We partner with theatres and arts organisations around the country to host the pitching days. Each artist or team has ten minutes to share their idea with an industry panel and from these pitches we will select around 30 musicals to showcase at BEAM2025.
The panels will include artistic or programming staff members from the host venue, plus usually other producers or developers of new work, so this is an opportunity to get your work in front of them. Everyone who pitches will receive written feedback from the panel on their pitch and idea.
Please tell us about any access requirements on the form when you sign up and we will do our best to accommodate.
If you are working on a new musical, we want to hear from you! Check you are eligible below and then select which pitching day you would like to attend.
Please note: In the event that a pitching day no longer has any slots left and you cannot attend a different day, please email us info@beamshowcase.com to be put on a waiting list for your specific venue.
Eligibility
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Age and experience
- You must be over 18 and have a professional track record of past creative work, with at least one professional performing arts credit (in any discipline). If you are under 25, you do not need a professional credit but should be able to demonstrate commitment to the performing arts through university/college productions, youth theatre, etc.
- BEAM is for artists at an early, mid or advanced stage in their careers – you can be working on your first musical, have had previous shows performed in the West End, or anything in between.
- Producers, directors and creatives from non-writing disciplines are welcome to pitch, but if you’re not going to be one of the writing team, we’d expect at least one of the writers to be named in the pitch.
- Each writing team can pitch one show only. If you are part of multiple writing teams you can pitch one show with each; we would consider each team a separate entity.
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Location and availability
- At least half of the core creative team must be based in the UK.
- You need to be available in w/c 12th May 2025 to come to BEAM2025 at Birmingham Hippodrome .
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Your show
- The show you are pitching should be intended for live performance and song should be an integral part of the show for us to consider it a musical.
- It can have been commissioned or workshopped, but it can’t have received a full professional production already (past student or non-professional stagings are fine). We define a professional production as one that was fully staged and the cast and crew were paid.
- It can be at an early stage of development (not fully written) but you will need to have a good idea of your artistic vision and the story you want to tell, and have at least one song written.
- Shows that you have pitched for BEAM before are not eligible, unless the show has been substantially revised or expanded. Please let us know if you think you fall into this category and we will agree this on an individual basis.
- We are looking for a wide range of work to be included in BEAM, representative of the broadest diversity of people living in the UK today – diverse not just in terms of whose stories are being told, but also in terms of the styles of music and art forms used to tell those stories.
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Intellectual property
- The musical you’re pitching must be wholly the intellectual property of the creatives directly involved. Adaptations of a book/film written by someone who’s not involved, or the use of existing songs written by someone else, are only eligible if you’ve already confirmed permission from those who own the copyright in these materials.
Pitching Days
Cecil Sharp House
Thursday 19th September
Camden, London
Panellists: Katy Spicer (English Folk Dance and Song Society), Ameena Hamid (producer), Hannah Bashir-Eviston (PRS Foundation), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDSouthwark Playhouse (Elephant)
Friday 27th September
Elephant & Castle, London
Panellists: Ebenezer Bamgboye (Southwark Playhouse), Andy Barnes (Perfect Pitch/Global Musicals), Meredith Braun (Uni of Chichester), Mickey-Jo Boucher (theatre critic), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN),
FULLY BOOKEDBirmingham Hippodrome
Monday 30th September
Birmingham
Panellists: Deirdre O’Halloran (Birmingham Hippodrome), Jesse Jones (Royal & Derngate), Becky Pearcy (ACE), Natalia Scorer (MMD), Melody Sinclair-Marsh (MMD)
Book NowMercury Theatre
Thursday 3rd October
Colchester
Panellists: Dilek Latif and Antony Stuart-Hicks (Mercury Theatre), Wendy Ellis (Norwich Theatre), Natalia Scorer (MMD)
Book NowMAST Mayflower Studios
Monday 7th October
Southampton
Panellists: Jamie Smith (MAST), Flora McIntosh (Opera Up Close), James Hadley (MTN)
Book NowKiln Theatre
Friday 11th October
Kilburn, London
Panellists: Lisa Cagnacci (Kiln), Clarissa Widya (New Earth), Fiona Steed (Smith Brant Theatricals), Tom Ramsay (Aria Entertainment), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDDonmar Warehouse
Monday 14th October
Central London
Panellists: Craig Gilbert (Donmar), Liz Botros (Mackintosh Foundation), Ramin Sabi (DEM Productions), Chloe Pritchard-Gordon (AboutGrace PR), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDWatford Palace Theatre
Thursday 17th October
Watford
Panellists: Ellen Waghorn (Watford Palace), Douglas Rintoul (New Wolsey Theatre), Pravesh Kumar (Rifco), James Hadley (MTN), Sam Morgan-Grahame (MTN)
Book NowThe Lowry
Tuesday 22nd October
Salford, Greater Manchester
Panellists: Matthew Eames (The Lowry), Michele Taylor (Ramps on the Moon), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDYork Theatre Royal
Wednesday 23rd October
York
Panellists: Emily Gray (British Youth Musical Theatre), Gus Gowland (Writer/York Theatre Royal), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDThe Other Palace
Monday 28th October
Victoria, London
Panellists: Kiki Stevenson (The Other Palace), Danielle Tarento (Producer), Francesca Moody (Producer), Tilly Fletcher (PRS Foundation), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDNorthcott Theatre at the Barnfield
Wednesday 30th October
Exeter
Martin Berry (Northcott), James Hadley (MTN), Natalia Scorer (MMD), others TBC
Book NowBirmingham Hippodrome
Friday 1st November
Birmingham
Panellists: Finlay Carroll (Birmingham Hippodrome), Paul Warwick (China Plate), Corey Campbell (Belgrade Theatre), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
Book NowRockvilla (National Theatre of Scotland)
Thursday 7th November
Glasgow
Panellists: Caroline Newall (National Theatre of Scotland), Anne McCluskey (Dundee Rep), Munya Redman-Bayasi (Capital Theatres), Gus Gowland (Writer), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDUpstairs at the Gatehouse
Saturday 9th November
Highgate, London
Panellists: Isaac Bernier-Doyle and Annlouise Butt (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Naomi Van Der Linden (Writer/Dramaturg), David Grewcock (Cameron Mackintosh), Natalia Scorer (MMD), James Hadley (MTN)
FULLY BOOKEDTheatre Royal Stratford East
Tuesday 12th November
Stratford, London
Panellists: Nadia Fall (Stratford East), Andy Chan (Concord Theatricals), Ed Collier (China Plate), James Hadley (MTN), Natalia Scorer (MMD)
FULLY BOOKED