Formed in 2002, BATS Next Gen’s ethos is to provide affordable musical theatre experience for young people in and around the Basingstoke area aged between 7 and 18.

Self-funded and run as a not-for-profit musical society by volunteers, we pass on our experience and love of theatre through rehearsals and performances, usually culminating in one show a year at The Haymarket, Basingstoke.

We are very proud to have been awarded a NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Arts) Accolade of Musical Excellence for our first two-week Summer School production of We Will Rock You in 2022. We were also nominated for SE Region Best Compilation Show for 20 – Celebrating 20 years of BATS Next Gen in the same year. Following our 2023 production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie we were highly commended for The Best Modern Musical in our region, a huge achievement in a category of adult societies.