Carmel ThomasonBritish Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) is the largest commissioner of new musicals in the UK, producing at least six new shows a year and developing many more. It works with the most exciting theatre professionals and hundreds of young performers. For the first time the company presents a brand-new musical, Worn Out, in partnership with Lowry.
Worn Out, a bold retelling of the story of The 12 Dancing Princesses, runs at the Salford venue for four performances from 1 – 3 August. We spoke to the show’s director, Francesca Goodridge about staging the production:
What excited you most about working on this project with BYMT?
Francesca: “I really loved the story of empowerment that this specific project is based on – it’s about rebellion and standing up for what you believe in so I think it’s a great project for young people to contribute to.
“I was also really drawn to the ethos of BYMT and what they stand for. I think that they do a brilliant job of putting teams together, finding really wonderful creative and professional people who are also lovely to work with. Working with kind people on an important story is the dream”.
What can audiences expect from this production?
Francesca: “It’s punchy and it’s got a lot of heart. The music really sticks and stays with you. I think it will be really physical as Paul Smethurst, the choreographer who I’ve worked with before, is brilliant and really smart with how he puts movement into a piece”.
How have young people influenced or inspired the development of this show?
Francesca: “Meg McGrady and Zoe Morris, the writers of Worn Out, have done a lot of work with young people throughout the development of this show including workshopping the material at a BYMT Summer Camp in 2024. They’ve explored ideas including revolution, protest and democracy and what it means to write a musical about princesses today, which has all fed into the show as it stands right now.”
What makes this production particularly relevant for 2025 audiences?
Francesca: “The show is about a group of people that see injustice in their home and they want to make things right in their community, which I think is an important message at any time. For young people especially, I think it will get them thinking about where they’re from and the community that they’re involved in, and recognising that they do have weight, influence and skills to bring good to their community”.
Can you describe a moment in the show that you’re especially proud of or excited for audiences to see?
Francesca: “I’m really excited about the staging of the rebellion, which involves the whole company and is a powerful moment where the characters take a stand for their beliefs. It’s especially meaningful to explore this with a room full of young performers, as we get to discover what standing up for something looks like through their eyes. We’re having important conversations about protest, what it means to them and how they want to express that on stage. A lot of the work is devised by the cast, so it feels deeply personal and authentic, and something audiences will really connect with”.
What does it mean to you to direct a story that empowers young women, especially while working with a majority female cast?
Francesca: “I love working with women and a lot of work I do is usually lead by female stories. I think I’ve come up in my career in a very privileged way and I’ve been mentored by lots of amazing female leaders. I didn’t study directing so I’ve learned through assisting directors, a lot of whom were female artistic directors. I’m just really interested in women in leadership roles and it’s really important to me that the work I make reflects female perspectives, women’s stories and non-binary stories. Working with predominantly female and non-binary performers is ideal for me as I’ve tried to forge a career which focuses on empowering women”.
You’ve recently taken on the role of Artistic Director at Sherman Theatre – how do you feel your role in leadership will affect your approach to this story about power and change?
Francesca: “That’s a great question – and massive. Stepping into a leadership role with a theatre context makes me reflect not only on the themes of power and change within the story, but also on how those ideas are mirrored in the process of making theatre itself. I’m particularly aware of the responsibility to listen to the needs of the young people in the cast, especially those who aspire to work in the performing arts. It’s clear that many of them are on a trajectory towards drama school and it’s important to me to understand what they need from the industry to feel supported and encouraged. Not everyone will have access to formal training, so building real connections and creating space for all kinds of young talent feels essential to help shape a sector that’s open and responsive to the next generation of performers”.
BYMT’s Worn Out runs at Lowry on 1 Aug at 7.30pm, 2 Aug at 2.30pm + 7.30pm, 3 Aug at 2.30pm. Tickets: £22.50 from www.thelowry.com
Suitable for ages (6+)
Steve Timms
Paul Thomason