BRITISH YOUTH MUSIC THEATRE
AddressMountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street,
Peckham
London SE15 5JT
United Kingdom
Public transitNational Rail Peckham Rye
Opened2003; 21 years ago (2003)
Website
britishyouthmusictheatre.org
British Youth Music Theatre

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[1] and one of seven National Youth Music Organisations.[2] It receives funding from both the Department for Education and Arts Council England. It is also sponsored by the teachers union, the NASUWT.[3]

The BYMT training programme focuses almost entirely on new music theatre and by 2019 had produced 127 productions of 101 new works [4] including, in 2009, Loserville which went on to become a professional West End production at the Garrick Theatre in 2012.[5] A number of these productions including Loserville are available for licence either through Music Theatre International[6] in London or directly from the writers.

The company's founder and Executive Producer Jon Bromwich retired[7] in April 2022 and his successor Emily Gray became CEO and Creative Director[8] after leaving her post as Director of Mercury Musical Developments.

Alumni

For a list of previous notable company members who have a biographical article on Wikipedia, see Category:Alumni of British Youth Music Theatre.

Alumni include Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Charlotte Ritchie and Daisy Chute (the last two were in All Angels[9] 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),[10] Gabriel Mokake and Christopher Tendai (both in Hamilton),[11] Grace Mouat and Tim Mahendran (both in & Juliet).

Principal productions

2019

Hot Wheels – Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
Fight Like A Girl – Mountview Theatre, London

2018

Barrack Room Ballads – National Army Museum, London
Paperboy – Lyric Theatre Belfast

2017

Tess of the d'Urbervilles – Winchester Theatre Royal
Jabberwocky – Theatre Royal Margate

2016

The Dark Tower – Bussey Building, London
What I Go to School For – Theatre Royal Brighton

2015

Sweat Factory – Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Macbeth – New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Festival fringe

2014

Soul Music – Rose Theatre, Kingston-on-Thames
The Making of Ali and Nino – Wilde Theatre, Bracknell

2013

Vanishing Point – film shot in Plymouth
Variété – Riverside Studios, London

2012 Loserville

2012

According to Brian Haw – Riverside Studios, London
Out There – Riverside Studios, London

2011

Terry Pratchett's Mort – Greenwich Theatre, London
Korczak – Rose Theatre, Kingston-on-Thames

2010

The Dummy Tree – Tristan Bates Theatre, London

2009

Peter Pan – Barbican Theatre, Plymouth
Loserville the Musical – South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell

2008

Great Expectations – South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell
Frankenstein – Cochrane Theatre, London

2007

Rare Dreams – Downside Abbey, Somerset
The Time of Our Freedom – Waterfront Hall, Belfast

2006

2005

Goblin Market – George Square Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Please Look at Me Now – Loretto School Theatre, Musselburgh, Lothian

2004

References

  1. ^ "ACE Data". Artscouncil.org.uk.
  2. ^ "Music Education Programmes". Artscouncil.org.uk.
  3. ^ "Sponsorships and Affiliations", NASUWT.
  4. ^ "Past shows – Youth Music Theatre UK". Britishyouthmusictheatre.org/.
  5. ^ "Loserville The Musical". Loservillethemusical.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Loserville – Music Theatre International". Mtishows.co.uk.
  7. ^ "BYMT's Executive Producer steps down | British Youth Music Theatre".
  8. ^ "Emily Gray is appointed Chief Executive & Creative Director of BYMT | British Youth Music Theatre".
  9. ^ "All Angels Official". Allangelsofficial.com.
  10. ^ "CAST & CREATIVE – Tina Turner Musical Limited". Tinathemusical.com.
  11. ^ "London Cast – Hamilton Official Site". Hamiltonmusical.com.
  12. ^ Burke, Dave (5 December 2017). "Horrifying images show grim 10-inch parasites found inside North Korean soldier". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  13. ^ YMT - A Teenage Opera - Live Stream. YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
  14. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Youth Music Theatre UK "Fagin" Live Stream, Sat 15 August. YouTube.
  15. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: The Making Of Ali & Nino. YouTube.
  16. ^ "Loserville". Loservillethemusical.com.