New musical development organisation announces partnership with Theatre Royal Stratford East

Theatre Royal Stratford East is to collaborate with a new organisation designed to support British musical theatre artists and projects.

The New Musical Development Collective is an initiative set up in order to focus on the dramaturgy and development of British musicals. The NMDC launches this month with its first Musical Theatre Lab (MT-Lab) on 7 March.

The NMDC was founded by Sevan Tavoukdjian, Adam Lenson and Aaron Rogers, who are also leading the project. Over one year, the initiative features four new musical projects and support for eight artists through the MT-Lab. The writers participating in the MT-Lab will receive a £1,000 stipend, masterclasses and workshops, a work-in-progress sharing at The Other Palace, an excerpt sharing at Theatre Royal Stratford East and a 12-month membership to Mercury Musical Developments.

This year's participant writers, chosen from an open call for applications, include Zara McFarlane, Amber Hsu, Stu Barter, Firdos Ali, Nikki Burnhope, Shireen Mula, Joe Von Malachowski and David Austin Grey.

The company will be in residence at the Theatre Royal Stratford for a full year, ending with a sharing of work on 9 March 2018. Each year, the NMDC plans to be in residence with a different venue.

Tavoukdjian said: "I feel we’ve created something really special. I couldn’t be more thrilled that Theatre Royal Stratford East agreed to be our first host organisation. They have much to teach us and we’re ready to learn. We hope to play a part in the growing wave of new British musicals in the UK."