lyricist and composer) New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, 2023 2021 Babies Martha Geelan (book writer) and Jack Godfrey (composer and lyricist) New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, 2021 2019 The Dickens Girls Rachel Bellman (book and lyrics) and Elizabeth Charlesworth (music) New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, 2019
Principal productions 2020 There were no productions in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 2019
Paperboy adapted from the 2011 memoir of growing up on Belfast's Shankill Road in the 1970s by Tony Macaulay, music by Duke Special, book and lyrics by Andrew Doyle, directed by Steven Dexter and Dean Johnson, choreography by Julia Cave, designed by Natalia Alvarez, lighting by Alan Valentine, musical direction by Matthew Reeve, sound by Ian Vennard. Lyric Theatre, Belfast. The Dickens Girls, winner of the 2019 New Music Theatre Award, based on the true stories of Angela Burdett-Coutts home for fallen girls in West London, music by Elizabeth Sybil Charlesworth, book and lyrics by Rachel Bellman, directed by Charlie Westenra, choreography by Steve Harris, designed by Stuart Charlesworth, lighting by David Phillips, musical direction by Oliver Jackson, sound by James Cook. New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. The Accidental Time Traveller, adapted from the children's novel by Scottish writer Janis MacKay, music by David Hewson, book and lyrics by Clare Prenton, directed by Clare Prenton, choreography by Chris Whittaker, designed by Caitlinn Mawhinney, lighting by Nathan Benjamin, musical direction by Elfyn Jones. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. Extinction, Dance Connection 5, inspired by Extinction Rebellion's campaigns to halt climate change, music by Nicola Chang, concept, choreography and direction by Rachel Birch-Lawson, designed by Sophie Barlow, lighting by Gareth Evans. Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking. Peter Pan, adapted from the novel by J. M. Barrie, music by Jimmy Jewell, book and lyrics by Nick Stimson, directed by Sara Ingram, choreography by Mark Iles, designed by Sarah Oxley, lighting by Jack Weir, musical direction by Cillian Donaghy, sound by Andy Onion. Theatre Royal, Margate. Hot Wheels, a part devised work on the sport of women's roller derby, music by Ella Grace, written, devised and directed by Ellie Jones, movement direction by Steve Kirkham, designed by, lighting by Nathan Jones. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust, a devised work about an Artificial Intelligence being, music by Adam Gerber, devised and directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, choreography by Alicia Frost, scenery and lighting designed by Andrew Exeter, sound by Andy Onion. Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield. Fight Like A Girl, a musical about women's boxing, music by James Atherton, book, lyrics and direction by Nick Stimson, designed by Talia Sanz, movement direction by Kevin Johnson, boxing coach Iain Perriss, lighting by Joe Thomas, sound by Aiden Conor. Mountview Theatre, Peckham, London.
2018
A Winter's Tale, adapted from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, set in an unnamed totalitarian country in the early 1950s and a Mediterranean island during the Summer of Love in 1967, music and lyrics by Howard Goodall, book by Nick Stimson, directed by Bronagh Lagan, choreography by Phyllida Crowley-Smith, designed by Libby Todd, lighting by Alan Valentine, musical direction by Greg Arrowsmith. Rose Theatre, Kingston. Barrack Room Ballads, adapted from the poems by Rudyard Kipling, book music lyrics and direction by Conor Mitchell, choreography by Richard Chapell, designed by Els Borghart and Declan Kelly for Nexus Arts, musical director Alex Bellamy. National Army Museum, London. WILD, an all-female devised musical about finding the wild within you, music by Charlotte Harding, devised and directed by Lewis Barfoot, choreography by Katy Ayling, designed by Amelia Johnson. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. No Man's Land, Dance Connection 4, an all-female production, based on the true story of escape from a totalitarian society to a consumer society, music by Nicola Chang, concept, choreography and direction by Rachel Birch-Lawson, designed by Sophie Barlow. Square Chapel, Halifax. Help! Get Me Out of This Musical, developed from the 2009 devised production ‘’’Force 9½’’’, music by Alexander Rudd, book and lyrics by John Nicholson, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreography by Julia Cave, designed by Sarah Oxley, musical direction by Adam Gerber. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell. Cautionary Tales, a modern musical inspired by the work of Hilaire Belloc, music and lyrics by Rebecca Applin, devised and directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, choreography by Mark Iles, designed by Bethan Viney, lighting by Nathan Benjamin. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. Paperboy adapted from the 2011 memoir of growing up on Belfast's Shankill Road in the 1970s by Tony Macaulay, music by Duke Special, book and lyrics by Andrew Doyle, directed by Steven Dexter and Dean Johnson, choreography by Jennifer Rooney, designed by Natalia Alvarez, musical direction by Matthew Reeve. Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, adapted from Thomas Hardy, devised by Gerry Flanagan, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, choreography by Alicia Frost, designed by Natalia Alvarez, musical direction by Cillian Donaghy. The Other Palace, London. Jabberwocky created from the characters by Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, music by Rebecca Applin, book by Susannah Pearse, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreographed by Heather Douglas, designed by Isobel Nicholson, lighting and AV by Jo Stathers, musical direction by Tom Turner. The Other Palace, London.
2017
Gulliver's Travels, adapted from Jonathan Swift, music by Duke Special, book by Andrew Doyle, directed by Des Kennedy, choreography by Jennifer Rooney, designed by Alyson Cummins. Lyric Theatre, Belfast. A Teenage Opera, original music & lyrics by Mark Wirtz & Keith West, adapted by Pete Gallagher, directed by Julie Atherton, choreography by Stuart Rogers, designed by Colin Mayes. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell. Production live streamed from the theatre. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, adapted from Thomas Hardy, devised by Gerry Flanagan, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, choreography by Alicia Frost, designed by Natalia Alvarez. Theatre Royal, Winchester. More in Common, Dance Connection 3, based on the ideas and political leanings of MP Jo Cox who was murdered in June 2016, devised and choreographed by Jo Meredith, music and lyrics by Michael Grant, directed by Greg Eldridge, lighting by David Hughes. Square Chapel, Halifax. Reflections in Swan Lake, Dance Connection 3, devised and choreographed by Rachel Birch-Lawson, music by James Keane, designed by Sophie Barlow. Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler's Wells, London. Jabberwocky created from the characters by Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, music by Rebecca Applin, book by Susannah Pearse, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreographed by Heather Douglas, designed by Isobel Nicholson, lighting and AV by Jo Stathers. Theatre Royal, Margate. Children of the New Forest adapted from the novel by Frederick Marryat, book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Green and Caroline Wigmore, directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, choreography by Skye Reynolds, designed by Emma Lynch. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. First Ladies, an all-female music theatre work, based on the concept of Hillary Clinton's glass ceiling party, music by Elizabeth Charlesworth, book by Nikki Racklin, directed by Gerard Jones, choreography by Anjali Mehra, designed by Harriet Clarke. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
2016
What I Go to School For, the Busted musical, book by Elliot Davis, music by James Bourne and Busted, directed by Steven Dexter, choreographed by Ewan Jones, designed by Sarah Oxley, lighting by Derek Anderson. Theatre Royal, Brighton. The Legend of White Bear Lake, a production for younger performers based on a Native American tale from Minnesota, book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Green and Caroline Wigmore, directed by Gemma Fairlie, choreography by Katy Ayling. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth. The Dark Tower, a staged oratorio based on the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning and further influenced by Louis MacNeice's radio play of 1943 with music by Benjamin Britten, music and lyrics by Conor Mitchell, direction and choreography by Rachel Birch-Lawson, designed by Sophie Barlow. The production was staged over three floors of a converted munitions factory – the CLF-Art Cafe, the Bussey Building, Peckham, London. The Great Gatsby adapted from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, music and lyrics by Adam Gerber, book, lyrics and direction by Lewis Barfoot, choreography by Steve Kirkham, designed by Natalia Alvarez. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.