Modern and contemporary plays / drama

Book SynopsisThis vital anthology includes fresh translations of four of Paco Bezerra''s plays in one edited collection for the first time in English. Winner of the National Literary Drama Award in 2009 and the Calderon de la Barca Theatre Drama Prize for New Authors in 2007, Paco Bezerra has become one of the most lauded and essential voices in the Spanish theatrical scene. His works have received both critical and audience acclaim, and his plays have been performed throughout Europe, South America and Asia. In the four plays included in this volume, Bezerra addresses critical issues such as child abuse, racism and women's rights. And, in a manner common to all of his works, Bezerra continually explores how marginalization weaves into all aspects of human existence. Together with an edited introduction to Bezerra''s work and world, this collection offers a rare insight into contemporary Spanish theatre for performance and study.Table of ContentsIntroduction Translator's Notes Grooming - Grooming follows one middle-aged man and one young woman who meet in a park at night after flirting online. The man blackmails her with sensitive material from their online chats, but the tables soon turn, and it will be the young woman who entraps the man in a game where the playwright daringly explores the limits and consequences of paraphilias. Mr. Ye Loves Dragons - Mr. Ye Loves Dragons explores the issue of racism with four neighbors in a low-income building: a Chinese mother and her daughter and two Spanish women who believe the daughter is illegally hiding people in the basement. Lulú - In Lulú, Amancio, a widower, discovers the body of an unconscious, naked woman in the middle of a forest. He takes her to the home he shares with his two grown sons where tragedy will soon unravel. Bezerra’s retelling of the Lilith or Lulu’s myth abruptly changes when the woman addresses the audience and utters her real name: Lucía. I Die for I Die Not - One of Bezerra’s most recent works, I Die for I Die Not is an experimental dramatization of a woman whose story has been silenced and heavily manipulated by the powers-that-be; a women whose agency has been stolen by the respective hegemonic narrative that plagues the world to this day.

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Book SynopsisProfessor John Halder is a 'good' man. But 'good' men must adapt to survive. As the world faces its Second World War, Halder finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences. Good is a story about a liberal-minded university professor who drifts well-meaningly into a position in the upper reaches of the Nazi administration. John Halder, a professor of literature, seems to be a good man; he diligently visits his blind and senile mother and looks after his vacant wife and three children. He is unremarkable, other than an unusual neurotic tic: the imaginary sound of band music plays in the background of his life, particularly at moments of high emotion. But by writing a book the result of his own experience discussing euthanasia for senile elderly people and by lecturing on the delicacy of German literary culture, John has unintentionally made himself a very desirable acquisition for the Nazi party. A profound and alarming examination of passivity and the rationaTrade ReviewGood is an original and intelligent play, light in texture but serious in content, that tries to work out how decent, liberal, humane men came to be swept up by the Nazi juggernaut. * Michael Billington, The Guardian *Taylor's play is about moral compromise in a political fog, and like all good plays is as much about now. as then * Time Out *One of the most powerful, politically pointed nights at the theatre * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisFirst, do no harm. How do we defend the truth when no one agrees what it is and many have reason to undermine it?Very freely adapting Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, Robert Icke''s gripping moral thriller uses the lens of medical ethics to examine urgent questions of faith, belief, and scientific rationality.After a critically acclaimed run at London''s Almeida Theatre, The Doctor transferred to the West End in September 2022. This revised and updated edition was published to coincide with the new production.Trade Review‘A gripping moral thriller and a scorching examination of our age.’ * Financial Times *One of the peaks of the theatrical year. * Guardian *Brilliant stuff. And brave. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisGlobal Voices Theatre is a female-, non-binary, migrant-led theatre company that explores and platforms international marginalised voices. They have curated events with partners such as Bush Theatre, Border Crossings, AWAN, British Library, and Roundhouse. The plays showcased at the event that led to GVT's creation were published as Global Queer Plays.Zhui Ning Chang (she/they) is a Malaysian editor, writer, educator, sensitivity reader and theatre maker based in London, UK. Her work engages with topics such as decolonialisation, migration and diaspora, speculative futures, and building support and solidarity through storytelling.Table of ContentsPreface by Victor Esses Extinct - Philip Arditti (Turkey/UK) Heartlines - Sarah Waisvisz (Canada) La Kahena, Berber Queen - Berthe Bénichou-Aboulker (Algeria), translated from French by Jessica Benhamou Papa'gina - Hana Vazana Grunwald (Israel), translated from Hebrew by Sivan Battat A People - L M Feldman (US)

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Book SynopsisOphelia's story in a way you've never heard it before, and seven more ways as well.Ophelia is trapped, stuck inside the machinery that has created her consciousness, fighting to be heard. Hamlet, overwhelmed by the ceaseless flood of media, mindlessly watches TV, consuming a mish-mash of beauty and horror; a daily soup of innocence and violence. The two of them hopelessly confined, and separated by the Atlantic Ocean.A polemic response to Heiner Mueller's Hamletmachine, Opheliamachine is a postmodern tale of love, sex and politics in a fragmented world of confused emotions and global, virtual sexuality. Since its premiere in 2013, Magda Romanska's celebrated experimental play has been performed and studied around the world, with each culture and language feeding into and responding to Opheliamachine's collage of modern existence.This edited collection brings together eight different translations of the play, offering English, GermaTrade ReviewDifficult comedy of ideas and ideologies. * The Hollywood Reporter *An uncompromising vision. . . . fiercely confrontational new play. * Los Angeles Times *Relentlessly provocative and challenging. * LA Weekly *Table of ContentsHow to Lose a Guy in Ten Wars: Introduction to Opheliamachine by Ilinca Todorut From Elsinore to American Techno-Solitude by Maria Pia Pagani, translated by Margaret Rose Production History Opheliamachine (English) Opheliamaschine (German) Ophéliemachine (French) Opheliamachine (Italian) La Máquina de Ofelia (Spanish) Opheliamachine (Japanese) Opheliamachine (Korean) Opheliamachine (Romanian) Maszynofelia (Polish) Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTen new short plays by African women tackling taboo topics on identity, gender, sexualities, family relations and power. Following the international success of Contemporary Plays by African Women, this new collection is the next step in the African Women Playwright Network (AWPN) both showcasing and encouraging the development of new work. Consisting of the ten winners of the AWPN''s international writing competition, this collection is centered around the theme of ''Tackling Taboo Topics in African Female Writing'', originally performed as staged readings at the AWPN Festival hosted by the University of Ghana in 2022. Selected from 75 submissions from nine African countries, these plays speak to contemporary and pressing issues, illuminating lived experiences of African women that are common but seldom discussed. An important resource for schools and universities looking to diversify and decolonise curricula and engage with short works for practical classes, pTable of ContentsIntroduction - by ‘Tosin Kooshima Tume, Ekua Ekumah and Yvette Hutchison Plays – with playwright biographies Yanci by Rukayat Nihinlola Banjo (Nigeria) The Arrangement by Gisemba Ursula (Kenya) A woman has Two Mouthsby Chioniso Tsikisayi (Zimbabwe) Who is in my Garden ?by Irene Isoken Agunloye (Nigeria) The Taste of Justice by Martina Omorodion (Nigeria) Desperanza by Kaulana Williams (South Africa) Oh! by Miliswa Mbandazayo (South Africa) In Her Silence by Faustina Brew (Ghana) Horny&…by Philisiwe Twijnstra (South Africa) Gnash by Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile (Botswana) Interview with Dr Sarah Dorgbadzi by Ekua Ekumah, AWPN-Ghana festival 2022, University of Ghana, 1-4 September. Suggested Further Reading

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Book Synopsis1986. Ghana's prestigious Aburi Girls Boarding School. Queen Bee Paulina and her crew excitedly await the arrival of the Miss Ghana pageant recruiter. It's clear that Paulina is in top position to take the title until her place is threatened by Ericka a beautiful and talented new transfer student. As the friendship group's status quo is upended, who will be chosen for Miss Ghana and at what cost?Bursting with hilarity and joy, this award-winning comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls around the world. This edition is published to coincide with the UK premiere at the Lyric Theatre, Hampstead, in June 2023.

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Book SynopsisAva Wong Davies is a playwright and theatre critic based in London. She is a regular contributor to The Stage and Exeunt Magazine, is a monthly theatre columnist for gal-dem, and in 2018 won the Sunday Times Harold Hobson award for criticism. As a playwright, her work has been showcased at The Yard, The Bunker, Theatre Deli, VAULT Festival, and The North Wall. Her debut play i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) was programmed as part of Chris Sonnex's second season at The Bunker Theatre in November 2019. She is an alumna of the Soho Theatre Writers Lab 18/19 and one of the Bush Theatre's Emerging Writers.

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Book SynopsisIn this deeply moving and life-affirming tale, a mother must nurture her five-year-old son through an unfathomable situation with only the power of their imagination and their boundless capacity to love.Written for the stage by Academy Award nominee Emma Donoghue, this unique theatrical adaptation featuring songs and music by Kathryn Joseph and director Cora Bissett takes audiences on a richly emotional journey told through ingenious stagecraft, powerhouse performances, and heart-stopping storytelling. Room reaffirms our belief in humanity and the astounding resilience of the human spirit.This updated and revised edition was published to coincide with the Broadway premiere in Spring 2023.Trade ReviewRoom soars! Visually arresting and emotionally rich, Emma Donoghue’s Room is boldly realised for the stage … harrowing … astonishingly moving. * Toronto Star *Emma Donoghue's adaptation of her novel works beautifully onstage, and the songs capture heightened moments with sensitivity. A story of survival and love — something we all need to hear more of at this time. * Now Magazine *The most striking thing about Emma Donoghue’s stage version of her award-winning novel, Room, is its intense imaginative quality… Kathryn Joseph’s songs, co-written with Cora Bissett, burst from the texture of the play like some heightened form of speech… The story of Room is in some ways a harrowing one, that brings many in the audience to tears. Yet it is also a tremendously beautiful, vivid and uplifting show about the power of a mother’s love * The Scotsman *Haunting and reflective music and lyrics. They emerge naturally from the narrative … Compelling viewing (even in you know the ending.) This coproduction… is a triumph * Times of London *A strangely moving work about the power of imagination and the pain of adjustment to a new reality. … I found the prospect of the play intimidating. In the end, I was deeply touched by its testament to human resourcefulness * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisPassion. Obsession. Acceptance. Betrayal. Three ground-breaking female playwrights have cooked up a feast, with a trio of short plays with music that explore love in all its glorious, sticky complexity. From the boozy warmth of the social club to the endless labyrinth of the internet, this is a show about the communities we form, the care that we show each other and the love that we hope never tears us apart.The Start of Space by Laura Lindow: A visiting expert lecturing on the secrets of the heart has a dark and unexpected truth of their own.fangirl, or the justification of limerence by Naomi Obeng: An obsessive fan poses as her musical idol online and becomes lost in a maze of love and revenge.with the love of neither god nor state by Vici Wreford-Sinnott: A young woman runs away from a world that doesn't understand her and finds shelter in a local social club. But will they have the heart to truly let her in?This edition was published to coincide with the world

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Book SynopsisThere''s a legend about the Watch House... Scrape beneath the whitewash and you''ll find terror. You''ll find him.Tynemouth, late 1970s. Christmas is coming and Front Street''s swinging. But Anne, dumped here while her parents sort their divorce, isn''t in the mood. She escapes to the castle, the Priory, and the beaches. Best of all, the Watch House. The old coastguard''s place is packed with weird treasures and no one bothers her. Until lights start to flicker and something stirs in the dark nights...Buried deep in the past is a secret which now threatens everything. Only Anne can stop it. The Watch House is an epic new adaptation of Carnegie Medal-winner Robert Westall''s original novel, from Olivier Award-winning theatre-maker Chris Foxon. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Laurels Theatre in Whitley Bay, in December 2023.

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Book Synopsis''She's like no one I've ever met... She's like fire and water all at once.''Warwickshire, 1582. Agnes Hathaway, a natural healer, meets the Latin tutor, William Shakespeare. Drawn together by powerful but hidden impulses, they create a life together and make a family.As William moves to London to discover his place in the world of theatre, Agnes stays at home to raise their three children but she is the constant presence and purpose of his life.When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born.This new play based on Maggie O''Farrell''s best-selling novel and adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Red Velvet, Hymn), pulls back a curtain on the imagined family life of the greatest writer in the English language. Hamnet is a love letter to passion, birth, grief and the magic of nature.

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Book SynopsisWe were bound by the same dreamTo be there and to own itor to destroy itNearly two years after the end of their affair, John and Aga meet once more. Each has filled the void left by the other: he has withdrawn into his world of wealth and privilege; she has found herself working as a chambermaid to support her family. Both recognise that the spark between them is still there. Will they rekindle what they had, or is an altogether darker game about to be played out?Magdalena Miecznicka's Nineteen Gardens is a lyrical human comedy, by turns seductive, enigmatic and explosive. The author of several novels and plays in Polish, this is Miecznicka''s first play in English.This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London''s Hampstead Theatre, in November 2023.

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Book SynopsisNewcastle, London, America. You can go anywhere, it's still the same old shit. People just getting by, in any way they know how. But I tell you what they don't have, they don't have a 1 Thursday!17-year-old Jen and Stacey are best friends. Since forever.Stacey always dreamed of being a dancer. And she's actually got the talent for it. Only her school career advisor hasn't even been to London, let alone heard of Urdang. Jen is smart. Like Oxbridge smart. But all smart' gives her is the ability to see that there's no use trying to change the story prewritten for her, growing up in an underfunded and forgotten Bradford in the 2010s.They only have one place they can escape to Club Ocean on a Thursday night. Freedom for Jen and Stacey. A beautiful and hilarious coming-of-age story, Kat Rose-Martin''s 1 Thursdays captures and celebrates the trials and tribulations of what it means to be young, Northern and working class, when for one Vodka-blurred second, you're allowed to forg

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Book SynopsisCharles Dickens (1812-70) was an English writer, generally considered to be the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and responsible for some of English literature's most iconic novels and characters. He continues to be one of the best-known and most read of English authors, with multiple adaptations of his work frequently being produced.Gary McNair is a multi-award-winning writer and performer from Glasgow who aims to challenge and entertain in equal measure. Previous shows include: Square Go, Donald Robertson is Not a Stand Up Comedian, A Gambler's Guide To Dying, Letters To Morrissey, and Locker Room Talk. He has three times won the Scotsman Fringe First Award and has toured the world with his plays. His work has been translated into multiple languages including Italian, Arabic and Japanese.

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Book SynopsisCall my narcissism whatever you want. And while you''re at it; like, comment, subscribe, worship - fucking bow down.Meet Carleen and Crystal. The influencers with cultural commentary that will have you in stitches. Love them or hate them, there's no stopping their fast-growing online following. Offline, Carleen has her reservations about their cyber personas, but she idolises Crystal and would follow her anywhere even to FLIP!, the new social media giant that has everyone hooked and Carleen and Crystal are no exception; especially when it seems that their videos could make them famous.Superstardom, followers, fame, influence, money: it''s all just one click away. FLIP! is the answer to everything they''ve ever dreamed of. But is it too good to be true?FLIP! is a powerful new satire from critically-acclaimed writer Racheal Ofori that probes what it means to live freely under the shadow of social media, encroaching on every aspect of our lives. How can we be our authentic

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Book SynopsisMaimuna Memon is a Lancashire born writer, composer, musician and actor. She is Co-Founder and Resident Composer of Wildcard Theatre Company. Maimuna's one woman concept album musical Manic Street Creature was a smash hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, winning the 2022 Mental Health Fringe Award. Maimuna has written music and lyrics for Electrolyte (a gig theatre piece which had a sell out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018/19 and won the Scotsman Mental Health Award), Nine Lessons and Carols at the Almeida Theatre and Welcome To Iran for the National Theatre and Stratford East (cancelled due to the pandemic but then adapted for BBC Radio 3). Maimuna is commissioned by The Bush and Bolton Octagon Theatre for her new musical Sparrow Girl, an autobiographical four woman show about choice and heritage. She was nominated for a 2023 Olivier Award as Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role in the National Theatre's Standing at the Sky's

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Book SynopsisNo.1 Players always come firstNo.2 We look to the futureNo.3 We never leave anyone behindNo.4 We place others before ourselvesNo.5 We keep our promisesFive women have come together with one goal, one dream. Coming from very different backgrounds in life they have to work together as a team if they want to do what no one from Scotland has ever done before. To win the Homeless World Cup, and bring the trophy home.A joyful story of community and teamwork, building connections between each other, and homelessness. Written with the Dundee Women's Street Soccer Team, Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse''s Same Team A Street Soccer Story is an uplifting whirlwind through the highs and lows of homeless football.This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, in December 2023.

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Book SynopsisYou bring such scandal to my house.In the domain of Bernarda Alba, a daughter who disobeys is no longer a daughter. Forced to live under their mother's tight grip as they mourn their father's death, can five sisters survive when young Adela dares for passion and freedom?Olivier Award-winner Harriet Walter (Succession) plays the formidable matriarch, guarding her reputation against the rising tide of her family's desires in this pitch-black drama exploring the consequences of oppressing women, in Alice Birch''s radical new version of Federico García Lorca's modern masterpiece.This edition published to coincide with the world premiere at the National Theatre, London, in November 2023.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Woven Voices PrizeWho do you blame? The woman, the gun, or politics?Berker travels from Britain to Turkey to meet his estranged father, but it's too late: his sister Elif informs him that their Baba has already died. A family reunion becomes an exhilarating whodunnit investigation as Berker discovers the truth about his roots, grieves for a man he will never truly know, and accidentally unravels a conspiracy that goes to the heart of global politics.Featuring British spies, Turkish soldiers, and London's kebab shops, Aaron Kilercioglu's The EU Killed My Dad is the winner of the Woven Voices Prize 2023 and an inventive, fast-paced exploration of identity, belonging, and history spanning five decades. Aaron''s previous award-winning work includes the sell-out hit For a Palestinian, which has been seen at Bristol Old Vic, the Camden People's Theatre, and Underbelly.This edition was published to coincide with

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Book SynopsisAre those little voices in our heads our friends, or our enemies? What if they're neither, what if they're both?In this captivating and comic one-person play written by Gary McNair, the classic story of Jekyll and Hyde is turned on its head to reveal the depths of one man's psyche and the lengths we will go to hide our deepest secrets. What will happen to a curious mind as it's left to its own devices?Originally presented at Reading Rep, this edition was published to coincide with the opening of Jekyll and Hyde at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in January 2024.

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Book SynopsisYou didn't come for a weekend in Scarborough to watch Homes Under The Hammer.After all those extra shifts, all Lorna wants is a night out on the town and time to reconnect with her daughter. All 16-year-old Mila wants is for the world to stop burning. And for someone to take down that Beach Body Ready' poster. Please. As mum and daughter check into their premium' room where they can almost see the sea, they quickly discover that their favourite seaside town, which was once their annual sunny escape, could really use some attention just like their relationship. Katie Redford''s Wish You Weren''t Here is a hilarious and heart-warming exploration of family relationships, the agony of growing up, and how to find your way in the world when you can't help thinking you're just not good enough. This edition was published to coincide with Theatre Centre''s UK tour in January 2024.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Tinniswood Award at the 2024 BBC Audio AwardsAs I walk past the funeral parlour, I see a poster next to their two-for-one offer. It''s a wanted poster with my name on it.A completely made-up true story. When the world goes mad, do we inevitably go mad too?When Shôn playfully cracks an egg on his mother's head, he has no idea real-life internet trolls will appear on his doorstep. Cracking takes on the battle between love and hate, asking what's funny and where we draw the line. Part stand-up, part theatre, Cracking is a funny, touching and thought-provoking solo performance that sews together fact and fiction into one seamless whole making us wonder what's real, what's not and what's gone wrong. This story about love and hatred celebrates how searching for connection beats disconnecting. This edition was published to coincide with the UK tour starting in February 2024.

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Book SynopsisI remember thinking, what difference is there between donating my body to science and donating it to someone who might find pleasure in it when I'm dead.Sergio Blanco and Daniel Goldman collaborate again, after the success of their critically acclaimed Offie award-winning productions of Thebes Land and The Rage of Narcissus, to tell a mesmerising story of love and lust beyond the grave.Desire, friendship and eroticism intertwine in When You Pass Over My Tomb, a dazzling play by Latin America's leading living playwright that asks, how far would you go for love? And will the world allow it?This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London''s Arcola Theatre in February 2024.

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Book Synopsis‘Tempest has a gift for shattering and transcending convention.’ New York TimesPhiloctetes lives in a cave on a desolate island: the wartime hero is now a wounded outcast. Stranded for ten years, he sees a chance of escape when a young soldier appears with tales of Philoctetes’ past glories. But with hope comes suspicion – and, as an old enemy emerges, he is faced with an even greater temptation: revenge.Kae Tempest is now widely acknowledged as a revolutionary force in contemporary British poetry, music and drama; they continue to expand the range of their work with a new version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes in a bold new translation. Like Brand New Ancients before it, Paradise shows Tempest’s gift for lending the old tales an immediate contemporary relevance – and will find this timeless story a wide new audience.Trade ReviewTempest . . . doesn't just leap off the page, but leaps into your throat and demands to be shouted all the way out. -- Marlon JamesOne of the brightest British talents around. [Tempest's] spoken-word performances have the metre and craft of traditional poetry, the kinetic agitation of hip-hop and the intimacy of a whispered heart-to-heart . . . drawing on ancient mythology and sermonic cadence to tell stories of the everyday * Guardian *Tempest stitches together words with such animate grace that language acquires an almost tactile quality . . . [An] hypnotically persuasive vision * New York Times *Breathe[s] new life into old classic forms . . . I loved its vision, powerful and merciful. -- Ali Smith, on Brand New Ancients

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Book Synopsis'Nothing is any longer one thing.' From a teenage encounter with Elizabeth I, through infatuations, voyages and even a change of gender, Orlando lives out five centuries of life and love before they finally find the courage to truly be themselves. Neil Bartlett's sparkling adaptation of Virginia Woolf's famous fantasy finds powerful contemporary relevance in her vision of equal rights to love for bodies of every kind – and brings it to life on the stage with a kaleidoscope of theatrical styles, overseen by the haunting figure of Woolf herself. It premiered at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End in November 2022, in a production directed by Michael Grandage and starring Emma Corrin in the title role. Written for a diverse ensemble of nine or more actors, this adaptation will appeal to any theatre or company looking to entertain their audiences with a bold new take on this iconic tale of love and transformation.Trade Review'Radiates gleeful intelligence, rampaging heart and tremendous fun. It couldn't feel more timely, and it's glorious' * Guardian *'Theatre to make the heart leap... this vivid, glittering drama achieves not just the improbable, but the almost impossible: it captures the brilliance of Woolf's mind, the daring of her transgressive vision and the lush gorgeousness of her prose, and refracts it on the stage in an exquisite rainbow of prismatic colour... a play that is at once a delectable queer fantasia and a freewheeling intellectual joyride through the intertwined complexities of life, literature, identity and the creative process... a blazing beacon to progress, to possibility, to freedom and the power of imagination' * The Stage *'Neil Bartlett's fleet-footed, wildly imaginative but wonderfully disciplined adaption shines literal and metaphorical light on contemporary ideas of identity... an outstandingly original theatrical pleasure' * Variety *'Joyful and groundbreaking... a triumph' * Independent *'Neil Bartlett's adaptation captures all [the novel's] sexiness and spirit... it's splendid in every sense: passionate, camp as Christmas and as warmly celebratory, too' * iNews *'An adaptation full of joy and hope and sense of possibility for the future' * WhatsOnStage *'Neil Bartlett's funny but moving adaptation... a frisky romp, wittily engaging with today's debate about gender fluidity... a joyous ode to freedom' * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisSummer 1860, an elegant country house, a young boy is found dead in an outside privy. All clues point towards the murderer being a member of the grieving household. Called to the scene is the most celebrated detective of his day, Jonathan Whicher from Scotland Yard. But this case challenges him in ways he's never been challenged before. Over twenty years later, still haunted by the case, Whicher visits the murderer. As they replay the past, they start to question the nature of truth, the desire for certainty and the possibility of redemption. This compelling stage adaptation of Kate Summerscale's gripping bestseller opened at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury, in May 2023. This ensemble piece provides rich opportunities for companies looking to intrigue their audiences with a fresh take on a dark Victorian mystery. Trade Review'A true crime classic turned into a tense drama... ingeniously plotted... Kate Summerscale's Victorian potboiler is deftly condensed in a production that brings out the misogyny and class snobbery of the era' * Guardian *'Taut and magnetic... Alexandra Wood's bold adaptation turns the book's structure on its head... electric' * The Times *'An utterly transporting piece of storytelling that will keep you gripped as it carefully carries you towards its conclusion' * Broadway World *'Powerful... a wonderfully concise retelling and reexamination of the facts... The story unfolds with pleasing clarity' * WhatsOnStage *'Alexandra Wood's dramatisation for the stage intuitively captures the atmosphere of Summerscale's book... keeps the audience on its toes, piecing together fragments of the case and steering toward a remarkable conclusion... exposes the deep-seated, class-ridden misogyny of the Victorian era' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisIt's 1671, and the charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing – in plain sight – the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. With an audacious plan and a gang of misfits by his side, can he possibly pull it off? And is King Charles II in any mood to have his crown jewels handled? Based on the scarcely believable true story, Simon Nye's play The Crown Jewels is a riotous and uproarious royal affair. It opened at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End in 2023 before touring, and was directed by Sean Foley with a star-studded cast including Al Murray, Mel Giedroyc, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Aidan McArdle, Neil Morrissey, Joe Thomas and Tanvi Virmani. It will appeal to any amateur theatre company – monarchists and republicans alike – who want to get their hands on a royally funny caper to perform.Trade Review'Genius... had the audience howling with laughter... hilarious' * Daily Express *'An astonishing story... a royally great subject' * London Theatre *'An amazing true story... full of great moments and set pieces' * British Theatre Guide *'A fun and raucous ride' * Manchester Evening News *'Bawdy and exuberant… one not to be missed' * Buzz Magazine *'A regal riot… good old-fashioned fun and frolics at its very best' * Entertainment South Wales *'The witty script interwoven with current themes and topics made for a laugh-a-minute-show that had the entire theatre in stitches' * Kent Live *

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Book Synopsis'There were three people in my marriage… Three people and twelve legs.' Professor George Grey is world-renowned for her pioneering research into octopus intelligence. Recently bereaved, her closest relationship these days is with her research subject: Frances, who resides in a large, purpose-built tank in George's campus accommodation. But when ambitious anthropologist Harry enters her life, his breathtaking new theory threatens to tear her world apart in more ways than one… A play for two actors – and one octopus – Octopolis by Marek Horn is a fascinating and funny exploration of love, grief and what makes us human. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre, London, in September 2023, directed by Ed Madden.Trade Review'A grownup campus romcom, with profound and complex ideas about consciousness and intelligence' * Guardian *'A tangled, tentacled tale... unabashedly cerebral' * The Times *'Funny, touching, and surprising... an intimate two-hander that reveals itself to be about vastly expansive ideas... Marek Horn's writing is probing and incisive... manages to express very complex ideas, both academic and interpersonal, with a surprising lucidity, and with moments of unexpected comedy... an intricately intellectual piece of theatre, diving headfirst into questions of sentience, religion, grief, and community from a uniquely smart writer... you could watch or read Octopolis several times over and continue to notice something new... if you go to the theatre to think, to learn something, to do some introspection, its unmissable' * Broadway World *'Fascinating... a game of who's-watching-who as a rapid-fire sparring of wits and intellect dive and propel through the murky waters of grief, spirituality and admiring love' * WhatsOnStage *'Engagingly offbeat... challenging ideas balanced with plenty of humour' * The Stage *'Strikingly original and highly entertaining... smart, slightly surreal and quietly touching. This is a romcom that has legs' * Reviews Hub *'Profound... Horn's writing is not only philosophical; it is also bursting with comic one-liners' * Arts Desk *'A witty two-hander with a playful spark in its fiery humour and a thrilling emotional journey... a theatrical delight' * West End Best Friend *

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Book SynopsisAntler steps out of her front door and throws her phone to the ground. She stamps on it. Then she climbs the tallest tree in the park. She doesn't want to be found, not by anyone. Over the course of one autumnal evening, seven teenagers' lives intertwine as they make their way through the park. And everything that seemed normal becomes extraordinary. A play about protest, power and protecting yourself, Stef Smith's Remote was commissioned as part of the 2015 National Theatre Connections Festival and proved enormously popular with youth theatres and college companies across the UK, returning for the 2023 Connections Festival.

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Book Synopsis‘I want the world to change shape.’ ‘I'm not sure theatre can do that.’ ‘Well then where am I meant to take that impulse because I'm very serious about the endeavour?’ A young writer challenges the status quo but discovers that creative gain comes at a personal cost. The Writer premiered in 2018 at the Almeida Theatre, London, in a production directed by Blanche McIntyre. The Writer was a finalist for the 2019 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. 'A playwright who grabs the zeitgeist' IndependentTrade Review'Wow. Here's a drama that channels all the righteous anger of the moment, the pent-up fury that women have found themselves at last allowed to express... [Ella Hickson] hits the jackpot once more with this coruscating examination of power structures both artistic and personal and how received ideas shaped by an inescapably patriarchal society infuse the two realms' * Evening Standard *'An eloquent, intellectually agile, vividly written and frequently furious play... a compelling theatrical experience' * The Stage *'Electrifying... very punk rock, a thrillingly uninhibited rally against the establishment' * Time Out *'Hickson strikes a nerve with her story of toxic masculinity and egocentrism... this momentous new play is a voice that needs to be heard' * Broadway World *'Funny, raw, unflaggingly inventive... a sophisticated play for the MeToo generation' * Telegraph *'It's sharp, savage stuff... it never for a second is anything less than engrossing and serious, raising issues that need to be raised... Hickson's writing can take the breath away' * WhatsOnStage *'A bold and vivid explosion of anger' * Radio Times *'This poetically messy, brilliantly clever piece of work has an epic beauty… fractures, stumbles over and twists literary and societal structures like a modern-day Orlando… Hickson's a genius' * Exeunt Magazine *'Riveting... Playful and impassioned... Above all, the play is asking a big question: do we need new theatrical forms to reflect a society in the midst of a sexual revolution? Hickson's approach is witty, clever and keeps the ground shifting under one's feet' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisLucas Baisch [ he / him ] is a Guatemalan-Mexican-American playwright and artist from San Francisco, whose work circulates within themes of systems, waste, and excess. His plays have been read and developed at The Goodman Theatre, The NNPN/Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights' Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, Chicago Dramatists, Links Hall, SF Playground, etc. Full-length plays include: REFRIGERATOR (First Floor Theatre), On the Y-Axis (The Bushwick Starr Reading Series), Dry Swallow (Brown University), import speech_memory (Cutting Ball's Variety Pack Festival), The Scavengers (DePaul University), A Measure of Normalcy (Gloucester Stage Company), and co-writing on The Arrow Cleans House (The Neo-Futurists).Lucas is a recipient of a 2020 Steinberg Playwright Award, the Kennedy Center's 2020 KCACTF Latinx Playwriting Award, and the 2021 Chesley/Bumbalo Playwriting Award. He was most recently awarded a 2021-22 Jerome FellowsTrade ReviewPerhaps the most striking element of the production is Baisch’s prose itself. His characters, in their frequent monologues, do not so much speak as spew, hurling effervescent bits of language to the audience at a giddying rate. This effusion, when directed toward the audience, has the effect of making us feel implicated in the whole mess playing out on stage — which, of course, we are. * Brown Daily Herald *Joking, begging, sneering, and mourning all at once—Baisch uses raw language in order to flesh out how we relate to one another within (around, against) oppressive structures. * BOMB Magazine *Baisch’s voracious appetite produces work that is greater than the sum of its individual parts, more multiplication than addition. * New City Stage *

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Book SynopsisWhy Athena?I guess just like the goddess of strategic warfare and all that.In a New York City fencing club two warriors are ready to battle.Athena and Mary Wallace are training for the Junior Olympics. They practice together. They compete against each other. They spend their lives together. They wish they were friends.From award-winning playwright Gracie Gardner, following an acclaimed extended run in New York, comes a fierce coming-of-age comedy where two teenagers parry class, competition and power as they practice fencing and life. But only one will win - en garde.This edition was published to coincide with the UK premiere at The Yard in London in October 2022.Trade ReviewCritic’s Pick! A deadly serious comedy about ambition, success, and owning your superiority. In its delicate ferocity, it shows a playwright who is full-throttle funny and wise beyond her years. * New York Times *Wily and entertaining. * Village Voice *Smart, galvanising coming-of-age drama * Guardian *Athena’s strength is in its relatability. As is often the way with teenagers, the unlikely duo’s worlds are both small and all-encompassing. But as they advance and retreat from each other, in practice and beyond, you yearn for their bond to become long-lasting – even though, with such competition ahead of them, this seems an unlikely prospect. * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisYou can't live your life thinking everything you text will become public knowledge.Censoring yourself is no way to live.Everyone needs Jim.His mother.His best friend.His brother.A hopeful future President.But can Jim really help anyone, when he isn't sure who he is any more, or what he actually believes? An expert in electoral strategy, he's forged a successful career by advising politicians how to communicate with voters. But following seismic shifts in the political landscape, he's disillusioned. And his marriage is in crisis. As he juggles the demands on his life through his smartphone, will the lure of success and fame prove irresistible?The Narcissist is a gripping, inventive and witty take on personal and political communication in the internet age by celebrated US playwright Christopher Shinn. This edition was published to coincide with the premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in August 2022.

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Book SynopsisThis poignant play, written by current and formerly incarcerated authors, uses gripping truths and soulful dialogue to reveal the human cost of America’s for-profit justice system. The story follows Omar, pulled back into the prison system after trying to lift his family out of poverty, who struggles to maintain a sense of humanity while fighting to keep his loved ones close. According to NJ.com, “From institutionalized racism to addiction to the prison-industrial complex, this is a play about a great many large, pressing social challenges, but at its core it is a play about one family and its struggles to remain united as their world steadily crumbles. Impactful, warm, and unrelenting, this play that began as an experiment turns out to be an excellent examination of the human cost of a harsh and inhospitable world.” All profits from the book will go to a prison re-entry fund run by The Second Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, New Jersey to help the playwrights secure housing and continue their schooling upon release.

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Book SynopsisYou know, I honestly believe he has two hearts? A heart that fails him, of course. But another that keeps him going a heart that won't be beaten!A story of hope, from Afghanistan to Wales.Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A young mother makes a speech demanding freedom for Afghan women, angering local Taliban leaders who issue a warrant for her execution. With no choice but to run, the Amiri family embark on a long and terrifying journey out of Afghanistan and across Europe with the UK as their ultimate goal.Thrown into an unfamiliar world of fake passports and untrustworthy handlers, the Amiris must learn how to live with nothing and avoid capture at all costs. But with their eldest son Hussein's life-threatening heart condition growing steadily worse, the journey soon becomes a race against time.Will they beat the odds and reach the UK in time for Hussein to receive the surgery he so badly needs?The Boy with Two Hearts is the story of a family in danger anTrade ReviewA powerful chronicle of escape from Afghanistan. * Daily Telegraph *Deserves as wide an audience as possible, from schoolchildren to politicians. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAlistair McDowall grew up in the North East of England. Plays include: The Glow (Royal Court Theatre 2022); all of it (Royal Court Theatre 2020); Zero for the Young Dudes! (National Theatre Connections 2017); X (Royal Court Theatre 2016); Pomona (RWCMD/Gate 2014; Orange Tree Theatre/Royal Exchange/National Theatre 2014/5); Talk Show (Royal Court Theatre 2013); Brilliant Adventures (Royal Court Young Writers' Festival 2012; Royal Exchange, Manchester and Live Theatre, Newcastle 2013) and Captain Amazing (Live Theatre, Newcastle and Edinburgh Fringe 2013; UK tour 2014). He is a MacDowell fellow, and a recipient of the Harold Pinter Commission. His work has been translated and produced internationally.Trade ReviewMyth and history collide in a sci-fi spine-tingler ... Sci-fi is too rarely done on stage but here McDowall has chosen the perfect medium. How better to tell a story about the perils of immortality and the fear of carrying on alone than through an art form built for impermanence, with stories that can live longer than we do? * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThis Element presents the work of Caryl Churchill, Naomi Iizuka, and Sarah Ruhl as exemplary of the way text-based theatre, both its scripts and productions, now creates and expects a spatialized imaginary and demonstrates the potentials of text-based theatre in an increasingly visual and spatial field of cultural production.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Setting the Scene: Plays and Playwrights; 1. Playwriting and Space; 2. Caryl Churchill: Shapeshifting and Superimposition; 3. Naomi Iizuka: Simultaneity and Permeability; 4. Sarah Ruhl: Layering and Flight; 5. Form and Tradition; References.

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Book SynopsisProbing the relationship between modernist literary experimentation and several key strands of occult practice which emerged in Europe from roughly 1894 to 1944, this book sets the work of leading modernist writers alongside lesser known female writers and writers in languages other than English to more fully portray the aesthetic and philosophical connections between modernism and the occult. Although the early decades of the twentieth centurythe era of cocktails, motorcars, bobbed hair, and warare often described as a period of newness and innovation, many writers of the time found inspiration and visionary brilliance by turning to the mysterious occult past. This book's principle intervention is to reimagine the contours and boundaries of literary modernism by welcoming into the conversation a number of significant female writers and writers in languages other than English who are often still relegated to the fringes of modernist studies. Well-remembered poets and novelists such asTrade ReviewAllan Kilner-Johnson demonstrates with emphatic assurance how myriad spiritual seekers, too often overlooked in existing surveys of aesthetic modernism – for example, Rudolf Steiner, Dion Fortune, Mary Butts and Florence Farr – were crafting new writing modes by excavating imaginatively the ancient recondite past. * Andrew Radford, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature, University of Glasgow, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Divine Reading 2: The Return to Ritual 3: The Modernist Shadow 4: The Making of an Overman 5: The Other East Bibliography

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Book SynopsisProserpine and Midas (1820) is a collection of plays by Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Combining Mary’s blank verse and Percy’s lyric poems, the Shelleys offer two groundbreaking retellings of classical myth. Together, the plays illuminate the working relationship of a husband and wife who helped define Romanticism, highlighting their individual talents in the process. While Proserpine was published in 1832 in The Winter’s Wreath, a London periodical, Mary Shelley was unable to find a publisher for Midas, which remained unprinted until the twentieth century. Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, leaves her daughter Proserpine in the care of two trusted nymphs. While the women are out picking flowers, Proserpine is kidnapped by Pluto, the dreaded lord of the underworld. Distraught, Ceres laments the loss of her beloved girl and appeals to Jove for assistance. Proserpine is a retelling of an ancient myth which remains mostly faithful to its source while emphasizing the feminist qualities of its tragic content. In Midas, the wild god Pan is defeated in a musical competition by Apollo, god of the sun. Determined to claim victory, he arranges a new contest with King Midas as judge. Although his power on earth is unmatched by any human, Midas soon learns that to play at divinity one risks reaping the greatest of sorrows. Proserpine and Midas is a masterful take on two of ancient Greece’s central myths. Using their talents for narrative and song, the Shelleys adapt these well-known stories for the nineteenth century and beyond, showcasing their sociopolitical significance in a world defined by the democratic ideals of the Greeks. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Proserpine and Midas is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.

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Book SynopsisThe Billboard is about a fictional Black women’s clinic in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood on the South Side and its fight with a local gadfly running for City Council who puts up a provocative billboard: “Abortion is genocide. The most dangerous place for a Black child is his mother’s womb,” spurring on the clinic to fight back with their own provocative sign: “Black women take care of their families by taking care of themselves. Abortion is self-care. #Trust Black Women.” The book also has a foreword and afterword and Q&A with a founder of reproductive justice. As a play and book, The Billboard is a cultural force that treats abortion as more than pro-life or pro-choice.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of Shelagh Stephenson plays offers her Olivier award-winning work - "A Memory of Water", "Five Kinds of Silence", "Experiment with an Air Pump", and "Ancient Lights".Table of ContentsA Memory of Water; Five Kinds of Silence; An Experiment with an Air Pump; Ancient Lights

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Book SynopsisAn astonishingly powerful play with a mesmeric performance from Bilal Hasna. He is an important young Palestinian voice who deserves a wide audience.- Palestine Solidarity CampaignBut there's this feeling. And it really is impossible to translate. But if you feel it you know what it is. If you're watching this and you're Palestinian, you know what it is.Bilal has always been obsessed with love stories. Here he tells you his favourite: the true story of Palestinian translator Wa'el Zuaiter. Join Bilal as he ventures through the orange groves of Jaffa, Rome''s piazzas, and the Duty-Free aisles of Luton Airport, piecing together this untold story, and asking what it means to be a Palestinian in the West. After receiving standing ovations and glowing audience reviews when it appeared as a work in progress in 2021, WoLab returned to Camden People's Theatre and transferred to the Bristol Old Vic in Autumn 2022, with Bilal Hasna and Aaron Kilercioglu's accTrade ReviewAn astonishingly powerful play with a mesmeric performance from Bilal Hasna. He is an important young Palestinian voice who deserves a wide audience. * Palestine Solidarity Campaign *

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Book SynopsisI got my first pair of glasses when I was seven.A nurse came to the school and tested everyone's eyes. And so it was discovered why I'd thrown bread to the floating crisp packets in our local pond and walked into lamp posts and said, 'excuse me'. Until that day the world was a swirl of moving coloured blobs. I thought it was the same for everyone.How wrong I was.'Winner: Scotsman Fringe First Award 2012Critic's Pick, New York TimesPart memoir, part theatre and part standup comedy this delightful story of a myopic seven year old is brought to you by actor, comedian and playwright Sonya Kelly. Sonya tells her story about growing up with poor vision that went undiagnosed until she was seven years old. Combining several forms of theatre, this delightful story shows us how we can better the world even if we cannot see the world.Trade Review‘Hilarious, poignant... it will please viewers of all lens prescriptions and none.’ * Irish Theatre Magazine *Delightfully whacky... hilarious... tight script and engaging performance... terrific.’ * The Irish Times *‘Wonderfully fresh script... highly endearing.’ * The Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating play about a man's greed for land.

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Book SynopsisWorld War II veteran Hank Dunfield is about to turn one hundred years old. The staff at Ponderosa Pine Lodge have recruited Sarah, a young nursing student, to keep Hank safe, comfortable, and in the building while they plan a grand centenarian celebration. There's one problem: Hank doesn't want to live that long.Seemingly opposites, Hank and Sarah kindle a deep friendship. Sarah fears the future with multiple sclerosis will be even more isolated, difficult, and painful than the isolated, difficult, and painful present. Hank, a tail gunner during the Second World War, opens his heart to share the deep knowledge of fear, luck, and flying into battle he learned over his. combat missions. Sarah and Hank find strength in each other as they face their deepest fears.Based on interviews with veterans in Alberta seniors' homes and the skilled nurses who care for them, Flight Risk is the story of finding exactly who you need when you least expect it. An empathetic exploration of grief, friendship, and hope, this play asks what we lose when we ignore the knowledge of our elderly, challenges the way that we think about aging and death, and inspires a brighter, more compassionate future.

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