Review by Jhanvi Charkhawala
When it comes to gender and identity, we as a society still struggle to understand them. It’s always easier when the issue belongs to someone else. But what happens when it’s someone near and dear, trying to fit into something they are not?
All you really need to do is ask.
And that’s exactly what British Youth Music Theatre’s Theo in Between is about.
With an outstanding young cast aged 11–21, this new musical handles questions of gender and identity with honesty, humour, and heart.
Set in the northern town of Dulberry in 1999, still clinging to its old ways, the show begins with a lively ensemble number declaring: “There’s never a dull day in Dulberry.” Theo and their mother run a small bookshop; Theo, a born dreamer, is constantly imagining another life. Their journey
takes them from asking, “How do I become a man?” to realising that they are not Teddy at all, but Theo — and that self-discovery is not about fitting into someone else’s mould, but about accepting who they truly are.
The story interweaves Theo’s search for their absent father with the bustle of Dulberry’s Harvest Festival. When Rachel, the police chief’s daughter, is barred from being Fall Queen, Theo is crowned Fall King instead — but the role quickly becomes a burden. Taught to “man up” for the coronation, Theo rebels, runs away to London, meets strangers who open their eyes, finds the father they imagined would have all the answers, and ultimately returns home with clarity and courage. Alongside Theo’s arc, we glimpse Rachel’s own struggle to live up to her father’s expectations, Simon’s quiet confusion over his attraction to both men and women, and Theo’s mother’s gradual realisation that parenting is not about moulding a “son”, but about seeing her child for who they are — and asking when she doesn’t understand.
The writing by Gareth Mattey and Jordan Li-Smith is full of clever nods and musical influences, from Britten’s Albert Herring and The Wizard of Oz to 90s/00s pop hits and Gilbert & Sullivan-esque riffs. Rooted in years of development, it thrives in those “in between” spaces that so much LGBTQ+ storytelling inhabits. As the writers note, this is the show 90s kids wish they’d seen when they were young and figuring themselves out.
It’s also worth pausing on the organisation behind the work. British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) is built on community, with young people at the heart of everything it does. Their involvement goes far beyond performance. Supporting 11–21-year-olds with training and opportunities, BYMT equips its members to step fully into their creative potential. Through workshops, camps, and productions, they provide not just skills and resources, but a culture of authenticity, collaboration, and generosity that inspires lasting confidence. Theo in Between is proof of what that kind of support can produce — a bold, thoughtful, and profoundly relatable musical.
At just 90 minutes, Dean Johnson’s production is a burst of energy — every musical number drawing spontaneous applause, every scene pushing Theo (and us) towards a deeper understanding. Though set firmly in the pre-Google haze of 1999, its themes feel urgently 2025: friendship, parenting, belonging, identity.
Only in CarriageWorks Theatre, Leeds for four performances (22–23 August), Theo in Between may have been set in 1999 — but it felt like a breath of fresh air, and one I’d wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.