Hi, I’m Charlie Traynor, an 18-year-old musician who recently worked as an Assistant Musical Director on Lightning Boy, a brand new British musical developed with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT). In this blog, I’ll share what it was like to go from anxious pianist to assistant creative, and how NYMT gave me the chance to work behind the scenes on a new musical that’s already shaping the future of youth theatre.
I grew up as a musician – first as a classically trained pianist and later as a contemporary guitarist. Performing was never my favourite part; I found it nerve-wracking, but I loved writing, studying, and listening to music.
I've always loved theatre, and when I was much younger, I used to love performing, but I realised fairly young that it can be a very scary, competitive world, and I think growing up I was (and still am) a bit too sensitive to deal with that. But I realised surprisingly quickly when I was about 16 that working behind the scenes is just as, if not more, rewarding than being on stage. The first time I tried being a techie (by follow-spotting a production of Beauty and the Beast), I realised performing wasn't everything for me, and by the time I finished my intake course with National Youth Theatre in sound design and composition in summer 2024, I had decided I'd found a much more fitting niche for myself.
I’d always thought NYMT was just for performers. Then a friend who had worked on a new musical workshop told me about opportunities for creatives too. At the time, I was MDing a school production of One Man, Two Guvnors – my first ever MD role – so I decided to apply.
I was torn between Assistant Musical Director and Sound Assistant. Sound design is my main passion, but I also wanted to be part of the full rehearsal journey, not just tech week. That made me take the leap and apply as an AMD – even if I felt under-qualified!
I rushed my CV and cover letter the night before the deadline and was shocked to be invited to an audition weekend for Tuck Everlasting. The sight-reading was terrifying, and rehearsal piano is a very different skillset to classical piano. Still, I gave it a go.
In the end, I was asked to work on Lightning Boy. At first, I hesitated – it was a brand new musical I knew nothing about – but by the second day of rehearsals, I was hooked.
After about two days into Easter rehearsals in Canterbury, I was shamelessly eating every single one of my uncertain words. I loved it. I was absolutely blown away by how amazing the cast were, because, in my panic about whether or not I had any clue what I was doing, I had completely forgotten the "prestigious programme for performers" part of my previous NYMT knowledge. My theatre fan brain kicked in and I just got so excited that I was getting to work with such insanely talented people (the people who'll be on the West End in a few years) that I sort of forgot to be scared. Even though I still had no idea how to teach people harmonies or play piano for a choreo call or answer any of the cast's questions, I... well, I wouldn't say I threw myself at it, but I certainly crept tentatively towards it.
I played rehearsal piano for a choreo rehearsal of one of our big Act 2 numbers and the world didn't end, which was somewhat unexpected. I even ran part of a vocal warm-up, and made it out the other side unscathed.
What struck me most was how welcoming and collaborative the process was. Everyone, even assistants like me, felt like a valued part of the company. It made me significantly less concerned about the fact that I still felt quite a lot like I didn't know anything about the job I was supposed to be doing.
One of my favourite opportunities came between Easter and summer rehearsals, when I was asked to orchestrate the show’s playoff. My name is now on the score – something I’ll never stop being proud of.
I still loved the techie side of the work I was doing. On the first day of summer rehearsals, I had to learn to program in MainStage from scratch so I could set up my keyboard part. I was splitting Keys 2 in the show with the other Assistant MD – he covered Act 1, while I played Act 2. Towards the end of rehearsals in Canterbury, I was also asked to create a little bit of sound design. In Act 2 there’s a flashback scene where the characters appear as children, and the Director Kate wanted a sound cue to signal the time shift. It was something small, but it felt natural to me – in fact, I found it far more comfortable than most of my MD tasks.
That became my professional excuse to spend more time with the sound team when we moved to tech rehearsals in Birmingham – but honestly, I would have hovered around them anyway. I’ve done a lot of sound-related shadowing, so quietly watching has become something of a special skill. On our very first day, I got to the theatre three hours early just to see stage management set up. By the time everyone else arrived, I’d already been helping the sound team, moving between the designers working on microphones and our Sound No.1, Will, who was at the sound desk mixing the show.
Watching mixing for the first time was mesmerising. It’s a bit like playing an instrument – it demands constant focus and precision – and it almost felt like performing in the show, even though I wasn’t on stage. Honestly, it seemed like my dream job.
Luckily, because all our rehearsals and performances were being recorded (and maybe also because I had bribed the sound team with chocolate fingers earlier), Will let me sit at the desk and fake-mix my favourite number.
It was so much fun – and to my surprise, I was actually good at it. I like to think that came from a mix of my years as a musician, my love of rhythm games, and knowing the score inside out.
Working on Lightning Boy taught me:
Most importantly, it showed me that as daunting as NYMT seems from the outside, it’s a place where young creatives are welcomed, supported, and encouraged to grow.
Leaving Lightning Boy was bittersweet. I’ll miss the people, the process, and the music – but I’m already counting down the days until applications open for the Creative and Production Pathway 2026.
My dream is to continue working as both an Assistant Musical Director and in sound design, finding that balance between music and tech. And who knows – maybe one day I’ll be mixing Lightning Boy again in a professional production.
Until then, I’ll proudly wear my title of “Biggest Music Theory Geek” from our company’s Lightning BAFTAs, and look forward to many more NYMT adventures.
Being part of Lightning Boy has been one of the best experiences of my life. I can’t wait to see where this show – and everyone involved – goes next.
I will miss Lightning Boy very much. But I'm counting down the days until CPP applications open for 2026 and I can come back and see all of those people again that I've somehow only known for four months. It feels like it's been years, in the best way possible. I can't wait to see where all of us end up in the future, and here's to hoping it's in a professional production of Lightning Boy with the full original cast, creative, and production team. (A guy can dream, alright?)
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