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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

NYMT/BYMT 2023 thread

1000 replies

Comefromaway · 11/11/2022 09:20

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

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Biscuitsneeded · 24/03/2023 13:52

Sadly, it's Blooomin' Heathers this year! Not one of my favourite musicals, and I will admit I slightly bear a grudge because they're occupying The Other Palace, where NYMT always used to perform, and which is a venue which is supposed to be all about new musical theatre...

Comefromaway · 24/03/2023 13:57

Heathers tour Associate MD is ex NYMT though (ds is still in touch with hime)

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Alakazam8 · 24/03/2023 14:03

Ooh I’ve never seen Heathers- would it be suitable for 13 year old plus potential younger child who may need to come too! Sorry Biscuits 😃

Comefromaway · 24/03/2023 14:05

I'd say no. There is an onstage sex scene and an attempted rape.

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Biscuitsneeded · 24/03/2023 14:17

I'd say it's not especially child-friendly, no.

Comefromaway · 24/03/2023 14:17

google Dead Girl Walking video

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minimits · 24/03/2023 14:47

Definitely not for kids-wouldn’t take anyone under 15.

Mcmumager · 24/03/2023 16:56

Congratulations to the musicians and to @Comefromaway son and all the new BYMT gang! Looks like a busy summer with lots of miles on the clock!

I spent a full day in Leicester in 2020 waiting for NYMT auditions. There is quite a nice shopping centre and a cinema pretty central so I had a nice day topped off with a trip to see west side story on its closing night at the curve ( fab!).

My daughter wanted Heathers tickets for her 14th birthday- we had a girly weekend to London to see if and combined it with legally blonde at open air theatre. Only to get a call at breakfast to say it was cancelled!

We did go back a few months later and everyone is right there are very dark adult themes and I was a bit shocked . However it’s my daughter’s favourite musical and she would assure me there is much worse discussed at school. So I’d say it depends on your child and how they’d feel about it.

Alakazam8 · 24/03/2023 17:42

Was wondering about that as that’s what I’d heard about it (adult themes) but after hearing half the under 14 year olds discuss it at one of dd’s activities I thought I’d better check!!

Biscuitsneeded · 24/03/2023 18:38

I think it's OK for a 13 year old who isn't too sheltered. Mine saw it around that age. But not good for a younger child.

allhailthebrain · 24/03/2023 23:33

I think mine was 13 going on 14, I forget. Was somewhere in that weird world between pandemic and not quite pandemic any more times! Took the older brother too, they LOVED it and we enjoyed. Was glad not to have taken the youngest... Or the grandparents 😂

Doesn't look like there's much on there while KMK is.

Biscuitsneeded · 26/03/2023 10:41

Exciting! I'm having to wait till pay day before I can buy any more, but I want to see all the shows if I can!

Montimom · 26/03/2023 14:44

@nearlyhomealone thank you sooooo much!!! Just booked for the concert 😀

Onedaymore123 · 27/03/2023 11:49

Hello for those of you whose DC did the concert last year, how do you buy tickets for the festival to see the performance?

Also this is my DD's first residential ever, how do you cope with missing them?! Any tips?! I am a worrier, so will find it hard to relax!

Finally, I have been reading that the food at Tonbridge isn't too good, which is a concern...is it just not much choice or just not well cooked?

Thanks

Comefromaway · 27/03/2023 12:22

Via the Rose Theatre website but they didn't go on sale until later in the year.

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Comefromaway · 27/03/2023 12:23

It was not much choice, especially for fussy eaters. It was a bit fancy for ds's taste

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Comefromaway · 27/03/2023 15:06

Just a reminder that if any over 18 males are travelling down to Sevenoaks the night before then ds is staying in the premier inn. I've booked a twin room for him if anyone wants to share.

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Biscuitsneeded · 27/03/2023 18:11

@Onedaymore123 Really, don't worry about the food. My DS is pretty fussy. Supposedly he's a vegetarian, but I can count on the fingers of one hand the vegetables he is happy to eat (he will and does eat slightly more when he absolutely has to) - he'd survive on pasta if he was allowed to. He's done 12 NYMT residentials and hasn't come back with malnutrition from any of them. He's even eaten things he wouldn't touch at home! If your DD can eat state school lunches (assuming that's where she is) she will probably think the Tonbridge food is quite decent. Put some cereal bars/dried fruit etc in her suitcase and if she really hasn't managed to eat much at mealtimes at least you know she won't starve.
Regarding your own worries about the residential, in the nicest way, please don't allow your DD to pick up on your anxiety. Every year the kids who have the hardest time dealing with homesickness are the ones whose parents aren't really helping the situation by being in touch a bit too much or getting upset themselves. Of course you'll miss each other, but she'll be doing this great thing, and will have lots of fun, and when you see her on that stage in July it will all be very much worth the separation. What I would do is talk to her about it in advance in a positive but realistic way. What you can tell her for certain is that the pastoral team are really nice (they really, really are) and if she has any worries or problems they are there to help - and they would far rather know if there's a problem, than not. Also tell her that ever other young person there is there because they love performing as much as she does. So she is likely to find common ground with some other kids pretty quickly. They are kept really busy so there isn't too much time for feeling shy or awkward, and they will make friends quickly. Probably a good idea to tell her there will be high points where she's having a great time doing what she loves, and probably a couple of low points when she's shattered and it's bedtime and she might be missing home a bit - but that that feeling is NORMAL and not something to panic about. So often I think the problems come when a child feels homesick, assumes other people aren't and thinks they are somehow not coping, when of course it's natural to miss your family when you don't see them. It's important she understands that there MIGHT be times she feels homesick but the best thing she can do is tell pastoral and get them to organise a distraction. I remember my DS making microwave mug cakes at bedtime with a pastoral person in his first year because his roommate was struggling a bit - they really are that lovely, and the boy cheered up and was able to send his mum a photo of him, his roommates and his mug cake! You can arrange to call each other at a regular time if you want to, or you can play it by ear, but I'd let your DD be the guide for that. If you do get a slightly woebegone call, distract her by asking what she's been doing. Chances are she'll have had a great day and just needed to hear her mum's voice! Don't make it a long and protracted phone call, just distract with chat, tell her you love her and you'll call in the morning, and if you're concerned either tell her to talk to pastoral or drop them an email yourself - but hopefully the latter won't be needed.
I hope that helps, for HER. What YOU can do for YOU is organise lots of lovely things you wouldn't do with her in tow - go out for a nice meal with friends or partner, or go for the kind of lovely country walk that teenagers hate! Separation (both physical and psychological) has to happen for all our kids at some point, but I'm very glad my DS learnt all about it in the safe, caring and above all FUN environment of NYMT!

Comefromaway · 27/03/2023 18:16

Biscuits talks a lot of sense. With regards to my Ds, he didn’t eat state school lunches apart ftom a few select things such as pizza, chips & plain pasta.

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allhailthebrain · 27/03/2023 19:17

@Onedaymore123 mine was young for the first NYMT experience - and I can truly say it was the best thing he's EVER done. I have never seen him be SO himself - no acting, no trying to fit in - just intrinsically happy and his true self. On absolute cloud 9.
After the show ended I booked an extra day away to beat the post show blues together. Worked to a degree. Then stepped through the door to our home the next day and - absolutely fell to pieces that is was over. Those kids are still his friends. NYMT is still the place where he feels the most at home. The post show come down that first time was epic... Book a holiday if you can 😬
Food was the break time to spend time with his friends, he liked it but he was too busy enjoying himself to care! I always told him to take something from breakfast and lunch for a snack later (fruit or whatever). He came back having put weight on 😂

Every single night he video called me. You could hear the happiness - and so long as he got to speak to us, he was happy. A lot of the other mums got more texts and photos than I did, but I always got a proper call each night. Tell them to throw themselves right into everything and take lots of pics - you can make a photo book later by putting them with the professional shots of the show.

When you talk, discuss more of what they're doing than what you are, if you're worried. Enthuse about what they're doing and make what you're doing sound pretty average, run of the mill stuff. As others have said, your turn to act if you're worried about missing them - put on a brave face and I promise you'll be glad you did 😊

Biscuitsneeded · 27/03/2023 21:01

@allhailthebrain Hahaha the post-show comedown! We had my niece and nephew staying for a couple of days after the first NYMT show, and I swear they must have thought DS had turned into a complete brat! Poor them, poor DS2 and actually poor DS who was really miserable. Happy to say the blues haven't been so bad as he's got older. But aged 11 it was literally the most exciting thing he had ever done and all those kind older kids felt like his new family!

Comefromaway · 27/03/2023 21:16

We didn’t really get it last year because on the day of the concert Ds was asked to fill in on another show where someone had dropped out, then when they show was finished he was straight into rehearsals for a cabaret he organised & MD’d.

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Alakazam8 · 27/03/2023 21:24

Completely agree with everything Biscuits has said. Having been in a slightly unique position during last years concert rehearsals, most of the kids didn’t even contact their parents every day! Generally the parents have the more difficult time..

In the main It wasn’t their first residential but even for the kids who hadn’t been away before they make friends so quickly and have such a great time being sooo busy there really isn’t much time to be homesick.
I’m sure there are wobbles but that’s what pastoral are there for. Make some plans for something lovely to do when you pick her up- we went to a show together when rehearsals had finished.

I always try to think of worse case scenario in these sort of situations and even if dd is homesick she will be looked after and if all else fails and you have to pick her up early (not that I think this would ever happen) then that’s what you do!

Biscuitsneeded · 28/03/2023 08:37

I agree. The timing of the residential is ideal, as the DC will come home and it will be Easter, so most parents can be off work. You can plan a treat, such as a theatre trip, or you can just be around to hear all about it. The week the DC will be away will pass quickly and they will have loads to tell you on their return.

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