MYC Musical Theatre – Jan 23 Term

Work with West End Professionals, including Vivien Carter (Anything Goes, Barbican Theatre and Medea, National Theatre) and Ryan Hanlon (Musical Director); with this weekly, dynamic that class provides young people with an introduction to musical theatre. Alongside this, we have a series of exciting Masterclasses and Q&A’s with industry professionals throughout the Winter/Spring term.

Each term we explore songs and create ensemble numbers that explore how to integrate the singing, dance and acting techniques needed to perform on the West End stage.

Don’t worry if you’re a little shy as most of the learning is done in groups with opportunities for solos when you feel more confident about being in the spotlight.

MYC Musical Performers will receive weekly training, which will develop:

• Vocal Technique
• Dance Technique
• Text and Song Analysis
• Creating a Character
• Scene Work
• Improvisation Skills
• Acting Techniques

Mercury Young Company Performers will also have access to:

• The Mercury’s dedicated learning space
• Regular performance opportunities including an end of year performance
• Open rehearsals for Mercury Productions
• Free tickets for open dress rehearsals or preview performances for Mercury Productions
• Mercury Connects – the theatre’s social network, which provides opportunities in the arts, information about events, tickets and work in the East of England.
• Mentoring from theatre staff and exclusive backstage access

MYC Bursary

We want as many young people as possible to have access to our creative activities and we do not want someone’s financial situation to be a barrier to taking part. The MYC Bursary exists to enable participants to take part in activity provided by Mercury Theatre.

Find Out More

Reserve a place for the year

You can now reserve a place on MYC for the whole year. To reserve a place for the whole year, contact our box office team at [email protected]. Payment is due 2 weeks before the start of each term in January, April and September.

Accessibility

All of our activities are accessible and inclusive and you are able to inform us of any additional requirements you have when booking or by becoming a member of our Access for All scheme here. Through funding from Essex Short Breaks, we will also have youth assistants on hand to support our MYC groups up to 18 years, plus additional SEND-specific activities such as Party Nights.

Term Dates and Masterclasses

7th Jan
13th Jan
21st Jan – Please note this session will be slightly longer, with a time of 2-4.30pm
28th Jan
4th Feb
11th Feb
18th Feb – HALF TERM, NO SESSION
25th Feb
4th March
11th March
18th March
25th March – End of term sharing
1st April

Upcoming masterclasses include: 

• Mike Fellows – Learn choreography from hits including ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Wannabe’ from the recent UK tour
• Ellen Kane – Q&A session on a career in Musical Theatre
• Ryan McBryde – Acting Through Song Masterclass
• Jonathon Prestney – Learn the ‘High School Hop’ routine from Grease, the Musical
• Ashton Moore – Voice Masterclass

Mike Fellows – Learn choreography from hits including ‘Spice Up Your Life’ & ‘Wannabe’ 

Mike has danced from a young age, and competed in freestyle disco until he was 17, winning consecutive titles across the board including 3 times World Champion. He then went on to train at the Urdang Academy and graduated in 2016.

Since then, he has worked consistently in all areas of the performance industry. Credits including: Spice Girls Stadium Tour, Ed Sheeran, Adam Lambert, The X Factor, The X Factor: Celebrity, The Brit Awards, The Voice, The Voice Kids, Strictly Come Dancing, Sky One, MTV and for Disney & Will.i.am. He’s also appeared & danced in the feature films ROCKETMAN, Masters of the Air, The Marvels and with directors as big as Steven Spielberg & Ridley Scott.

He is currently working on the next Season of ‘Bridgeton’, which will air next year.

Ellen Kane – Q&A session on a career in Musical Theatre

Ellen Kane is an Olivier and Tony Award nominated choreographer.

She has recently choreographed the movie musical version of Matilda for Netflix / Sony, which opened the BFI London Film Festival and is currently working on a new film with Dan Levy.

She has worked extensively across Broadway and the West End on many award-winning productions including Groundhog Day and Legally Blonde at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and has received critical acclaim for reinventing classic musicals for modern audiences.

She trained in contemporary dance and began her career performing and working with some of the UK’s leading choreographers.

Ryan McBryde – Acting Through Song Masterclass

Ryan McBryde is the Creative Director for the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.

His productions for the Mercury include: The Comedy Of Errors, Aladdin, Baskerville, Oliver, Moll Flanders and Pieces Of String (the latter was nominated for UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production and won Best New Musical at the Stage Debut Awards).

Other recent credits include: Romeo And Juliet for Theatre Trier, Germany; Faust and 1984 at the Alte Schauspielhaus, Stuttgart (1984 was nominated for the prestigious Theaterpreis Der Faust and Faust won the Stuttgart Audience Award);  The Invisible Man for the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch; Saturday Night Fever UK Tour and The Who’s Tommy, European Tour.

Jonathon Prestney – Learn the ‘High School Hop’ routine from Grease the Musical

Jonathon’s is currently in Aladdin at The Sunderland Empire (UK Productions) he has previously played a Jett ‘West Side Story’ Shakespeare Live! The RSC, BBC2, Sebastian ‘Jack & the Beanstalk’ The Hackney Empire, London. Angel ‘Kinky Boots’, Spa Pavillon Theatre. REN/Ensemble ’Musical Starnights European Tour’ Showfabrik. ’GREASE’, Dancer ‘Little Mix/Mc Donalds’ AD. Ensemble ‘The Golden Kite’ the Lyceum Theatre. He featured in “DRAGTOPIA” in The Mercury Theatre in 2022.

Choreography credits include ‘The Enby Show’, The Vaudeville Theatre, London. ‘Together We Dance’ Waterbear Network, Global Film. ‘BACK TO THE ROARING TWENTIES’ (Best USA Premier – San Diego International Fringe & Pick of the Fringe – Colchester Fringe) Prior to working in the industry Jonathon trained with a full scholarship at The Urdang Academy, London in Professional Dance & Musical Theatre.

Ashton Moore – Voice Masterclass

Ashton Moore is a musical director, composer, musician and teacher based in Suffolk. Ashton’s teaching experience includes Stagebox (visiting musical director/singing teacher for centres in London, Edinburgh, Leeds & Manchester) Ashton’s theatre credits as a musician and musical director include Get Up Stand Up (Lyric Theatre, West End).

Ashton’s original musical SAMSON premiered in 2015, starring Haydn Cox (Dear Evan Hansen), Sharon Rose (Beautiful, Hamilton), and Ben Tyler (Les Miserables, The Book of Mormon). SAMSON is currently in professional development with Creative Rights International Ltd.

Since 2017, Ashton has been a singing examiner for Independent Dance Training, a BDQT-accredited examination board.