Welcome to Birmingham Hippodrome’s department for developing and producing new musicals.
This is the UK’s first in-house department dedicated to developing and producing new musicals.
The New Musical Theatre team focuses on nurturing musical theatre talent alongside commissioning, presenting and producing musicals on Hippodrome stages and beyond.
What we’ve been up to
Go behind the scenes with a video following the first year of the department, meeting some of the artists we’ve been working with:
Productions
The department produces new musicals for stages in Birmingham and afield. Read more about the shows we’re working on:
Hot Mess
A pop comedy musical by Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote – the creative duo behind 42 Balloons.
Hot Mess takes you to the heart of the tempestuous relationship between Earth and Humanity. After a billion years of bad dates, Earth’s finally found the one… Humanity. Sparks fly. Wheat is harvested. Technology flourishes. But what begins as a passionate love affair between the universe’s most iconic couple quickly descends into a Hot Mess.
Presented in association with Vicky Graham Productions, this is Birmingham Hippodrome’s first production for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, premiering in August 2025 at Pleasance Courtyard.
We will also present two preview performances in the Patrick Studio on 24th and 25th July.
Book tickets to Birmingham previews
No Such Thing As Wolves
A fun-filled musical adventure from Gerard Foster and Richie Webb – two of the writers behind Horrible Histories.
No Such Thing As Wolves follows the story of Hettie Hedgehog, who is ready to hibernate – until her new friend, Sydney Squirrel, convinces her to throw a party instead. But when two mysterious guests arrive with great big ears and pointy teeth, things get paws-itively wild.
Created for everyone aged three and over, No Such Thing As Wolves will premiere in the Patrick Studio in December 2025. It’s the latest festive show presented under the banner of My First Musical.
The Jingleclaw
A festive family musical by Robyn Grant and Tim Gilvin – the New Musical Theatre department’s first commissioned show under banner, My First Musical.
In a cosy village nestled in the snowy mountains, the Shnootnoot Winter Festival is fast approaching. Astrid is busy practising to play with her school band.
Everyone wants her to keep in time, but Astrid just wants to march to the beat of her own drum. Meanwhile, deep in the Winterwood, The Jingleclaw awakes, a mischievous monster who can’t STAND festive cheer and music.
This production premiered in the Patrick Studio in December 2024 to roaring critical approval.
★★★★★ “As a first step in Birmingham Hippodrome’s ambition to create its own ‘goosebump’ theatre, The Jingleclaw is hugely successful and will hopefully have a life well beyond this Christmas.” – WhatsOnStage
★★★★★ “A spectacularly dazzling, foot-tapping, extravagant and original musical that is truly not one to miss” – Express and Star
You can stomp along to original music from The Jingleclaw on all major streaming platforms!
Development
We develop new musicals through a variety of bespoke processes – from focused talent development initiatives to seed commissions, workshops and showcases.
Riff Residencies
Riffs are one-week residencies at the Hippodrome where writers can begin work on new projects or get together to think through and action changes at pivotal moments in the development of a musical.
These residencies have supported teams that went on to present work as part of Rewrites, BEAM2025 or are benefitting from other development schemes and programmes.
Musical Theatre Workroom
The Musical Theatre Workroom is delivered by China Plate, Birmingham Hippodrome, Musical Theatre Network, Mercury Musical Developments and Royal & Derngate, Northampton.
The project brings together experienced musical theatre practitioners and artists from global majority backgrounds to collaboratively interrogate traditions, models and approaches to making musical theatre.
The 2025 cohort for Musical Theatre Workroom was recently announced.
Musical Theatre Writers Group
MT Writers Group was a key programme focusing on the craft of writing musical theatre. Six writing teams worked with the New Musical Theatre Department to develop a musical over 12 months.
15 artists from across the UK attended monthly sessions at the Hippodrome led by writer and dramaturg Victoria Saxton and composer and musical director Tim Sutton, along with guest masterclasses.
MT Writers Group concluded with a showcase, featuring national and local performing talent, and presented to an audience of industry and public.
Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network
At the UK Musical Theatre Conference on Friday 12th April, Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network announced they would create a new base at Birmingham Hippodrome from Summer 2024.
BEAM2025, the UK’s industry showcase for new musical theatre, also took place at the Hippodrome on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May 2025. Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network, in association with Birmingham Hippodrome, hosted performances of 28 inspiring shows in development, introductions to new writers, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Getting in touch
We are keen to hear about musicals of different scales and various stages of development!
Invitations
As a small team working on a national scale, we are not able to make everything, but we travel to see new work whenever and wherever possible.
Getting in touch with around four weeks’ notice helps give us more chance of attending events outside of the Midlands.
To invite our team please email newmusicals@birminghamhippodrome.com with date, time and location details. We respond to all invitations and aim to let you know in advance if we can attend.
We will also be at Edinburgh Fringe in 2025 and are excited to see new musicals. If you are bringing your work to the festival, then be sure to let us know.
Pitches
Whilst we do not accept specific applications for the opportunities above, we are happy to receive unsolicited musical theatre pitches from writers and producers across the UK.
Due to the volume of the proposals we receive and our small team size, unfortunately we can’t provide feedback on all projects shared with us.
We open formal submission windows for proposals in which our team respond with feedback to all musicals shared during a certain period. The next submission window will open in 2026.
If you choose to tell us about your project before then, please email newmusicals@birminghamhippodrome.com.
Please include:
- Bios of the writer(s) and any confirmed creatives or producing partners;
- Information about the stage the musical is at and what you aim to achieve;
- Any relevant demos, links or documents associated with the project, such as the most recent draft of the book or a recording of a previous sharing.
We recommend sharing demos of two contrasting songs, a story and character outline and extracts of the book or lyrics.
Our department does not develop:
- Plays
- Musicals using existing music for which the rights are not cleared
Images from This Is A Love Story Workshop Performances, Feb 2024. Photos by Manuel Harlan. Images from MT Writers Group Launch, Apr 2024. Photos by Angela Grabowska.