Musical Futures – Greenwich Theatre’s annual festival celebrating new musical theatre – returns after taking a year off, this weekend.

The theme for this year’s event explores alternative takes on the form, with particular focus on circus skills, a capella song and contemporary dance, moving away from presenting traditional book musicals , such as Oklahoma! And Les Miserables.

“Musical Futures has long been an important platform for this country’s historically under-represented musical theatre writers,” said James Haddrell, director of Greenwich Theatre, explaining the theatre’s on-going commitment to this project.

“However, with the increasing contribution made by organisations like Musical Theatre Matters and events like Perfect Pitch, I am delighted to now be moving Musical Futures on to a new level.

“Perceptions of music theatre, from industry and audiences alike, have traditionally been founded on the expectation that the next big musical will always follow the book format. Musical Futures offers the perfect vehicle to challenge that preconception.”

The project sees the theatre working alongside Nitro, a theatre company committed to developing opportunities for black artists and performers to create work exploring the black-British experience.

To produce new and exciting productions, both organisations have invited performers not traditionally associated with musical theatre to take part.

Ones to watch for the two-day programme include No Time at Greenwich Dance Agency (gDA) – a contemporary dance piece drawing on jazz, street and ballet set to British-Jamaican conversation and rhythms from the street and Wuthering Heights - a musical interpretation of Emily Bronte’s book blending influences from Indian and contemporary cinema and film noir from British-Asian theatre company Tamasha.

Then there’s Mabel Stark: Tiger Tamer a sung-through piece telling the real-life story of circus legend Mable Stark and Drive Ride Walk, a struggles-in-the-urban-jungle tale where a capella jazz and body percussion provide the score.

There is also a debate scheduled to explore the place and possibilities of new musical theatre.

Greenwich Theatre has been looking at musical theatre development for the past eight years, hosting Musical Futures during seven of these years.

Many projects or experiments have grown into full-scale productions, notable Sadly Solo by Paul Ryan and Peter Readman from 2002 and Richard Alexander and Marek Rymaszewski’s A Model Girl from 2006’s event.

To make Musical Futures as accessible as possible all new music events at the festival are free.

Musical Futures, Nov 8 and Nov 9, various times at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich and Greenwich Dance Agency, Royal Hill, Greenwich. Box office 020 8858 7755.