Inspiration

Les Petits Rats is set against the romantic backdrop of nineteenth-century Paris and concerns the celebrated troupe of child ballet dancers known as the Petit Rats of the Paris Opera. Although the story is fictionalized, the Petit Rats were a real corps of young dancers in the Paris Opera at that time.

Productions


Les Petits Rats was developed by the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), one of the leading developers of musicals for young performers. In addition to a production at NYMT, the show ran at the George Square Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, the National Theatre of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki and at The Opera House (The Municipal Theatre) in Piraeus.

Cultural Influence

• National Youth Music Theatre is a British company that has been producing work for youth since 1977. It has launched the careers of several notable actors, including Johnny Lee Miller and Matt Lucas.

   

• Jeremy James Taylor, the bookwriter and lyricist for Les Petits Rats, is also the founding director of NYMT.

Trivia

• Actor Jude Law got his start at NYMT and starred in the original production of Les Petits Rats.