The MTI Junior Theatre Festival Europe to Take Place Online This Saturday

The MTI Junior Theatre Festival Europe, presented in partnership with iTheatrics in New York, is Europe's biggest celebration of musical theatre designed specifically for schools and youth groups. The Junior Theatre Festival Online, which takes place on Saturday 8th May, is a day-long programme featuring: West End workshops for students and specially curated workshops for teachers and directors; panel discussions with performers and creatives from West End shows; exclusive performances; unique cross-continent collaboration plus an opportunity to look to the future after a very difficult 16 months.

Over 850 young performers from 33 schools and youth groups across all parts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Malta, Georgia and the Czech Republic will be taking part.

The award-winning authors of Matilda the Musical will join representatives from Hamilton, Disney's The Lion King, & Juliet, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins and performers from across the West End as part of the event.

In an exclusive 'Matilda Takeover' segment, authors of the show Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly will take part in a unique Q&A with students and teachers attending the event. Matilda the Musical alumni Kerry Ingram (original cast member) and Tom Brown (Bruce, Cambridge Theatre) will join associate director Lotte Wakeham in conversation about this musical phenomenon, alongside specially created performances from Belfast School of Performing Arts. MTI will be giving priority access for attending groups to access the performing rights to Matilda the Musical JR., a specially-created one hour version of the musical designed for young performers, before the show is released to all schools and youth groups across the UK and Ireland later in May.

Stars of Hamilton Karl Queensborough and Alexzandra Sarmineto will join a 'Direct From the West End' panel which will also feature Olivier & WhatsOnStage Award winner Miriam-Teak Lee, director of & Juliet Luke Sheppard, and Janique Charles (Nala) and David Blake (Banzai) from Disney's The Lion King.

Students will take part in online workshops lead by Disney Teaching Artists from Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins, assistant dance captain of & Juliet, Josh Baker, and teachers from across the globe.

West End stars Rob Houchen, Alexia Khadime and Jamie Muscato will share exclusive performances as part of the Festival's Finale. A special performance of 'When I Grow Up' from Matilda the Musical, uniting students from all the attending groups, will close the event.

Though the May festival has moved online due to social distancing measures, an in-person festival is currently planned to take place on Sunday 24th October at The ICC in Birmingham.

www.jtfeurope.co.uk