World Premiere of PAPER STARS Will Come to Exeter in August

BYMT will present a brand new musical about the creator of Mary Poppins that explores who P.L. Travers was before she became famous. Inspired by real events, yet told with a healthy spoonful of imagination, Paper Stars begins as a young woman sets sail from the docks of Sydney Harbour in 1924. Whimsical musical theatre meets modern pop as we follow her dream of becoming a great writer in London. Performances will run from 14 - 16 August 2026.

Paper Stars is created by Australian writing team, London-based Grace Chapple (co-writer) and Sydney-based Miranda Middleton (co-writer/director) and Luke Byrne (composer/lyricist). The production features 38 young actors and musicians from across the UK. 

Grace's first play Never Closer (Belvoir Street Theatre) has been shortlisted for major international awards. Miranda was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Direction for Bright Star and a Green Room Award for her production of The Grinning Man. Luke's credits include his first musical Between the Sea and Sky which won five awards at the New York Musical Festival. 

Grace Chapple, Luke Byrne and Miranda Middleton: “At its heart, Paper Stars is a story about learning to say goodbye to people that you love. Like the Mary Poppins books themselves, our script and score comprise equal parts magic and melancholy, joy and sorrow – true to the bittersweetness of life on this mortal coil. 

At a time when we all need to fight to protect our whimsy and wonder at the world, Paper Stars celebrates the power of the human imagination, the strength of the human spirit, and reminds us that light can always be found in dark skies if you look hard enough. 
 We couldn’t be more excited to bring P.L. Travers’ extraordinary story to life with a group of creative, impassioned, young people, who – to use a lyric from the show – each have their own great story to tell.”

Jasmine Mabey, BYMT Young Company Member: “I was so excited when I was selected for Paper Stars. It was the musical I instantly knew I wanted to do when I heard about it. I love Mary Poppins - to learn more about the creator and be part of bringing the backstory into people’s awareness in such a creative and exciting way filled me with inspiration. I have performed in an Exeter show before and my family are from there so I am really pleased to be returning!”

Emily Gray, BYMT Creative Director: “We are delighted to be returning to the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter, where our musical adaptation of Sense and Sensibility last year was enjoyed by audiences of all ages. When our BYMT Young Company Panel were choosing shows for this year, they leapt at Paper Stars - an untold story exploring the life of the writer of such an iconic character. At BYMT we love to take a true story and infuse it with the energy and brilliance of 38 young imaginations; along with the writing team behind Paper Stars, we will bring P.L. Travers’ remarkable storytelling into the world of new musicals.”

Paper Stars is one of six BYMT productions in 2026, alongside The Cottingley Fairies (Birmingham, 10-12 April), The Clockmaker’s City (Manchester, 31 July - 2 August), Technical Difficulties (Hull, 7-8 August), Sea Change (Birmingham, 28-30 August) and Frankenstein (London, 28-30 August). As well as these performances, the company’s five development camps and Upskill Short Course bring together young performers and creative teams to explore new ideas and shape the next generation of musical theatre.
 

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