NYMT/BYMT 2026

[doesanybodyhaveamap]

So with the big reveal of the 50th anniversary programme it feels like a good time to start the 2026 chat!

Here we go again 🥳🥳🥳

Break a leg everyone!!

has anyone got any advice/ top tips for my dd who is on her way to arts ed today for a recall for every day? -she is 14 and very excited but also nervous! - she knows it’s highly unlikely she will be cast in the show due to to her age and experience but any advice gratefully received! Break a leg to everyone else’s YP also auditioning today!

Aww tell her to be herself and enjoy performing being in the workshop and doing what she does best. I think open mind. They wouldn’t have called back for the show if they didn’t see a place for her!

Possibly a bit late for this but as cliched as it is just be yourself. Dont play safe and try perform what you think the panel are looking for cause this almost always goes wrong (no one is a mind reader!) What they want to see is your authentic self, committed and present.

For the most part a creative team would rather see someone who commited to a choice, gave it a go and were bold than watch 20 cookie cutter nice "safe" auditions. Its not about demostrating the finished product - its about demonstrating how you can contribute to the process :) Hope that helps and good luck!

@MxPickles @HanD31 great advice Thankyou both!

My daughter auditioned for the first time for BYMT this year. She absolutely loved the audition and team. We then received a lovely email saying that she's not received a first-stage offer but has been shortlisted for second-stage offers mid-March. The email did say lots of auditionees get offers at the second stage. (She is early teens to maybe a trickier age, too?)

This is her first time auditioning and I just wondered if anyone knows how likely it is she will receive an offer or is there no way at all of knowing. I'm just thinking in terms of planning holidays, etc. really!!

How was the casting day for your DC? Mine felt 2 hours was a bit short and wished there had been 3 hours.

@RubyRosa there is a decent chance in my experience. Both my DDs have received 2nd round or later offers in the past- the only thing is I think one year it was as late as May one of them got cast. It is tricky with holiday planning.

Congratulations to all those getting recalls! How exciting for your young people.

For NYMT, does anyone know what the success rate is in terms of people getting recalls then getting offered a show or NMW (depending on what they've been recalled for)? As in, do half of young people recalled then get offered a show /NMW or, say, 10% do, or 90% do? And whether there is any difference in the recall success rate for shows compared to NMWs. Wondering how much to manage DD's expectations for her recall next weekend.

Also just heard a friend of hers got a recall yesterday for Ragged Child, which is really exciting, and wondering how likely it is we will get to see her in it! Or whether they recall loads more young people than there are places on a show.

They recall far more than get cast (and many of them are recalled for 2 shows but can only be cast in one obviously, so even from that point of view they'd have to recall many more than required). Some of those recalled for shows end up with places in NMWs instead, so it's really all up in the air. I don't know if others know figures - I certainly don't!

Its hard to give definite answer but trying to work it out...

We know that there are 3 days of recalls with a morning and an afternoon session - so for each project that is 6 recall sessions.

There are 4 shows and I'm going to say 2 sessions running for NMW (not each new musical is having its own unique session but surely too there are too many people to have just one casting session running) That give us 6 Workshop groups.

6 workshops with 6 sessions is 36 casting sessions. Each session has approx 25 participants so that is 36*25 = 900 recall spots. Some people are auditioning for more than one project so I am going to reduce that by 1/3 to say that at this point I would say 600 people being recalled which feels about right.

Lets assume an average cast size is 30. That means 120 places available on productions and 150 in New Musical workshops. So purely on the maths its about 27/60 chance or a little under 50%.

Of course this will all be massively skewed by what casting bracket your YP fits in to. Mid Teen girls is a much more saturated cateogory and also one of the one with the fewest roles available so the odds are probably tougher here.

On this flip side Ragged Child demands quite a large ensemble of trebles, so this year for once the younger end of the group probably have better odds.

And thats all I've got to say about that.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

TL:DR My best guesstimate is about a 50% chance.

@MxPickles👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 excellent mathing 🙌🏻

I'll just be taking my overthinker of the week award now thank you :)

Ok, you can have it this week! I think it’ll be my turn after next weekend when we’re still waiting for results. My DS had a brilliant day today, but it really seems like a loooong time to wait at this point!

@Operasingerkaththink of us poor musicians… they won’t start on us until they’ve cast the actors. To quote Sondheim ‘AAAGONEEEEEEEEY’

Was he in for Every Day? Any news to report back?

😁I'm so impressed at the thought that has gone into this. You may claim your award!

For what it's worth, I think they are probably seeing about 200 people on each of the 3 days, so more like 600 recall spaces in total, but some of those will be double recalls so possibly actually about 450 individuals for about 120-130 places in shows and then, yes, also several workshops. So not everyone recalled will get a show or a workshop, but the chances are not tiny.

@doesanybodyhaveamap you have my utmost sympathy-I forgot about that!

@MxPickles yes, he really enjoyed the session! The music is great! He was so excited about auditioning for the creatives in both his sessions and loved the experience as usual

And actually I need to get a grip (even more than usual 😂) if he’s going to have a go at doing this professionally. I know some of the time they don’t even get any contact at all after auditions which for overthinkers is just the worst…

DC has turned 18 since last year, so I’m not getting the email for the first time. It’s torturous!

@Biscuitsneeded @MxPickles thanks for the estimates! Really helpful!

DD and her friend are 14 and 15, so very much mid teen girls...😬😁

If your DD has been recalled for a specific show is there any chance they’d be cast in another show for NYMT or does that just not happen?

I wanted to mention that to the poster who was annoyed she couldn't have feedback from the first round - she will need to adjust expectations massively if her child wants to make it her career, or even audition for courses at 18. Unfortunately she left the thread before I could find the words to say it diplomatically.
I think once they really are ready to have a go at it for a living, they protect us a bit and don't necessarily tell us every time they tape for something, or even if they get in the room. Too stressful by far for parents otherwise, and the most likely outcome of any submission or audition is that it will go nowhere, so not worth getting your mother emotionally invested!

It can happen, sometimes. Not really often but certainly not unheard of.

So true…

On the flip side, the first time they secure an opportunity that you knew absolutely nothing about is flippin’ awesome!