Founded in 2003 by Jon Bromwich, British Youth Musical Theatre (BYMT) is a company which allows young participants to create and perform original and innovative musicals.
This year on 8 July, the company came together at the renowned Other Palace Theatre to explore the history and achievements of BYMT over the past two decades. Open to all who are interested in new and inspiring theatre, the Gala highlights the opportunities given to young performers, as well as creatives, to make original and exciting theatre which has a focus on current cultural, social and economic issues.
The Gala offered a combination of old and new creations, bringing back alumni, who have gone on to have professional careers within the industry to perform with the current cohort of young people. The Gala shows a clear feeling of community and family, as each performance connects with not only the audience but also the performers. Having young people in the band also shows the company’s ‘triple-threat’ talent and the musical abilities of the next generation.
Emily Gray, who followed Bromwich as the next Chief Executive and Creative Director and Cerys Jones, the Casting and Young Company Manager, spoke in an interview about BYMT’s ambition, inclusivity and creativity. They spoke positively on how BYMT has evolved in the last 20 years, reflecting on the expansion of the company since it began in 2003, as well as the opportunities it has offered young performers and helped to develop their careers in the present day.
Emily and Cerys discussed significant milestones for the company. One of these was Loserville, and we saw a performance of Genius from this hit musical at the Gala, performed by Ryan Heenan, who was in the original cast of Loserville, which performed in 2011 and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2013. The show was picked up and put in the West End and was created collaboratively by the creatives as well as the young people.
Emily remarked, “It’s a show made by young people, for young people”. This demonstrates that BYMT puts their participants at the heart of the company, creating these elaborate shows so that young actors have a voice and a chance to create, perform and grow within the industry.
Emily commented that a massive shift in the company was the push in 2016 to recruit female composers to start writing for the company. She observed that most composers are male, and so they went about getting Performing Rights Society funding to support female writing teams. This opened a space for female writers to create and collaborate, leading to this year seeing five out of their seven composers being female or non-binary. Their commitment to giving everyone a voice is something so inspiring about the company which you see reflected in its shows.
BYMT has given some amazing opportunities to young performers, and this is revealed in the current casting in West End shows, where performers who started with the company have developed their careers in the theatre industry. Christopher Tendai. who began with BYMT, has gone on to create a dance theatre company, as well as being in the original cast of Cabaret and Hamilton. When speaking at the Gala, Christopher said that BYMT introduced different roles within the industry and didn’t necessarily make you feel like being a performer was the only option. Emily said on Christophers’ career, “It is so lovely to see somebody come out and is still a performer but also is using the skills to be a company leader”.
During the Gala, a young person spoke to the audience about how the 20th-anniversary show reflects the history of the company. They spoke about the hard decision to choose shows to perform from, considering the company had produced 120 over the last 20 years. Discussions with the Young Company panel narrowed it down to the 10 most iconic shows. These were shows that had something very special about them. They also decided to include a song which has been written this year by the young people, about the experience of being in BYMT. This indicates that the creation of new musicals is ongoing. Emily summed up the evening as “A glorious sweep of the last 20 years, covering the kind of different genres we work with and a real celebration of the stories that have stuck with our participants and our audiences”.
Overall, the BYMT 20th Anniversary Gala was a fitting celebration of two decades of artistic achievements and a testament to the organization’s enduring influence on young theatre makers. And with many more shows lined up this year, including Wonderland in Alice at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton from 16 August, and Welcome to Serene at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich from 30 August and When We Strike at London’s Southwark Playhouse at the end of August, audiences can look forward to watching BYMT’s shows.
