NYMT/BYMT 2023 thread

[Comefromaway]

Ok, I know we technically haven't finished 2022 yet as there is still the Christmas Concert for some (my ds is not taking part due to his conservatoire concert) but NYMT have released details of their 2023 season & auditions here

mailchi.mp/nymt/nymt-2022-season-announcement-5919443?fbclid=IwAR2nM_B-gUzYyvEzUTMDFUt2c4RiuW5ElKjmdxG6qJIgIPS2W6owl8GY7NY

Good luck everyone whose dc are applying this year

Oh that’s all great info thank you @Biscuitsneeded. If my DD does make a show do you know what we have to pay? Fees etc

Congratulations to all those with lovely news and huge commiserations to those who haven’t been so lucky this time round. When my DD was first auditioning we went to see Wicked the night before her recall and went to the stage door afterwards and she was asking Emma Hatton who had just played Elphaba for audition advice, Emma asked what she was auditioning for and laughed and said that she herself had tried and failed to get into NYMT and just to go and be herself and if it was meant to be it would happen.
Theatre business is horrendously tough at times like this.

@EmsPinky the fees should be listed on the website. Brace yourself. It looks like a lot of money (well, it is) but if you break it down into what they get per day in terms of board, lodging, all the production elements, the professional creatives, the pastoral care etc I think it's good value. It's just sadly not affordable for all. But they do have bursaries.
As a parent whose child has done this several times and who has gone without holidays to finance it, I still say it's worth every penny. DS is currently auditioning for drama schools and although he may yet end up with no place this year, he is realising how precious his NYMT experience has been in terms of preparing him for group auditions, working as part of a company, taking direction etc.

Yes, I think he will apply and see what happens.

Just emphasising as others have done that every year is a new year and results completely vary depending on the shows and roles... this is our 4th year auditioning.

Year 1: call back, initially not cast but then called up because someone dropped out
Year 2: no re-call
Year 3: cast in showcase
This year: no re-call

DC is also a musician and has been successful every year with that- still waiting to hear for this year, so hopefully she will
still get her NYMT fix!

Also agreeing that although expensive on the face of it, it's worth every penny, she's learnt so much (not least, resilience!).

For those who’ve been to Alleyn’s School before - any tips? It doesn’t look particularly easy to get to without multiple trains/buses. Has anyone driven there before or anyone coming from the north driven to somewhere nearby then got a bus/train in?

thanks

It’s easy to drive there @Mcmumager - there is plenty of on street parking on the road just outside the school entrance.

Thank you @Biscuitsneeded ! Just had a look, it is a lot but like you say if you break it down to what they’re actually getting……
i didn't realise they had to board, should be an amazing experience for those that make it through! I’ll be keeping everything crossed for everyone!

@Mcmumager if driving from the North you can cross via the Woolwich tunnel and it's doable but not especially straightforward. If public transport is running it's actually reasonably OK as long as you don't mind a little walk at the end. Trains go from London Bridge (usually platform 16, from memory, but do check!) and go to East or North Dulwich. You do then have a bit of a walk but only 15 minutes or so. I forget which way round they are, but the first stop is further away but will take you near Lordship Lane where there are some shops and cafes. The second one is slightly nearer but it's a walk down residential roads of extremely expensive-looking houses and not much else! If you need to buy food to keep him going, best get it at London Bridge. If you're waiting around while he does his recall, Lordship Lane has cafes etc.

@yodaforpresident I'm glad your DD enjoyed it. Fingers firmly crossed for news later this week. It must have been a very fun but intense weekend!

Just to support what others have said-
dd has auditioned for 3 years now
Year 1 - recall but then not cast
Year 2- showcase
Year 3- recall
For those who perhaps tried the first time this year, please don’t be put off. It’s worth trying again and quite normal to have years where dc don’t get in.
@MxPickles hope your dd is ok and will try again. Some people recommend the week summer course for younger dc as often after doing that they come back and are cast the following year. They are also residential and loads of fun.

@Biscuitsneeded yes, very intense - apparently her legs are sore today from all the dancing!

@yodaforpresident As long as she enjoyed it! If cast, they do have a fairly intense experience, so they need to have the stamina for long days. The workshop day is a good test for that - if they come out buzzing and having enjoyed it (sore legs notwithstanding!) that's a good sign they would cope with rehearsals.

To those not recalled, it's also worth noting that this board probably isn't representative. I'm aware it may seem from this thread as if most people get a recall from the auditions, when that is, in reality, not the case. Often people join this thread when their DC has already got a recall and they google for info and come across this 'waiting room' thread (which seems to have run every year for a while now!). Some of us are old hand parents whose DC have been involved more than once and know the ropes, so get less fazed by the audition as they know what to expect. I don't mean at all that it's a closed shop and harder to get in as a newbie - that couldn't be true or BYMT/NYMT wouldn't be able to keep going! - but I do feel DS has learnt so much from each NYMT show he has done, and that he is a better auditionee because of his experiences. For someone trying for the first time, everything in the audition is new. I have encouraged some brilliant little performers with fantastic singing voices to go along to auditions, and they have not got recalls. I'm always very surprised, but then they tell me there was an improvisation game and they panicked and froze, or that the dance was difficult and they concentrated so hard on trying to get the steps, they forgot to perform it. It doesn't mean they weren't good, or they didn't impress, but they have to be good enough across all 3 skills, and sometimes hiccups happen even to amazing children. From the amount of good news on this thread it may seem as if recalls are the norm, whereas I think they used to say about 1 in 4 would get a recall. My feeling is that numbers auditioning have dropped a bit post-pandemic (so many lovely performers have lost their confidence or just don't have the financial means) so maybe the chances are a bit better than that now, but still far from guaranteed, however talented the DC might be.

I second the recommendation to do the summer, or even Easter, course, by the way .

Thanks @Biscuitsneeded and @Alakazam8

Kiddo had a really good day and came out buzzing. She was super happy because she got asked to come and stand in the front row for the dancing.

I think she made a mistake in not singing the song we had prepared and reverting back to one she did when she was much younger - other than that who knows!

She had a really good day though so it definitely wouldn't put her off auditioning again.

Just seen this thread - DC only auditioned this weekend but looking through it sounds like people have been told about recalls already, is that right? No idea when we would be meant to hear other than that recalls are weekend after next so assuming soon?

People who know about recalls auditioned on previous weekends Catya.

Thanks comefromaway - that's interesting that they recall as they go. For some reason I'd imagined they wait till the end after they've seen everyone - but that would be a horribly long wait for the early auditionees - keeping everything crossed 🙂

Yes @CatyaMum I believe you will hear some time this week…

We will be staying in London prior to recalls. I want to get something booked today but can’t decide where to stay. Usually go for Euston area but not sure if better to look for somewhere near London Bridge or Dulwich itself. We might catch a show on Friday evening if time allows so have to bear that in mind too. Any suggestions/ideas/tips please?

@Biscuitsneeded absolutely second what you posted, I remember being petrified when DD1 first auditioned but it does get easier and once they know what’s expected it gets easier and more familiar for them as well.

@Alakazam8 i would personally recommend staying near London Bridge and travelling to Dulwich, I don’t think there’s a lot of accommodation there.

@Alakazam8 I have stayed at The London Bridge Hotel - it was some time ago but I remember it being very nice

Seconding what Biscuits said, we know someone who trains with my teen, and I'm very surprised they did not get a recall. They tried last year and didn't but said they didn't get on well with the online format. In person, we were expecting them to get recalled - but it as another no, despite us knowing they're very good.
Also, someone we know who has had quite a big part before and been cast at least two years in a row that didn't get a recall this time. It really isn't an 'old boys network'...
Equally, I know one of the biggest roles in our first year, she had auditioned 5 times and never got in. Then landed a MASSIVE role!

The networking opportunities are also so valuable, don't underestimate those. I know Kate Golledge (NYMT director of many years) always tweets about how she didn't get in but now does all this work for them! And that as a director she's hired people in a professional capacity she remembered from NYMT auditions...

Thank you @yodaforpresident and @Biscuitsneeded for the travel advice- still weighing it all up! We go on holiday v early Sunday morning so will wait to see the timings before I make a decision on trains/driving.

Hopefully we will get something very soon.

@Mcmumager I think you could ask for an early timeslot on Saturday if that helps...

@Biscuitsneeded early would mean a really early start for us and can’t really come day before as dd is getting back that evening from an abroad school trip! Life is never simple lol.

@Coniger and others who sent good wishes (going OT slightly sorry! I wanted to let you know we have been offered a place at The Hammond for Sept 23. We can only accept if there is MDS funding available so now it's another long wait for news. Don't want to derail this thread too much but if anyone has first hand experience or knowledge of MDS funding please do DM me - I could do with some help understanding the process.