Posted on January 7, 2013 at 8:22 pm

The Public Reviews issued its list of the best theatre across the UK in 2012, and I am very proud to say that the NYMT’s production of 13 is included.

Features editor Lucy Thackray writes:

NYMT’s 13 – The Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue

13, a brilliant, witty, silly, vocally explosive musical by Jason Robert Brown, Dan Elish and Robert Horn, was performed with such zest and energy by its cast of 13-16 year olds from the National Youth Music Theatre. Directed by Jason Robert Brown himself in a summer camp-style workshop of just a few weeks, the set at the Apollo Theatre was simple but effective and the oddball characters were given new twists by an astonishingly talented group of teens. Though we knew the score pretty well already, my sister and I cried with laughter throughout. Though fluffier than a lot of JRB’s other subject matter, 13 is spot on in taking all those things we thought were of paramount importance as teenagers and looks at them in a plot that is at turns hilarious, surreal, painful and uplifting. It’s not rocket science, but sometimes a great score and book is just enough.

Congratulations to my fantastic cast, band and creative team!