Lucky Petra travels to New York on the next stage of her musical journey

Lucky Petra is one of three works in development that will be part of this year’s New Plays for Young Audiences (NYPA).  This follows Lucky Petra’s first outing as part of BEAM2018, the UK’s largest showcase of new musical theatre writing.  Writer Carl Miller and composer Christopher Ash have created an exciting piece of promenade theatre, driven by a travelling band and inspired by the work of August Strindberg’s allegorical play, Lucky Peer’s Travels.
 
The work will benefit from a week of workshops with a cast of NYU students, and script development guided by director, Tony Graham and dramaturg, Cecily O’Neill.
 
Petra lives in a high-rise tower, kept there by her father to protect her from the malign influences of the world. Petra’s eventual escape and journey – both real and psychological – is supported by a band of exiles and migrants as they traverse the post-Brexit landscape of Britain to a wild and anarchic musical accompaniment.
 
Tony Graham, director, said: “NPYA is a great testing-ground; a laboratory to explore whether a new play has life and then the potential for a professional production. Chris Ash’s vibrant, joyous music for Lucky Petra has already been given some air-time at BEAM, so this is an opportunity to probe the text. It allows us to look at the dramatic arc, the internal rhythms and the characters.”

Carl Miller, writer, said: “We wanted to combine our dramatic and musical passions to create bold, popular contemporary theatre for audiences of all ages, connecting the magic of European fairy tales to today’s emerging narratives of displacement; think Peter Pan meets Pan’s Labyrinth.”
 
Christopher Ash, composer, said: “The sheer joy and energy of a Balkan brass band music collides with the anarchy of street-punk music to drive the emotional tone and narrative of the play.”
 
Dramaturg and Artistic Director of 2TimeTheatre Cecily O’Neill joins the season for the 11th year in a row.

Lucky Petra is appropriate for ages 11+. Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 10 at 3 pm at the Provincetown Playhouse, 133 MacDougal Street, NYC.
 
Other plays on the season include:
HOW? is by noted author Lois Lowry and invites its actors and the audience to explore violence in society. Stan Foote directs. HOW? is appropriate for ages 13 and up. Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 17 at 3 p.m.
 
Becoming Martin is by noted director, screenwriter, and playwright Kevin Willmott and explores Martin Luther King Jr.’s journey to understand his own feelings and beliefs during his time at Morehouse College (from the age of fifteen). Chip Miller directs. This play is appropriate for ages 11 and up. Rehearsed readings are on Saturday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 24 at 3 p.m.
 
About New Plays for Young Audiences
 
For twenty-one seasons, New Plays for Young Audiences has developed some of the most promising new works for family audiences. Supported by NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Educational Theatre, NPYA was founded in 1998 by the late Lowell and Nancy Swortzell as a supportive space to nurture and evaluate new TYA scripts.
steinhardt.nyu.edu
 
About 2TimeTheatre
 
2TimeTheatre's performance arm was launched in October 2013 with a theatre production of Young Jane, short plays based on the early writings of a young Jane Austen and adapted by Cecily O'Neill.   Young Jane was the first publication from 2TimeTheatre (September 2016), followed by Drinking with Dorothy (January 2017). Meeting Miss Austen was published May 2017 and performed as part of the Winchester Festival in July 2017.  This was followed by a production of Jane Austen and The Waterman, written by Cecily O'Neill and Philip Glassborow for the SO: To Speak Festival in Southampton, October 2017.  2TimeTheatre is co-producing new musical Lucky Petra and producing The Honest Soldier, written by Philip Glassborow for performance in July 2018.
www.2timetheatre.com