IMPORTANT: Please note that this guidance pertains to the updated 2027 Musical Theatre Syllabus (for exams taken from 1st January 2027 onwards). For guidance relating to the 2021 Musical Theatre Syllabus (for exams taken before 31st December 2026), please see here: Musical Theatre Exams (Solo / Duo) - 2021 SYLLABUS

Definition: A musical built mainly around a central idea, theme or concept rather than simply telling one continuous story from beginning to end. 

Concept musicals often use episodes, separate characters or unusual structures to examine different aspects of one central theme. 

Typical features include; a strong central theme, episodic or non-linear structure, recurring ideas and motifs, scenes that explore different aspects of the concept, and less emphasis on “what happens next?” than in a traditional book musical. 

Show Examples 

Company (Stephen Sondheim) 

Male song: Being Alive 

Character: Bobby 

Female song: Another Hundred People 

Character: Marta 

A Chorus Line (Hamlisch & Kleban) 

Male song: I Can Do That 

Character: Mike 

Female song: Nothing 

Character: Diana 

Pippin (Stephen Schwartz) 

Male song: Corner Of The Sky 

Character: Pippin 

Female song: Kind Of Woman 

Character: Catherine