The National Youth Music Theatre Achieves Guinness World Records For OUR HOUSE

Leading youth arts organisation The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) are celebrating  being awarded the Guinness World Records most complete costume changes in a lead  theatrical role – with 37 changes in their production Our House. This record has been achieved  by 2024 NYMT company member Des Coghlan-Forbes (17 years old from North Somerset) who  plays the titular role of Joe Casey; he is assisted by Costume Designer Molly Fraser and  Wardrobe Assistant Lucy Vickers (18 years old from Lincolnshire). With music and lyrics by the  iconic British band Madness (with one song, It Must Be Love, written by Labi Siffre), and the  book by playwright Tim Firth, the high-energy tour-de-force musical which ran at the Southwark  Playhouse, Elephant.  

The previous record was held by costume designer Paul Kieve who completed 29 changes in the  original West End production of the show with patron and NYMT alumni Olivier award-winner  Mike Jibson (Hamilton; Our House; Stranger Things) who originated the role of Joe Casey. 

The 2024 summer season has been running at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, performed by  the remarkable Young Company Members of NYMT 2024 (10 - 23 years old). The season has  already featured Stephen Sondheim’s timeless classic Into the Woods, and an ambitious new  folk musical Catastrophe Bay, written by Kit Buchan and James Barne. For nearly 50 years, NYMT  has been at the forefront of offering exceptional opportunities in pre-professional musical  theatre training for talented young people and this marks an exciting chapter in bringing these  shows to the heart of London. 

Chris Cuming, Artistic Director of NYMT, comments, At every point, NYMT works tirelessly to  support, nurture and develop individuals involved on and off stage – it is with immersible pride  that we can announce this Guinness World Records news. It truly recognises some of these  outstanding achievements of stagecraft from the production and the handing of the title from  one NYMT member to another makes it even better. I am so honoured to lead an organisation  that prides itself in its professionalism and ambition in what we achieve and will achieve. This is  a testament to the talent across the companies which we work with year after year and kicks of  a new era. 

Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records Assessor, comments Guinness World Records is  passionate about encouraging young people to take on the challenge of breaking a record, so I  was thrilled to be able to witness Des achieve so many quick changes during Our House – some  of them in under five seconds. What a remarkably talented young performer! I’ve always been a  big fan of The National Youth Music Theatre – it’s such an inspirational organization, and as the  team has just proved, this versatile family of actors and creatives can turn their hand to  anything. Congratulations to Joe, Molly and Lucy for adding such a spectacle to an already  awesome night at the theatre. 

Concluding the NYMT 2024 companies’ work this summer the PLATFORM (18-26) and  CRESENDO (11-18) projects are designed to provide young artists with a prolonged opportunity  to both showcase their talents and express their unique artistic identities. It spotlights a  company of dynamic and inspiring individuals whose instincts and knowledge have been  supported and nurtured in creating a performance alongside a world-class creative team.  

Just under a thousand performers auditioned to join the NYMT 2024 company, who will all be  following in the footsteps of the newly appointed patrons and further NYMT alumni including  multi-award-winning household name Idris Elba, Phantom of the Opera’s Joe Griffiths-Brown,  beloved screen and stage icon Sheridan Smith, and Les Misérables’ Rosy Church. The newly  

appointed patrons include previous alumni - critically acclaimed Matt Lucas, the award-winning  Amara Okereke and It’s a Sin’s Callum Scott Howells. Industry professionals delivered audition  workshops at 19 venues across the UK at the start of the year. Alongside these, NYMT has seen  an increase in applications to join the company as Musicians and the Creative Team Mentorship  Scheme.

NYMT are committed to delivering top-quality professional development and this year are  releasing new courses for not only stage performers but also for people who are interested in  being Creative, Writers or want to work in Technical Theatre. These are non-residential courses  in London that include watching a Technical and dress rehearsal at Southwark Playhouse as well  as working with Industry Professionals. It offers skills workshops, masterclasses, and residential  courses. 

Everyone is welcome to get involved and NYMT is committed to making musical theatre and the  professional industry more accessible to young people across the country, regardless of location  or economic circumstances. National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) has a long-standing  commitment to an inclusive and accessible ethos. This year NYMT is offering £31,000 of  bursaries from their bursary system to support under-resourced families.  

 

 

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