Youth Music Theatre UK

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Youth Music Theatre UK is a UK-based national performing arts organisation founded in December 2003. It is one of Arts Council England's National Portfolio Organisationsand one of seven National Youth Music Organisations. It receives funding from both the Department for Education and Arts Council England. The organisation is known colloquially by its company members and staff as "YMT".

YMT 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 YMT training programme focuses almost entirely on new music theatre and has produced over 80 new works including, in 2009, Loserville which went on to become a professional West End production at the Garrick Theatre in 2012. A number of these productions including Loserville are available for licence either through Music Theatre International in London or directly from the writers.

Video Youth Music Theatre UK

Alumni

YMT's alumni include Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith (singer), Charlotte Ritchie and Daisy Chute (both in All Angels as well as being actresses and singers), Tara Wilcox of The Wandering Hearts.

Maps Youth Music Theatre UK

Principal productions

2018

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, adapted from Thomas Hardy, devised by Gerry Flanagan, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, choreography by Alicia Frost, designed by Natalia Alvarez. The Other Palace, London.
Jabberwocky created from the characters by Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, music by Rebecca Applin, book by Susannah Pearse, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreographed by Heather Douglas, designed by Isobel Nicholson, lighting and AV by Jo Stathers. The Other Palace, London.

2017

Gulliver's Travels, adapted from Jonathan Swift, book by Andrew Doyle, music by Duke Special, directed by Des Kennedy, choreography by Jennifer Rooney, designed by Alyson Cummins. Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
A Teenage Opera, original music & lyrics by Mark Wirtz & Keith West, adapted by Pete Gallagher, directed by Julie Atherton, choreography by Stuart Rogers, designed by Colin Mayes. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, adapted from Thomas Hardy, devised by Gerry Flanagan, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, choreography by Alicia Frost, designed by Natalia Alvarez. Theatre Royal, Winchester.
More in Common, a Dance Connection production, devised and choreographed by Jo Meredith, music and lyrics by Michael Grant, directed by Greg Eldridge, lighting by David Hughes. Square Chapel, Halifax.
Reflections in Swan Lake, a Dance Connection production, devised and choreographed by Rachel Birch-Lawson, music by James Keane, designed by Sophie Barlow. Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler's Wells, London.
Jabberwocky created from the characters by Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, music by Rebecca Applin, book by Susannah Pearse, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreographed by Heather Douglas, designed by Isobel Nicholson, lighting and AV by Jo Stathers. Theatre Royal, Margate.
Children of the New Forest adapted from the novel by Frederick Marryat, book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Green and Caroline Wigmore, directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, choreography by Skye Reynolds, designed by Emma Lynch. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
First Ladies based on the concept of Hillary Clinton's glass ceiling party, music by Elizabeth Charlesworth, book by Nikki Racklin, directed by Gerard Jones, choreography by Anjali Mehra, designed by Harriet Clarke. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.

2016

What I Go to School For, the Busted musical, book by Elliot Davis, music by James Bourne and Busted, directed by Steven Dexter, choreographed by Ewan Jones, designed by Sarah Oxley, lighting by Derek Anderson. Theatre Royal, Brighton.
The Legend of White Bear Lake, a production for younger performers based on a Native American tale from Minnesota, book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Green and Caroline Wigmore, directed by Gemma Fairlie, choreography by Katy Ayling. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
The Dark Tower, a staged oratorio based on the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning and further influenced by Louis MacNeice's radio play of 1943 with music by Benjamin Britten, music and lyrics by Conor Mitchell, direction and choreography by Rachel Birch-Lawson, designed by Sophie Barlow. The production was staged over three floors of a converted munitions factory - the CLF-Art Cafe, the Bussey Building, Peckham, London.
The Great Gatsby adapted from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, music and lyrics by Adam Gerber, book, lyrics and direction by Lewis Barfoot, choreography by Steve Kirkham, designed by Natalia Alvarez. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.
Fight Like A Girl, a musical about female boxing, music by James Atherton, book and lyrics by Nick Stimson, directed by Ellie Jones, choreography by Tony Mills, boxing consultant Mally McIver, designed by Jamie Simmons. Production site specific in the old finishing room at Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, West Yorkshire.
Trojan Women, devised around themes of migration in contemporary Europe, music by Francis Goodhand, devised and directed by Stuart Harvey, choreographed by Alicia Frost, designed by Tiffany Dawson.Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
MAELSTRØM - Legends of the Underworld, devised from Scottish and Norwegian folk tales, music by Lori Watson, devised and directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, choreography by Deborah Galloway. The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
The Frenzy of Sweeney adapted from the Cycle of Kings, music by Garth McConaghie, lyrics by Aoife Mannix, directed by Bronagh Lagan, choreography by Sarah Golding, lighting and AV by Joe Stathers. Lyric Theatre, Belfast.

2015

Gulliver's Travels, adapted from Jonathan Swift, book by Andrew Doyle, music by Duke Special, directed by Des Kennedy, choreography by Jennifer Rooney, designed by Alyson Cummins. Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
Macbeth adapted from the play by William Shakespeare, music by Garth McConaghie, directed by Stuart Harvey, choreography by Rachel Birch-Lawson, designed by Chris de Wilde, lighting and AV by Joe Stathers. New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
FAGIN based on the character from Charles Dickens Oliver Twist, music by Paul Kessell-Holland, book and lyrics by Nick Scrivens, directed by Steven Dexter, choreography by Phyllida Crowley-Smith, designed by Sophie Barlow, lighting by Alana Valentine. South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.
Not the End of the World adapted from the novel by Geraldine McCaughrean, music by Sonum Batra, lyrics by David Francis, book and direction by Charlotte Conquest, choreography by Stuart Winter, designed by Ryan Dawson-Laight, lighting and AV by Joe Stathers. New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The Bachelor Girls, a musical about a group of girls leaving school in the aftermath of the First World War, book, music and lyrics by Jennifer Green and Caroline Wigmore, directed by Pete Gallagher, choreographed by Heather Douglas. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
The Dirty Stop Outs, a devised musical developed from interviews and meetings between teenage performers and older UK citizens, concept and music by Alex Silverman, devised and directed by Ellie Jones, choreographed by Morag Cross. Square Chapel, Halifax.
The Midnight Flower Press a musical devised about a group of children distributing surreptitious political material prior to the main reform of labour acts in the mid-nineteenth century, music by Elizabeth Charlesworth, devised and directed by Ellis Kerkhoven, choreographed by Deborah Galloway. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
Sweat Factory, a Dance Connection production, devised and choreographed by Rachel Birch-Lawson, music by Garth McConaghie, libretto by Aoife Mannix, designed by Sophie Barlow. Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler's Wells, London.
The Coorie Cave, a musical about a group of young people emerging from a cave into a dystopian world, music by Craig Adams, book and direction by Drew Taylor, choreography by John Ross. Aberdeen Arts Centre as part of as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.

2014

Not the End of the World adapted from the novel by Geraldine McCaughrean, music by Sonum Batra, lyrics by David Francis, book and direction by Charlotte Conquest, choreography by Darrell Aldridge, designed by Ryan Dawson-Laight, lighting and AV by Joe Stathers. Barbican Theatre, Plymouth.
Terry Pratchett's Soul Music, music by Craig Adams, book and lyrics by Andrew Doyle, directed by Luke Sheppard, choreography by Cressida Carre, scenery designed by Victoria Spearing, costumes and puppetry by John Barber, lighting by Chris Withers. Rose Theatre, Kingston.

2013

Vanishing Point, a musical film, contemporary version of the Pied Piper story, music by Rebecca Applin, book and direction by Ellie Jones, choreography by Lucie Pankhurst, designed by Sarah Oxley, co-produced with Martin Wright for Gamelab UK. Filmed on location in Plymouth.

2012

According to Brian Haw, a musical about the political campaigner Brian Haw who camped for 10 years outside the UK Parliament to protest about British foreign policy , from a concept by Eddie Latter, music by James Atherton, book and lyrics by Sarah Nelson, directed by Ellie Jones, movement by Eddie Latter, designed by Hannah Boothman. Square Chapel, Halifax.