A new initiative hopes to give Australia’s next generation of musical theatre writers the skills, mentorship and industry connections to take original works from the page to the stage.
Founded by New York-based Australian musical theatre writer Carmel Dean and London-based Australian theatre producer Maryann Wright, the Australian Musical Theatre Incubator will hold its inaugural five-day intensive at Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney from 4 to 8 January 2027.
Australian Musical Theatre Incubator – quick links
Closing the gap in Australia’s musical theatre pipeline
The program has been established in response to what its founders describe as a longstanding gap in Australia’s musical theatre ecosystem. While Australian artists have created acclaimed productions and forged successful international careers, opportunities to develop the specialist craft of writing musicals have historically been limited.
Both Dean and Wright left Australia in their twenties to pursue their careers internationally. Now, drawing on their experience across Broadway, the West End and the wider international theatre industry, they hope to help create more opportunities for Australian writers to develop ambitious original work at home.
‘We wanted to create the opportunity we wished we’d had when we were starting out,’ says Dean.
‘Australia has extraordinary musical theatre talent, but writing a musical is a highly specialised craft. AMTI is about giving Australian writers the space, tools, mentorship and industry knowledge to develop ambitious original work here.’
Leading musical theatre talents share expertise
The five-day intensive for paying students will bring together Australian and international practitioners to talk about the craft and business of writing new musicals.
Topics include book-writing dramaturgy, musical structure, character and story development, song structure, rewriting and responding to critical feedback, as well as the practical business of getting new work produced.
The program will culminate in a pitch afternoon, giving participants the opportunity to present their developing work to industry professionals.
Confirmed guests include Laura Murphy, writer of The Lovers and Zombie! The Musical; director Darren Yap (Yong, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat); ATYP CEO and Artistic Director, Hayden Tonazzi (Saplings, Pickled, Converted!); and ATYP’s Producer, Artist Development and New Writing, acclaimed writer George Kemp; with further guests to be announced.
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For Wright, the ambition extends beyond individual professional development to building a stronger creative community for Australian musical theatre writers.
‘One of the most exciting things about new musical theatre is what happens when writers have the time, support and community to take risks,’ she said.
‘We want AMTI to become a place where Australian writers can find their people, develop their voice and create work that can ultimately travel from Australia to the world.’
AMTI joins a growing effort to create pathways for the next generation of musical theatre makers in Australia. Earlier this year, acclaimed composer and performer Eddie Perfect signed up to mentor a rising star of musical theatre as Patron of the Music Theatre category at the Next Up Music Awards, which celebrates school-aged musicians, composers and lyricists.
Where Next Up provides a platform for recognising young talent, AMTI offers a more intensive development opportunity for emerging professional writers looking to build original musicals and understand the journey from concept to production.
As well as hosting the inaugural program, ATYP is providing three full-fee bursaries for emerging artists who are under 26 or within their first five years of professional practice, helping to reduce financial barriers to participation.
‘ATYP has a long history of developing new Australian musicals, from Fangirls to The Deb and Converted!, and we’re passionate about creating the conditions for emerging storytellers to take flight,’ says Hayden Tonazzi.
‘Supporting AMTI is a natural fit for us because it opens another pathway for Australian writers to build their craft, connect with industry and develop new Australian stories.’
How to apply for AMTI 2027
Applications are now open for the Australian Musical Theatre Incubator 2027, with the program aimed at musical theatre bookwriters, composers and lyricists.
The intensive costs $950, with a reduced rate of $800 available to applicants aged between 18 and 26. Three full-fee bursaries are available through ATYP for eligible emerging artists.
