NYMT's 2023 summer season included a full production of the new British musical The Boy Who Sailed The World In An Armchair by Jordan Li-Smith. In 2024 we will produce a new production of Catastrophe Bay by Kit Buchan and Jim Barne following a collaborative development process and a week-long workshop with a full-sized cast and professional creative team. We are also inviting submissions for more new writing to be developed in 2024 with the possibility of being produced by NYMT in 2025.
Previous new works prodcued by NYMT include Henrietta by Katie Lam and Alex Parker, Growl - The true story of the Big Bad Wolf by Timothy Knapman and Laurence Mark Wythe, and a new adaptation of A Little Princess by Carl Miller and Marc Folan, which premiered at The Other Palace in London. Henrietta was premiered in 2021 at the Michael Croft Theatre in Dulwich. Growl was selected for NYMT's touring programme, playing at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Curve Leicester and Rose Theatre Kingston. In partnership with Fresh Vogur Shanghai, Growl transferred to China, playing in Shanghai.
The Benefits and Criteria for Submission
The Benefits:
• One week’s fully funded closed workshop as part of the NYMT 2024 season with the possibilty of being fully produced by NYMT in 2025.
• Mentorship from an NYMT creative team who are specialists in new music theatre writing.
• Opportunities to invite guests and potential funders to a reading at the end of the workshop week.
• Strategic advice and guidance about possible next steps for the piece and the writers.
Application Criteria:
• Submissions may be made by a single writer/composer or by a team.
• The piece should be suitable for a company of 30 or more performers. The roles do not have to be equally weighted but, if the piece has a principal/ensemble structure, the ensemble must have equal opportunities to the principals.
• The piece should not have been previously produced professionally.
• Content should be suitable for a company of young performers within our age range.
• Submissions that offer significant roles for younger cast members (10-15 years) are particularly welcomed.
Extra Information.
Please see the information that we will require.
• Brief background notes about the writer(s).
• A synopsis of 750 – 1,000 words.
• A full casting breakdown.
• Two contrasting scenes from the show, one of which contains a song.
• Links to Soundcloud or other recordings of two songs from the show. These do not have to be of professional quality.
N.B. If samples are, as yet, unavailable, we would welcome extracts from other works by the same writer/team.
• Indication that the rights have been secured, if the piece contains any copyrighted material.
PLEASE NOTE – As with our talent search for performing company members, we are looking for potential rather than finished pieces. We understand that the business of creating new musicals involves being open to change, and that things could change considerably before, during and after the workshop process.
Don’t let a lack of experience put you off from applying – new voices are exactly what we are looking for!
Timeline:
• Closing date for applications is 08 January 2024.
• Short-listed writing teams will be invited to a meeting to discuss their pieces further in early February, after which the panel’s decision will be announced.
• Casting will take place following auditions in February in London.
• Dramaturgical process with creative team - March to July.
• Residential workshop week - July or August.
• The selected piece will be performed by a cast of 10-23 yr olds, according to the requirements of the work.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact by email.