BYMT - The Cottingley Fairies Programme

birmingham hippodrome

| 10 - 12 April 2026

WELCOME

Welcome to the first show in BYMT’s 2026 Season and our fourth year in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome, the country’s leading venue for developing new musicals. The Cottingley Fairies marks the culmination of Packham & Kealy’s year-long Cameron Mackintosh Writing Residency with BYMT and celebrates their commitment to reinterpreting real life events through joyful and intricate musical theatre.

Packham & Kealy initially asked the BYMT Young Company Panel for responses to the idea of telling the story of the Cottingley Fairy photographers. The young people were excited by the relevance of the themes - questioning belief in things you can’t see and valuing the artistry of young girls - and so the journey of the show began. Along the way we explored the script and songs in Discover Music Theatre Workshops, a chance for secondary school students to try out and feed their ideas into the writing. We also spent a week developing the characters and music with Leeds Conservatoire BA Musical Theatre students, who then performed the songs in Cottingley Town Hall for an enthusiastic local audience of 170 people. The Cottingley residents kindly took us down the garden path to the magical stream where the photographs were taken and we did our own search for the fairies.

Two weeks ago, the professional creative, technical and pastoral teams met our Young Company for the first time and together they have created this production for you, its first audience. It takes a huge collaborative effort from young people and adults alike to make a new musical, and I want to thank everyone involved. Thank you also to our Board, funders and friends who support the company throughout the year, believing that our projects can and will shape the future of new music theatre.

Everything we perform at BYMT is original; with this in mind, we would really value your thoughts in our Audience Survey - please see the inside back page for a QR code. The audience is the final ingredient in making a new musical, and we hope this story inspires you to believe in the power of young artists to change perceptions.

Emily Gray (Creative Director, BYMT)

an enduring

hoax, or evidence of the impossible?

The story of The Cottingley Fairies has fascinated believers and non-believers alike for over 100 years. For many, the central question is “are the photos real?” Only two people will ever know the answer for certain, so we don’t attempt to answer it. For this reason, the lines between truth and fiction, and reality and art are deliberately blurred. What we do know for certain is that between 1917 and 1920, five photographs of fairy figures were taken by cousins Elsie Wright (16) and Frances Griffiths (9). The photos were brought to public attention when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published them in The Strand in 1920. It wasn’t until 1983 that the two, now elderly women, confessed that all was not as it seemed. As the story spans 66 years, we blur timelines, relish liminal spaces, and piece together contradictory memories.

For us, this show is about challenging the impossible, and questioning why particular moments in time lead us to look to the supernatural. We uncover the complexities of hoaxes, how they endure, and question whether truth is always the most important factor. We find asking why people believe things much more interesting than questioning the certainty of that belief.

We began writing this show as part of our Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writing Team Placement with BYMT, and we’re thrilled to have the show open the 2026 Season. We’re so grateful to the BYMT team for their insight, belief, and enthusiasm for the piece. We’re also indebted to our incomparable creative and production teams for their continuous excellence throughout this process. Our brilliant cast (supported by our invaluable pastoral team) have been an essential piece in the puzzle of developing a new musical, and we’ve been continually inspired and impressed by their creativity and talent.

Finally, thank you to Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths. Without Elsie’s artistic genius or Frances’ indelible belief there would be no story.

Clare Packham and Fintan Kealy (writers)

About british youth music theatre

We set the stage for motivated young people ready to create their own narrative.

British Youth Music Theatre is a charity built on community. Our young people are at the heart of our work, and involvement extends far beyond performance.

We support 11-21 year olds by equipping them with both the training and opportunities to step into their creative potential. Our workshops, camps and productions provide young people with the resources, guidance and knowledge to develop their skills, and our culture of authenticity, collaboration, and generosity inspires confidence in their abilities.

We don’t believe anyone with creative aspirations should be left behind, and encourage all young people to join our community. Future theatre makers are provided a pathway into the industry through our nurturing process, and we champion the potential of every individual and support the discovery of their unique journey.

thank you to our supporters

FUNDERS

Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust, D’Oyly Carte, Shroder Charitable Trust, St. James’ Trust, Victoria Wood Foundation

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Simon Millson OBE (Chair)

Rachel Cox

Elaine Grant

Roger Jones

Lexine Lee

Rebecca Nice

Sarah Share

Phillip Siddle

Aniela Shuckburgh

Francesca Unsworth

Jackson Used

ADVISORS TO THE BOARD

Bridget Kalloushi (Finance)

Rachel Victor-Sampson (Inclusivity)

FRIENDS

Alastair Roberts

Barry Anns

Emma Shaw

Helen Page

Kate Suh

Jeff Stratford

Simon Millson

Francesca Stuckey

Howard

Tim Sawers

Sarah Double

Fern Stoner

Rebecca Nice

Jaimie Brown

We would like to thank the following people for their valuable contribution to our work: Birmingham Hippodrome Staff, Nancy Poole PR, Photography by Simon Hadley, Artwork by Jess Jenkins, Videography by Greta Zabulyte, Rehearsal photography by Michelle Heseltine, Staff at Hillscourt Hotel, Staff at Malvern College, 3Points, The Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, The Cottingley History Society, Leeds Conservatoire R&D Students, Matthew Bugg, Anna Hale, Felix Dickenson, Zweyla Mitchell dos Santos, Matthew Heywood, Talisker Horton, Simon Packham, Deborah Packham, Mandy Roberts, Fintan Kealy Snr, Brotherton Library Cultural Collections, National Science and Media Museum, Marc Tyler Nobleman, Glenn Hill, Christine Lynch, Simon Young, Negative Thinking, Ash Mukherjee, Georgina White, The Market Bosworth School, Ratcliffe College and our dramaturg, Cerys Jones.

When you donate to British Youth Music Theatre, you’ll be joining our community of theatre lovers who are opening doors for the next generation of artists keeping theatre alive.

Your contribution will make a direct impact on the opportunities available to talented young performers and artists.

Click to donate!

MEET THE creative team

CLARE PACKHAM WRITER & CO-LYRICIST

Clare is a writer and director. She met her writing partner Fintan Kealy at the University of Bristol, where she studied Theatre and Performance. The Cottingley Fairies is their fourth musical together. She is co-founder of artist collective PINCHY theatre, who create new work across the UK. She was selected as a Resident Artist for Hypha Studios, where she created numerous live events and installations in a disused threestorey, vaguely derelict high street Thomas Cook building. Her work is usually genre-bending, and aims to expand the boundaries of theatrical form.

Clare was one half of the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writing Team Placement 2025. In this role she was a Dramaturg across the 2025 season. In 2024, she directed and co-wrote Where There Are Gaps for BYMT’s Yorkshire Camp.

FINTAN KEALY COMPOSER & CO-LYRICIST

Fintan is a composer and musical director. He met his writing partner Clare Packham at the University of Bristol, where he studied MA Music with Innovation. He was the recipient of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation’s Associate Musical Director role at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where he is now a visiting lecturer. He is also an Associate Artist of PINCHY theatre.

Fintan was one half of the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writing Team Placement 2025. In this role he acted as Music Coordinator for BYMT’s 2025 Season. In 2024, he was Musical Director and Co-Writer of Where There Are Gaps for BYMT’s Yorkshire Camp.

EWA DINA DIRECTOR

Ewa is a Nigerian-born, Sheffield-raised, and London-based director, actor, facilitator, and poet. Since graduating from Rose Bruford, she has built a multidisciplinary practice across theatre and performance.

Music and movement are central to her work, shaping how stories are told and experienced. She creates work that expands our understanding of ourselves, encourages discourse, and leads rooms with compassion, collaboration, and openness.

She is the winner of the 2026 JMK award.

Recent credits include The Welsh Dragon (Theatre lolo), Her Naked Skin (Rose Bruford), The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English (Bush Theatre), No More Mr Nice Guy (Original Director – R&D, Camden People’s Theatre). More information at ewadina.com.

JACOB SAVAGE

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Jacob started playing piano aged five and by seventeen, had achieved a classical diploma. He wrote a musical and was accepted into Leeds College of Music (now Leeds Conservatoire) to study composition in which he gained a First Class degree. Jacob has filmed, recorded, taught, accompanied and advised at Leeds Conservatoire and is now a lecturer and Musical Director on their Musical Theatre Degree Course. Alongside writing solo material, Jacob writes for artists and agencies. Jacob produces all of his own music and has produced freelance for bands and artists for many years.

Jacob was Musical Director for BYMT’s production of Sense & Sensibility (Barnfield Theatre, Exeter) in 2025.

HANNAH FAIRCLOUGH CHOREOGRAPHER

Hannah is a Birmingham based Creative, whose previous Musical Theatre credits include Evita, Strictly Ballroom, Ghost, Hairspray, Mamma Mia and Original Cast of Frozen

Hannah previously worked with BYMT as the choreographer on their 2025 Summer Camp in Brecon; Just Be(e) and has recently finished working as Associate Movement Director on the award-winning play, Punch

LU HERBERT SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Lu is a Set and Costume Designer working across the UK, Europe, Australia and America. Lu has been nominated for a BroadwayWorld award, shortlisted for the JMK Prize 2024 with director Zoe Murtagh, and has worked on North-East England, Offie, What’s On Stage and Oliviernominated productions.

Lu’s previous works include; Murder She Didn’t Write (Duchess Theatre & UK Tour and Australia), Cable Street (Marylebone Theatre and New York Transfer), TOXIC (UK Tour), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Donmar Warehouse, Assistant Designer) and Little Terror (UK Tour, Luxembourg). They have also designed over six productions for BYMT including Why the Whales Came, Romeo and Juliet and The Power of Camelot.

RACHEL E CLEARY LIGHTING DESIGNER

With more than 15 years of experience, Rachel works as a lighting designer and technician across theatre and live performance. She has toured throughout the UK, Europe, and the United

States, and contributed to productions in the West End and on Broadway. Her portfolio covers opera, plays, musicals, and dance, alongside indoor and outdoor installations. Selected credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Lucky Stiff, Cendrillon, Jane Eyre, and Hairspray. She trained through the prestigious ALPD Lumière Scheme.

SAM LEVY SOUND DESIGNER

Sam is a London-based Sound and Lighting Designer. Credits for BYMT include: The Glamification of Loki (Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London), Romeo & Juliet (Drum Theatre, Plymouth), Angry Salmon (Bridewell Theatre, London).

Other Sound Design credits include: Body Count (SoHo Playhouse, New York), Harmony (White Bear Theatre, London), The Invitation (Workshop, London), POD (Guildhall School of Music and Drama), The Wizard of Oz (Wyllyotts Theatre), Rapunzel (Wyllyotts Theatre).

PRODUCTION TEAM

Production Company Manager

Stage Manager

Deputy Stage Manager

Sound & Lighting

Katherine Verberne

Wil Chivers

Eve Wengel

Core UK Production Services and Cross Light and Sound

CREATIVE WORK PLACEMENTS

Assistant Director

Assistant Musical Director

Assistant Designer

Assistant Stage Manager

Nick Stephens

Jake Holding

Eve M Hurst

Sharna Walker

YOUNG COMPANY

Kiya Arnett

Chloe Athalia

Peter the Milkman & Nick Witchell

Featured Fairy & Auntie Edith

MUSICIANS

Jacob Savage

Jake Holding

Amelia Bell

Nicole Cammack

Isabella Canevaro

Lexi Cox

Rose Deery

Featured Fairy & Susan

Frances Griffiths

Harold Snelling

Featured Fairy & Maurice Hewlett

Beryl & Major John Hall-Edwards

Niko Evdokimov

Lee Freemantle

Romilly Gillis

Scarlett Gillis

Siya Gowda

Joe Cooper

Miss West & Christopher Neve

Gail Snelling & Ralph

Featured Fairy & Hilary the Nurse

Clara Gardner, Janine Wilson & Mary Annand

Kyran Russell

Oliver Scott-Simons

Jamie Hartshorne

Fintan Kealy

Caitlyn Hamilton

Scott Hawthorne

Daisy Hicks

Lily-Boo Higgins

Isla Jones

Danielle Kelly-Honey

Ria Kuntsman

Eliana Lamberton

Theo Mansfield

Darina Markova

Rafe Maxwell

Fern Mellor

Blaize Middleton

Beulah Mmerife

Abbie Park

Bethany Parsons

Arthur Wright

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Featured Fairy & Janet

Lynn Lewis

Polly Wright

Older Frances

Matthew & Henry Labouchere

Camilla Jones & Clodagh Nurse

Anthony & Kenneth Moore

Featured Fairy & Monica

Major Alfred “Woody”

Herbert Wood

Older Elsie

Elsie Wright

Martin the Vicar

Christine Lynch (Frances’ Granddaughter)

Margaret the Postwoman & Joseph McCabe

Gwen Pritchard-Thomas

Isla Robertson

Callum Savva

Nell Swettenham

Daniela Valencia

Anika Venkatesh

Zach Went

Annie Griffiths

Adam & Joan Robins

Maurice the Grocer

Featured Fairy & Brenda

Featured Fairy & Houdini

Emily & Camera Operator

Edward Gardner

Musical Director & Keys 1

Assistant Musical Director & Keys 2

Young Instrumentalist (Keys 3 and Guitars)

Young Instrumentalist (Bass Guitar)

Young Instrumentalist (Drums & Percussion)

Jacob Savage, Jake Holding and Kyran Russell

Arrangements & Orchestrations Keyboard Programming

PASTORAL TEAM

Alex Lonsdale

Olivia Mann

Laurence

Beveridge

Kieran Thomas

BYMT TEAM

Emily Gray

Clare Russell

Milly Summer

Frances Nicholson

Cerys Jones

Naomi Smith

Charlotte Brown

Ed Hill

Pastoral Lead

Pastoral Team Member

Pastoral Team Member

Pastoral Team Member

Chief Executive & Creative Director

Finance Director Producer Head of Development

Casting & Young Company Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing & Content Co-ordinator

Production & Engagement Associate

Alex Lonsdale

Suvidha Saraf

Annie Sanger-Davies

PATRONS

Welfare Manager (DSL) South Asian Engagement Manager

Creative Work Placement

Programme Lead

Peter Duncan, Grace Mouat, Ed Sheeran MBE, Zoë Wanamaker CBE.

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