THE York New Musical Festival Association’s second annual Festival of New Musicals will take place from June 8 to 14 in a new location.

The event will switch from the Joseph Rowntree Theatre to the studio theatre at the Upstage Centre Youth Theatre, 41 Monkgate.

“We’ve decided to move to Upstage as we can access the premises every day from early morning to late at night, which gives more scope for visiting companies,” says festival director Jim Welsman.

“We lost two professional shows last year because they couldn’t get into the JoRo Theatre before 6pm on a weekday.

“We’re grateful to the trustees for their considerable help and cooperation in providing facilities that will provide an intimate setting for shows, additional rooms for the presentation of works in progress and a home for our festival club.”

The availability of 41 Monkgate during the daytime will not only provide more time for visiting shows to set up and rehearse but also offer opportunities during the week for matinee performances, workshops and master classes.

Jim is delighted by the numerous expressions of interest already shown by composers and production companies in taking part in this summer’s event.

He invites anyone interested in performing an unpublished musical or work in progress to contact him at ynmf.org.

“We also have two new musicals looking for someone to showcase them in June,” says Jim. “If anyone is interested in directing, casting and putting on one of these new musicals, I’d be delighted to hear from them. We can help with rehearsal space at a very reasonable rate and a discount on performance fees.”

One of those shows is Tyneham, No Small Sacrifice, a musical story of love and hope among the villagers of Tyneham at the time of the enforced wartime evacuation in 1943.

“It’s a tale of how they come to terms with adversity at a personal and community level and tells how the human spirit reacts to the effects of war and personal tragedy,” says Jim.

“It deals with our aspirations and our frailties when facing personal upheaval and loss. It unpicks human relationships and focuses on how, when we falter, there’s almost always someone there for us.”

Let’s hope there is someone there to put on the show. If so, Jim can be contacted on 01904 704520 or at jim@welsman.com