the peculiar tale
of the prince of bohemia
and the society of desperate victorians
The Peculiar Tale… is loosely based on a series of short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson. Music by Julian Blackmore, book and lyrics by Becca Blackmore and Dan Marshall.
about
While living abroad and recklessly in Victorian London, Prince Florizel learns that his estranged father the King of Bohemia is dead. As heir to the throne he must choose between being his own man or leading his country. Chaperoned by the dutiful Master of Horses Colonel Geraldine, the Prince seeks a new adventure to stave his existential crisis. When he meets the charming Pendlebratten in a pub, the Prince is captivated by his invitation to join a secret society of desperate men.
The Prince and Geraldine are welcomed into the Suicide Club, the final refuge of those weary of life but lacking the courage to end it. Members of the Suicide Club assign their fate to a deadly card game played nightly - whoever is dealt the ace of spades must kill whoever is dealt the ace of hearts. Realizing the deck is stacked against them, the Prince and Geraldine become trapped within the mysterious Club and inextricably linked to its members.
With the stakes higher than ever before, the Prince must decide if he’ll take a gamble on the life he wants or play the hand he’s been dealt.
history
14th Annual Festival Of New Musicals: Goodspeed Opera House, CT. January 2019
Developmental Reading: Town Stages, NYC. October 2019