Space Girl (NHB Modern Plays)

An action-packed play bursting with songs and imagination, celebrating curiosity, resilience and exploration. Mary Moon is nine years old and dreams of travelling across the galaxy, just like her brave and brilliant astronaut father. But Mary hasn't seen her dad since last week, and nobody will tell her where he is... Follow Mary on her journey through the solar system, as she faces meteors, monsters and the Sea of Sorrow in her mission to bring her dad back home. Helen Stanley's play Space Girl was first staged at the Broadway Theatre, London, performed by Lewisham Youth Theatre. It is especially suitable for younger audiences and performers, including those under twelve years old. The Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series features large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to older teenagers and young adults.

Helen Stanley trained as an actor and, after a good few years performing professionally in theatre and TIE, she found herself directing for Lewisham Youth Theatre (LYT). She has been Artistic Director at LYT for twenty years. Over the years, it became harder to find scripts that reflected the lives of the participants, so she turned to writing plays. Helen has written around fifteen plays for ages eight to twenty-five, mainly devised and written with young people. Helen's work often explores the relationship between the child and parent with an adventurous twist. She works hard to give every actor a moment to shine, as well as often focusing on female-led stories. Space Girl is her first published play. Helen is now a freelance theatre practitioner and playwright. She continues to create work with and for people of all ages.