Photos: West End Stars Join National Youth Music Theatre For A Christmas Celebration

A host of West End rising stars joined the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) A Christmas Celebration at the iconic St Johns Smith Square, all alumni of this leading youth organisation. See photos of the concert.

They perform alongside the phenomenal 2023 young company. The alumni include award-winning Amara Okereke (My Fair Lady, West End; Spring Awakening, Almedia Theatre), up-and-coming talent Josh Barnett (Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre; Anything Goes, Barbican) and critically acclaimed Lizzie Bea (Sister Act, West End/UK; Hairspray, West End).

One of the UK’s leading youth organisations, NYMT has nearly 50 years at the forefront of providing exceptional opportunities in musical theatre for talented young people aged 10-23. The NYMT A Christmas Celebration marks a special moment for the 2023 company of young performers, backstage teams and musicians to come together to pay homage to their incredible work. It will see songs from this year’s production season of the Shakespearean romance Kiss Me Kate, original new musical The Boy Who Sailed the World in an Armchair, Stephen Sondheim’s hilarious Merrily We Roll Along, and Christmas classics for the festive season.

Chris Cuming, Co-Artistic Director of the National Youth Music Theatre, comments, As we gear up for our 2024 season of projects, we’re excited to celebrate the company of 2023 and reflect upon the year of amazing talent from across the UK. We hope audiences will come and see the country’s talent ahead of our Workshops Auditions beginning in the New Year!

Recently NYMT has announced its shows for the 2024 summer season, and dates for audition workshops, to be held across the UK in January and February. The search is on for dynamic performers and creatives from all backgrounds, aged 10-23, to join the 2024 NYMT company. They will be following in the footsteps of NYMT alumni including multi-award-winning household name Idris Elba, critically acclaimed screen and comedy star Matt Lucas, Phantom of the Opera’s Joe Griffiths-Brown, beloved screen and stage icon Sheridan Smith, and Les Misérables’ Rosy Church.In 2024, industry professionals will lead audition workshops in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Cork, Glasgow, Ipswich, Leeds and London, bringing this exciting chance to learn about and participate in musical theatre to young people around the country. 

Young company members of NYMT will have opportunities to take part in the 2024 summer season and other events and experiences throughout the year. The 2024 summer season will feature Our House, showcasing iconic music from UK band Madness, Stephen Sondheim’s timeless classic Into the Woods, and an ambitious new folk musical Catastrophe Bay, written by Kit Buchan and James Barne. 

Everyone is welcome to the audition workshops 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. NYMT is looking for up-and-coming young musicians, actors, directors, choreographers, musical directors, designers, and technicians from all across the UK to audition and join their 2024 company. The workshops are bookable online with a fee of £45. The team want to encourage anyone who is interested to apply, and do not want the fee to be a barrier. If it is, special arrangements can be made based on individual circumstances. Anyone wishing to discuss that should contact enquiries@nymt.org.uk 

The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) has a long-standing commitment to an inclusive and accessible ethos.  This year NYMT are offering £31,000 of bursaries from their bursary system to support under-resourced families. Audition workshops will commence on Saturday 6th January 2024 and run every weekend until 11th February 2024. 

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