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BEAM is the UK's largest showcase of new musical theatre

BEAM is a dynamic two-day industry event that shines a spotlight on the most exciting new musicals being created today.

The BEAM Showcase is a key part of Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network’s mission to support the development of new musical theatre. BEAM2027 will be held on 20th and 21st May 2027 at Royal & Derngate, Northampton. This is preceded by a series of pitching days at which new work and artists are identified. MMD and MTN have partnered with theatres and arts organisations around the country to host 22 pitching days in fourteen towns and cities across the UK between September and December 2026 and are expecting over 300 new musicals to be pitched.  

Each creative or team has 10 minutes to share their idea with an industry panel and up to 40 musicals will be selected for BEAM2027. Around 50 diverse industry experts, including producers and programmers of new musicals, contribute to the selection process through sitting on the pitching day panels. Bespoke development feedback from the panels will be shared with every pitching team at a later date, thanks to funding from PRS Foundation. This year the first pitching day will take place at Leeds Playhouse, with an expert panel including Artistic Director, Tom Wright. Other pitching venues include Birmingham Hippodrome, Bristol Old Vic, Stratford East, Royal & Derngate, MAST Mayflower Studios, The Lowry, The Exchange Twickenham, Wales Millennium Centre, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Liverpool Everyman, Hoxton Hall, Watford Palace, Southwark Playhouse, and Edinburgh’s Capital Theatres. 

BEAM is designed to encourage and develop musical theatre across the UK, discovering and supporting diverse approaches to the art form, connecting practitioners and finding champions for original work. To date, over 60% of the musicals showcased have gone on to be fully staged or received further development support as a result of BEAM. Over 150 new musicals have been presented at BEAM showcases to date, including current West End and Broadway hit Operation Mincemeat, Hot Mess (currently playing at London’s The Other Palace), A History of Paper (soon at Scotland’s Pitlochry Festival Theatre & Dundee Rep) and Tony nominee Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) currently on Broadway.  

 

BEAM2025 was held at Birmingham Hippodrome on 15th and 16th May 2025.

BEAM2027 will be held at Royal & Derngate, Northampton on 20th and 21st May 2027.

2027 Pitching Days and More Information

Shows featured in BEAM2025

BEAM2025 Artist Spotlights

BEAM plays a crucial role in the development of the UK musical theatre artform. It unites the entire industry to create and promote new musicals from the ground up. Personally, I am producing two BEAM shows, including 'Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)’, which I discovered at BEAM2018 and is now playing in the West End.

Tim Johanson, producer 

BEAM is like Cannes – for musicals. The content is astonishing: brilliantly diverse material that proves musical theatre is alive and well in the UK.

Kate Golledge, director & dramaturg

The BEAM pitching days have helped us reach out to a host of diverse new musical theatre stars of the future. With a national reach and a desire to embrace musical theatre of all kinds, BEAM provides an excellent platform for emerging composers and songwriters to present their new ideas.

David Luff, Head of Theatre, Soho Theatre

BEAM was a blast! The atmosphere, the energy, the vast array of varied and original work combined with the finely oiled scheduling machine that ran like clockwork made it a joyous way to spend a couple of days. My pitch attracted phenomenal interest from 3 producers, a director, 2 artistic directors, & I was offered agent representation.  It was invaluable exposure, & has given me increased confidence moving forwards.

Zara Nunn, composer, MD & BEAM participant

I’ve never felt a buzz quite like it... while new writing of plays thrives in theatres up and down the land, there’s hardly ever been a truly co-ordinated attempt to develop and promote new musicals from the ground up. Until now... What BEAM did was bring writers and supporters of new musicals to the same party and make them part of a community. The future of British musicals may well have been born in those two days.

Mark Shenton, critic, writing in 'The Stage'

With support from

Past BEAM showcase programmes

Why attend the BEAM Showcase?

  • The event shines a light on a fabulously diverse range of shows in a variety of stages of developments, so they can be presented to potential development partners, producers and audiences.  
  • BEAM is designed to connect practitioners and find champions for original work.
  • To date, over 60% of the musicals showcased have gone on to be fully staged or received further development support as a result of BEAM. Current West End shows Operation Mincemeat and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) are notable BEAM success stories.  
  • BEAM is one of the most inclusive and accessible ways for a new musical to be discovered. It aims to showcase the breadth and variety of new musical theatre throughout the UK, and creatives of all backgrounds are encouraged to bring forward their ideas for new musicals.
  • BEAM gives attendees the opportunity to get involved with the most promising new British musicals of the future.

Success stories: over 35 new musicals at BEAM have since had full productions

BEAM brings together producers, writers, venue programmers, funders, composers, directors, licensing houses, higher education course co-ordinators, performers, investors, agents, future audience members and development partners for two days of inspiring content. To date, over 35 new UK musicals showcased at past BEAMs have since been fully staged, including ‘Operation Mincemeat’ (Fortune Theatre in London’s West End), ‘The Season’/’Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)’ (Royal & Derngate/Kiln Theatre/West End), ‘Laila the Musical’ (national tour), ‘Assisted Suicide: the Musical’ (Royal Festival Hall, UK and Australian tour), ‘This is a Love Story’ (Dundee Rep) and ‘Pieces of String’ (Mercury Theatre). Within three months of the most recent BEAM showcase, over 80% of the musicals showcased reported having received offers of development support or interest from producers/staging partners as a result of BEAM.

Members of MTN can view footage of presentations from past BEAM showcases in the Members Hub.

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