Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) and Musical Theatre Network (MTN) have announced the details of their internationally unique, nationwide search for the UK’s most exciting musicals in development to present at BEAM2027, the UK’s biggest showcase of new musical theatre.
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.