Grace Mouat, Luke Bayer & More to Perform at BYMT 20th Anniversary Gala

BYMT's 20th anniversary gala will be held at The Other Palace on Monday 8 July hosted by writer, performer, BYMT alumnus, and New Musical Theatre Award winner 2023 Lewis Cornay (Spongebob Squarepants The Musical).

The BYMT Gala will feature songs from across the company's history performed by alumni artists including Grace Mouat, Kayleigh McKnight, Luke Bayer and Christopher Tendai reprising BYMT roles. They will be joined by the next generation of future musical theatre stars, with incredible performances from the BYMT current Young Company. The gala will take place on the set of Babies (composer Jack Godfrey) which began its life as a BYMT show in 2021 and has since developed into a fully-fledged professional new musical, opening soon at The Other Palace.

The BYMT Gala brings together industry, alumni, current young performers and audiences to celebrate two decades of BYMT success. Since 2004, the company has engaged with over 16,000 young people, launched emerging music theatre artists into successful careers, and been at the forefront of the UK's music theatre landscape as the nation's most prolific commissioner of new musicals.

The 20th anniversary celebration will also include A BYMT Convention: Careers in New Music Theatre taking place at The Other Palace Studio during the day on Monday 8 July. An event for young people aged 11-21, the BYMT Convention features sessions curated by BYMT's Young Company Panel, including discussions on creating your own show, building a career in theatre and an open mic slot for original musical material by current BYMT participants. Composers, casting directors, producers, agents and directors from companies including Musical Theatre Network and Birmingham Hippodrome New Musicals Department will share their experience with the next generations of theatre makers.

 Zoe Wanamaker, BYMT Patron said: “As a Patron of British Youth Music Theatre I'm proud to wish this wonderful arts charity a Happy 20th anniversary. BYMT gives opportunities to young people of all different backgrounds to explore their creativity and be part of developing and performing brand new musical theatre. BYMT trains the theatre makers of the future who will go on to work on stage and screen.”

Over the past 20 years, BYMT has created 120 new musicals and ignited the careers of highly successful performers and theatre makers, including singer songwriters Ed SHeeran and Sam Smith, director Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, The Little Big Things), performers Grace Mouat (SIX, & Juliet), Bradley Jaden (Les Miserables, Wicked), Genesis Lynea (SIX, Silent Witness), Kayleigh McKnight (SIX), Luke Bayer (Everybody's Talking About Jamie), and Charlotte Richie (Ghosts, Fresh Meat).

During its 20th anniversary season, BYMT is producing seven brand new shows and developing another seven new musical theatre ideas in week-long camps. Led by the BYMT Young Company Panel, the shows programmed take epic themes, tell existing stories and events in revolutionary ways, feel acutely relevant to young people and celebrate a range of musical styles, from folk to rock to electro pop.

The 20th anniversary season began in April with Animal Farm (Birmingham Hippodrome)
All Growed Up (2-4 Aug, Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Unbound (16-18 Aug, Birmingham Hippodrome), Wonderland in Alice (16-17 Aug, Octagon Theatre, Bolton), The Power of Camelot (23-24 Aug, Exeter Northcott Theatre), Welcome to Serene (30-31 Aug, The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), When We Strike  (30-31 Aug, Southwark Playhouse, Elephant, London).

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