What Maisie Knew (The Musical)

What Maisie Knew is a musical play based on the novel of the same name by Henry James, first published in 1897. It is a one-act play with a cast of just six lasting about 75 minutes with eleven songs in which Maisie engages with the audience and takes it through the many lessons she learns as a result of her parents’ acrimonious divorce and her having to live alternately, every six months with each parent, as decreed by the Judge.

Shuttled between her divorced parents who value her only as a means for provoking each other, Maisie is embroiled in the tumultuous lives of her parents and grows up in a world of distasteful adult intrigue and betrayal. As she is passed back and forth between them, Maisie becomes wise beyond her years, learning about the complexities of adult relationships and the influence of wealth and power on them.

Music is by Philip Case; original lyrics by Anne Dewe; script and additional lyrics by Ellie Ross. The musical was developed in 2022 through two workshops, for which the Director was Melanie Fullbrook and the Musical Director Trevor Defferd. Melanie Fullbrook co-founded and runs a travelling theatre group, Revels in Hand – www.revelsinhand.com – and What Maisie Knew is now a part of the repertoire offered to their private and corporate clients.