The Other Palace opens submissions for MTFestUK 2027

The Other Palace has thrown open the doors to its new-musicals festival once more: submissions for MTFestUK 2027 are now being accepted, ahead of an eighth edition running at The Other Palace Studio in January and February 2027.

Up to six new musicals will be chosen from the open call, and they need not be finished pieces – the festival deliberately takes work at a range of stages, from early sketches to near-complete shows. Each selected title is cast and rehearsed before being given four sharing performances in workshop form, played to a paying audience who get to see a musical while it is still being figured out.

Writing teams from anywhere in the UK and beyond are invited to apply, and the festival makes a point of looking for stories and voices that rarely get a hearing elsewhere.

Its track record is a decent argument for entering. Shows that have passed through MTFestUK and gone on to further life include REDCLIFFE by Jordan Luke Gage; Legendary by Cheeyang Ng; Nerds by Hal Goldberg, Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner; ROMY AND MICHELE The Musical by Robin Schiff, Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay; Tit Swingers by Abey Bradbury and Sam Kearney-Edwardes; Bling by Elliot Clay and Tori Allen-Martin; A Jaffa Cake Musical by Sam Cochrane and Rob Gathercole; Come Dine With Me by Aaron King, Sam Norman, Nell Butler and Genevieve Welch; The Government Inspector by Jodie Prenger, Neil Hurst, Cat Gisby and Maxwell Tyler; Sherlock Holmes and the Poisonwood by P Burton-Morgan and Ben Glasstone; Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist by Jack McManus, Tasha Taylor Johnson and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm; Millennials by Elliot Clay; Eurobeat: Pride of Europe by Craig Christie; But I’m a Cheerleader by Bill Augustin and Andrew Abrams; and First Date by Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner.

Paul Taylor Mills, Artistic Director of The Other Palace, said: “Supporting new work is vital to the future of musical theatre. Creatives need the space, time and encouragement to take risks, experiment and discover what their work can become. That’s exactly what makes MTFestUK so important. It creates a platform for new voices and stories and gives new pieces the opportunity to be seen, heard and explored.”

He added: “Over the years, MTFestUK has helped shine a spotlight on some truly exciting and ambitious new musicals. And it’s incredible to see just how many of them have gone on to be further developed and find lives beyond the festival. Now, as the submissions are open for the 8th MTFestUK, I’m thrilled to invite creatives from all backgrounds to share their new work with us. Who knows what the next big hit might be?”

Submissions close at 11.59pm on Sunday 27 September 2026. The festival itself runs at The Other Palace Studio, 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA, in January and February 2027.