The Girl Who Looks Up at the Stars

Synopsis

A small town on the edge of a city, where concrete towers meet rolling hills under a vast, indifferent sky.

Katie, a young woman brimming with ambition, stands at her window, dreaming of becoming a millionaire by 30. As she navigates the limited opportunities of her working-class world, Katie’s grand schemes—from selling Sky remotes to breeding chickens—clash with the harsh realities of her environment. Her journey from wide-eyed dreamer to disillusioned adult unfolds through a series of monologues and encounters with family, friends, and potential mentors.

Luke Barnes’ play is a raw, poetic exploration of class, ambition, and the power of dreams in the face of systemic barriers. Through Katie’s eyes, we see the beauty and brutality of a town often overlooked, where talent goes untapped and potential unrealized. As Katie’s aspirations collide with societal expectations, the play asks pointed questions about opportunity, social mobility, and the cost of conformity. With a touch of magical realism in Katie’s encounters with a fox, Barnes crafts a touching, often funny, and ultimately bittersweet portrait of youth grappling with an uncertain future.