Bringing Musical Theatre to life with Birmingham Hippodrome
Explore our current opportunities to support bringing your work to the stage:
Musical Theatre Workroom
The Musical Theatre Workroom was delivered by China Plate, Birmingham Hippodrome, Musical Theatre Network, Mercury Musical Developments and Royal & Derngate, Northampton.
The project brought together experienced musical theatre practitioners and artists from global majority backgrounds to collaboratively interrogate traditions, models and approaches to making musical theatre.
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.
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.
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.