THE musical theatre company which put singer songwriter Ed Sheeran on the road to global superstardom is holding auditions n Hampshire this weekend.

Organisers from Youth Music Theatre (YMT) are visiting 25 cities across the UK and Ireland throughout January and February, looking for performers and musicians to join the YMT 2016 company.

They arrive at The Point in Eastleigh tomorrow.

YMT are looking for 300 talented young people aged 11 to 21 to work with leading theatre professionals to create eight brand new musicals.

If successful, young people are invited to join the YMT 2016 Company and take part in one of eight two-week residential courses that take place in July/August. Here they'll create a brand new musical, which is then performed to the public in a professional venue.

YMT is also looking for musicians of the same age who play any instrument to a Grade 7 standard. Musicians will have the opportunity to work with top composers and musical directors in a pit or on-stage band as well as as actor-musicians.

The musicals include The Busted Musical at the Brighton Theatre Royal, written by Busted's James Bourne and Elliot Davis. There's also a glittering musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby, a site-specific contemporary dance-opera, The Dark Tower, at Peckham's Bussey Building, an Irish warrior tale, The Frenzy of Sweeney (Buile Shuibhne), at the Lyric Belfast, a women's boxing epic, Fight Like a Girl, at the Dean Clough Halifax and devised work in Plymouth, Aberdeen and Reading.

YMT alumni and patron Ed Sheeran, an Ivor Novello Award winner, said: "I loved performing with YMT - go and audition, you don't know where it could take you."

Company member from 2015 Maria Papadakis-Kotsovolou, 18, from Southampton, added: "It made me really challenge myself and let me achieve things I didn't know I had in me.

"One of the biggest moments for me was when I realised that I have made true friends for life that I got to create some of the best memories of my life. It's really hard to explain in words how incredible YMT is."

Performer Auditions are £40 and can be booked online at youthmusictheatreuk.org/auditions) or by calling 020 8563 7725.

Musician Auditions are free and can be booked by calling 020 8563 7725.