Birmingham Hippodrome is inviting audiences to experience a snippet of six unique musical theatre projects in development at its first ever New Musicals Showcase on Thursday 6 March.

The showcase will include extracts of shows created by the theatre’s Musical Theatre Writers Group. Formed in 2024, the group compromises of six writing teams developing original new musicals under Birmingham Hippodrome’s mentorship, led by writer and dramaturg Victoria Saxton and composer and musical director Tim Sutton.

Alongside the performances, the Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre department will present sneak previews from other projects in development, including the first ever public sharing of a brand-new show.

Audiences can expect a live band and a mixture of local and national musical theatre talent performing extracts from exciting new musicals. With shows ranging from romantic comedies featuring magical washing machines, to R’n’B absurdist court room dramas, there really is something for everyone.

The showcase will be hosted by Brummie actor, Alex Cardall, who was most recently seen as The Moon in The Jingleclaw (Birmingham Hippodrome). His previous theatre credits include the UK Tour of Joe Orton’s What the Butler Saw, The Box of Delights (RSC) and Winnie The Pooh: A New Musical Stage Adaptation (Riverside Studios & UK Tour).

The incredibly talented cast we have performing at the showcase includes Courtney Stapleton, Elena Pitsiaeli, Elexi Walker, Elliott Evans, Georgina Onuorah, Jack Loxton, Kanako Nakano, Katie Shearman, Kianyah Caesar-Downer. Khalid Daley, Maddison Bulleyment, Maisie-Kate Robertson, Matthew Harvey, Melisa Camba, Rosie Coles, Rowan MacPherson and Sharlene Hector.

Musical Theatre Writers Group has been a key developmental programme that focuses on the craft of writing musical theatre. The six writing teams have worked with the Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre Department to develop a new musical over the course of 12 months.

The group have attended monthly sessions at Birmingham Hippodrome led by writer and dramaturg Victoria Saxton and composer and musical director Tim Sutton, along with guest masterclasses and peer learning.  Each member of the writing teams received a bursary of £2000, along with travel expenses to attend the sessions. The writers have also had the chance to share their work at two points during the year and will receive ongoing mentorship from the Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre Department beyond the end of this project.