Modern and contemporary plays / drama

Book Synopsis'It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black...'Under Milk Wood tells the story of a Welsh village during one spring day. It is populated by some of the best-loved characters in British literature. Lyrical, funny, moving, it is rooted in place but with a universality that has spoken to generations of readers. A Welsh epic, a work of poetic genius, a modern classic.'A tour de force of oral poetry which oozes word pictures and onomatopoeic musicality' GuardianTrade ReviewA tour de force of oral poetry which oozes word pictures and onomatopoeic musicality * Guardian *A dazzling combination of poetic fireworks and music-hall humor * New York Times *Dylan Thomas...was the most musical of poets. His work is so full of rhythm and melody that one of life's great pleasures is to read him aloud, feeling those syllables roll around your mouth while the rhythms find their ebb and flow -- Cerys MatthewsThomas stretches out his sentences into great, rolling, relentless waves, or crushes words together into compound coinages as the voices whisper and declaim: the play is bawdy, tragic, lyrical, sly, odd, familiar, broad and deep by turns * Guardian *I'm not sure anyone really needs my opinion on 'Under Milk Wood' as Thomas wrote it. But for what it's worth I think it's brilliant - time hasn't dimmed it, his language remains bracingly wild, elemental and weird * Time Out *

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Book Synopsis‘If the essence of drama is conflict, the crossing of wills, of culture versus barbarism, the Norwegians have a natural spring to tap into – and it is explosive.’ – Line Rosvoll, Artistic Director of the Norwegian Centre of New Playwriting, from her Introduction. The Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Norwegian Plays brings together a selection of exciting playwrights reflecting the breadth and vitality of Norwegian theatre’s booming new writing scene. Six plays, translated by Neil Howard and published for the first time in English, demonstrate a common willingness to push formal boundaries and to find new ways to tackle the universal experiences of the human condition; grief and loss, violence, manipulation, abuse and despair. Grief Work by Eirik Fauske; Kinder K by Kristofer Grønskag; A Remarkable Person by Pernille Dahl Johnsen; Time Without Books by Lene Therese Teigen; Why Not Before by Liv Heløe; Watching Shadows by Hans Petter Blad

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Book SynopsisViolet is starting to forget, but she's got a long life to remember before she does. There are rights to wrong and ends to tie up; a life well lived is never neat. Generations younger, Bertie is at the beginning with no idea what lies ahead. She's looking for something to point her in the right direction. A new play about human connection and inter-generational friendships, Violet quietly explores themes of mental health, dementia, and loneliness without forgetting the often funny and absurd moments of ordinary life.

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Book Synopsis‘These five plays represent the diverse scope and content of Mojisola’s work, and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to an artistic practice that is both stylistically innovative and politically astute.’ – Lynette Goddard, from her introduction The plays collected here showcase Adebayo’s varied talents through her unflinching political writing about race, gender, sex and sexuality, feminist history and politics. With settings spanning from South Africa to the Middle East, the United States, a mythical kingdom, South London and outer space, the five plays included are: I Stand Corrected: a soulful artistic response to the phenomenon of ‘corrective’ hate rape and murder of lesbians and trans men in South Africa Asara and the Sea-Monstress: a play for young people about a left-handed girl growing up in a mythical right-handed Kingdom Oranges and Stones (previously 48 Minutes for Palestine): an exploration of one woman’s life under occupation in Palestine The Interrogation of Sandra Bland: a verbatim play transcribing the dash cam recording of Sandra Bland’s arrest into a choral performance by black women STARS: a space odyssey telling the story of a very old lady who goes into outer space in search of her own orgasm

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Book Synopsis“People of the internet, people of the world, you wanna see your Environment Minister SOLVE some shit, this is the soundtrack…” What happens when the unstoppable force of climate change meets the immovable object of Australian politics? Environment Minister Gwen Malkin's plan to stop climate change is rudely interrupted when a group of eco-terrorists storm Australia's Parliament House during a Fleetwood Mac concert. Blending fact and fiction, David Finnigan’s bold new satire is a manic spin on a world on the brink of turmoil. A daring new play that asks – what would it take to actually stop climate change dead in its tracks? Science? Recycling? Experts? Or maybe: techno, guns and revolution?Trade ReviewCreates a thrilling, almost dangerous theatrical experience where anything could happen, no laugh-line is too weird and we accept an Environment Minister shooting an activist and then posing for Instagram pictures without a second thought. * TimeOut Sydney *

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Book SynopsisFrom the makers of 2018 hit Queens of Sheba comes this powerful new play by Ryan Calais Cameron, following the events over one typical night out that is turned upside down by racism and police brutality. Typical uncovers the man and the humanity behind a real-life story: a Black ex-serviceman who spent his life fighting for his country and ends up fighting for his life in police custody.

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Book SynopsisAnyone can learn maps and battles. Geezer, I feel it! I live it! I’m giving everything to this beautiful, wild, absolutely pure British thing. Like, do you know what it took to get here, man? Stevie is a disillusioned academic who once wrote an unfashionable book on youth movements in Britain, now struggling to cope after a painful break-up. His misery is interrupted by Jimmy who lands unexpectedly on his doorstep beaming with excitement. Jimmy is 100% Mod: oversized military parka, fitted Italian suit, dessy boots, pork pie hat. The full package. Jimmy is seeking asylum in the UK. With just a few days before the substantive interview that’s going to decide his fate, the stakes are high. So he came up with a brilliant plan. A plan that’s going to work against all odds. It has to work. He can’t go back. And Stevie has an important part to play.

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Book SynopsisPart comedy, part thriller, part social critique, The Granny and the Heist (La estanquera de Vallecas) is the play with which José Luis Alonso de Santos reinvigorated the Spanish stage during a period of uncertainty upon the death of Francisco Franco and the end of theatre censorship. Premiered in 1981, it established Alonso de Santos as the most important playwright in Spain at a time when the country was emerging from decades of relative isolation from the rest of Europe.Set in a working class area of Madrid, the play tells the story of Leandro and Tocho, two out of work builders whose plan to rob a tobacconists goes awry due to the refusal of its owner, feisty grandmother Justa, to hand over the money. Barricading themselves in the shop as the forces of order arrive, the men take Justa and her granddaughter Ángeles hostage. In the stand-off that ensues, Alonso de Santos deftly interweaves tense excitement, comic banter and moments of great tenderness, eliciting our sympathy for the residents of the Vallecas neighbourhood, equally ignored by Spain’s nascent democracy as they had been under the dictatorship.This edition features Stuart Green’s facing page translation, as well as a critical introduction that provides readers with knowledge of the historical and cultural context in which the play was written and performed. The edition also includes an extensive collection of classroom activities especially designed by Lucy Meyer and Stuart Green to enable secondary school and university teachers to use the play, its translation and other authentic materials to teach a variety of linguistic and grammatical features of Spanish in all four skills areas in language learning.Table of ContentsIntroduction There’s no-one quite like Grandma 1 Vallecas: from village to neighbourhood and on stage 2 Plot summary 5 Alonso de Santos and the theatre of his time: playwriting and politics 7 La estanquera de Vallecas: a blend of sainete and the picaresque 13 Characters 20 Premiere(s): critical and commercial reaction 28 Notes on the translation 32 Acknowledgements 35 Translator's Note 35 Bibliography 36 La estanquera de Vallecas / The Granny and the Heist 39 Teaching Resources Introduction 138 Addressing any concerns 139 Teaching and learning objectives 140 Skills activities 142 Speaking 142 Listening 151 Reading 153 Writing 155 Research project 159 Performance 160 Lesson sequence 163 Entrevista con Beatriz Bergamín / Interview with Beatriz Bergamín 166 Transcriptions of videoclips 172 Photographs from the 1985 stage production 176 Sample student work 178 Answers to questions 189

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Book SynopsisPart comedy, part thriller, part social critique, The Granny and the Heist (La estanquera de Vallecas) is the play with which José Luis Alonso de Santos reinvigorated the Spanish stage during a period of uncertainty upon the death of Francisco Franco and the end of theatre censorship. Premiered in 1981, it established Alonso de Santos as the most important playwright in Spain at a time when the country was emerging from decades of relative isolation from the rest of Europe.Set in a working class area of Madrid, the play tells the story of Leandro and Tocho, two out of work builders whose plan to rob a tobacconists goes awry due to the refusal of its owner, feisty grandmother Justa, to hand over the money. Barricading themselves in the shop as the forces of order arrive, the men take Justa and her granddaughter Ángeles hostage. In the stand-off that ensues, Alonso de Santos deftly interweaves tense excitement, comic banter and moments of great tenderness, eliciting our sympathy for the residents of the Vallecas neighbourhood, equally ignored by Spain’s nascent democracy as they had been under the dictatorship.This edition features Stuart Green’s facing page translation, as well as a critical introduction that provides readers with knowledge of the historical and cultural context in which the play was written and performed. The edition also includes an extensive collection of classroom activities especially designed by Lucy Meyer and Stuart Green to enable secondary school and university teachers to use the play, its translation and other authentic materials to teach a variety of linguistic and grammatical features of Spanish in all four skills areas in language learning.Table of ContentsIntroduction There’s no-one quite like Grandma 1 Vallecas: from village to neighbourhood and on stage 2 Plot summary 5 Alonso de Santos and the theatre of his time: playwriting and politics 7 La estanquera de Vallecas: a blend of sainete and the picaresque 13 Characters 20 Premiere(s): critical and commercial reaction 28 Notes on the translation 32 Acknowledgements 35 Translator's Note 35 Bibliography 36 La estanquera de Vallecas / The Granny and the Heist 39 Teaching Resources Introduction 138 Addressing any concerns 139 Teaching and learning objectives 140 Skills activities 142 Speaking 142 Listening 151 Reading 153 Writing 155 Research project 159 Performance 160 Lesson sequence 163 Entrevista con Beatriz Bergamín / Interview with Beatriz Bergamín 166 Transcriptions of videoclips 172 Photographs from the 1985 stage production 176 Sample student work 178 Answers to questions 189

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Book SynopsisA tweet by American actor and activist Alyssa Milano, sent on October 15, 2017, opened the floodgates to an outpouring of testimony and witnessing across the Twitterverse that reverberated throughout social media. Facebook status lines quickly began to read “Me too,” and #MeToo was trending. That tweet re-launched the ‘me too’ movement, which was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke. Performing #MeToo: How Not to Look Away does not attempt to deliver a comprehensive examination of how #MeToo is performed. What it does aim at presenting is a set of perspectives on the events identified as representative of the movement through a lens or lenses that are multinational, as well as work and analysis from a variety of time periods, written in a diversity of styles. By providing this means of engaging with examples of the many interpretations of and responses to the #MeToo movement, and by identifying these responses (and those of audiences) as provocations, of examples of how not to look away, the collected chapters are intended to invite reflection, discussion and, hopefully, incite action. It gives writers from diverse cultural and environmental contexts an opportunity to speak about this cultural moment in their own voices. There is a wide geographical range and variety of forms of performance addressed in this timely new book. The international group of contributors are based in the UK, USA, Australia, South Africa, Scotland, Canada, India, Italy and South Korea. The topics addressed by writers include socially engaged practice; celebrity feminism, archive and repertoire; rape/war; misogynistic speech; stage management and intimacy facilitation; key institutions’ responses; spatial practices as well as temporal ones; academic call-outs; caste/class; political contexts; adaptation of classic texts; activist events; bouffon (a clown technique) and audience response Forms of performance practice include applied theatre, performance protest, verbatim, solo performance, institutional practice, staging of plays, street responses, academic, adaptation of classic text, play reading events and the musical. Although there is much to read in the media and alternative media on the #MeToo movement, this is the first attempt to analyse the movement from and in such diverse contexts. Bringing together twelve writers to speak about works they have either performed, witnessed or studied gives the reader a nuanced way of looking at the movement and its impact. It is also an incredible archive of this moment in time that points to its importance. Suitable for use in several graduate and undergraduate courses, including performance studies, feminist studies, sociology, psychology, anthropology, environmental or liberal studies and social history. Essential reading for theatre workers, academics, students, and anyone with an interest in feminism, contemporary theatre or human rights. For artists considering projects that include the themes of #MeToo, and for producers and directors of such projects looking for good practices around how to create environments of safety in their organizations, as well as those who wish to organize communities of artists. For anyone interested in learning more about how to support the movement, or an interest in the specific social narratives told in each individual chapter. For women, feminists and anyone with an interest in the issues.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Judith Rudakoff “Vital Acts of Transfer”: #MeToo and the Performance of Embodied Knowledge Shana MacDonald Bite the Bullet: The Practice of Protest as a Coping Mechanism Nondumiso Lwazi Msimanga Resisting Theatre: The Political in the Performative Effie Samara Supporting Brave Spaces for Theatre-Makers Post-#MeToo: A Chicago-Based Study on Rehearsing and Performing Intimacy in Theatre Susan Fenty Studham We Get It: Calling Out Sexism and Harassment in Australia’s Live Performance Industry Sarah Thomasson Toward the Origin of Performing #MeToo: Franca Rame’s The Rape as an Example of Personal and Political Theatre/Therapy Laura Peja and Fausto Colombo The Royal Court in the Wake of #MeToo Catriona Fallow and Sarah Jane Mullan Dissident Solidarities: Power, Pedagogy, Care Swati Arora Conversations with Noura: Iraqi American Women and a Response to A Doll’s House Mary P. Caulfield #MeToo Theatre Women Share Their Stories Yvette Heyliger Les Zoubliettes: Raging through Laughter—a Feminist Disturbance Sonia Norris “I’m the person to speak about myself”: Self-Declaration, Reversal of Power, and Solidarity in The Red Book Yuh J. Hwang Appendix: A Primer on the International #MeToo Movement Elise A. LaCroix Biographies of Contributors

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Book SynopsisPublished here for the first time, Maura Laverty’s plays Liffey Lane, Tolka Row and A Tree in the Crescent are rooted in 1950s Dublin, its territories and enclaves. Teeming with the lives of the poor, the ambitious, the trapped and the struggling, the plays are moving, funny and vividly alive. They capture the capital in a state of transformation – reaching for modernisation while still enmired in stagnant class divisions, poor housing and narrow social values. Key to all three plays are questions of home, the lives of women and girls, and the impact of conservative government policies and church attitudes. Already a public figure in Irish life, and an influencer before her time through her fiction, cookery books and broadcasting, Laverty’s plays met with huge success when staged in 1951 and 1952 by Hilton Edwards of the Gate Theatre Company at Dublin’s Gaiety and Gate Theatres and on tour. Laverty’s trilogy is a significant and long-awaited part of the twentieth-century Irish theatrical canon. This volume presents the Trilogy, including a preface by Christopher Fitz-Simon, who knew and worked with Laverty. The editors’ introduction contextualises Laverty’s work and considers the theatrical values of the plays.Trade Review‘Maura Laverty bore vivid witness to newly independent Ireland in her journalism, broadcasting, cookery writing, novels for adults and children, and in the plays she wrote for the Gate Theatre in the 1950s. In publishing these three plays and providing valuable editorial commentary on them, Cathy Leeney and Deirdre McFeely have resurrected one brilliant writer’s perceptions of the problems, challenges, joys and sorrows of Dublin life in a decade of slow-burning social change.’ Caitriona Clear, Senior Lecturer in Modern Irish and European History, University of Galway‘Maura Laverty’s Dublin Trilogy was hugely popular when it premiered in Ireland in the 1950s. This landmark publication explains why, making these important plays available to a new generation of readers and theatre producers – while also providing a fascinating and comprehensive introductory essay that places these works in their social and theatrical contexts. The book’s overall impact is to retrieve the work of a writer who was celebrated in her own time, and who deserves to be better known in the present.’ Patrick Lonergan, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies, University of Galway‘The trilogy is a significant and long-awaited part of the Irish theatrical canon.’ Books IrelandTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Maura Laverty’s Dublin TrilogyLiffey LaneTolka RowA Tree in the CrescentBibliography and Further Reading

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Book SynopsisA new play from Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek that deals with the 2015 terror attack on the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s offices in Paris. In Greek mythology, it is Hera who blinds the hero Heracles, so that, in a fit of fury, he kills his own family. In the twenty-first century, the gods have another name. So did the three young men who stormed a magazine’s editorial office and a Jewish supermarket in Paris in January 2015 and murdered twelve people. The blind fury, however, remained and more virulent than ever, not least because the weapons were so much more effective. In this raging text, arguably one of her darkest, Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek investigates topical political events in the context of enduring history and myths. Fury expresses itself not only multi-voiced and from the changing perspective of Islamist terrorists (and their special hatred of Jews), in the shape of furious German citizens, individual narcissistic humiliation, or brutal distribution battles around the globe. Rather, fury also appears as the motor that has driven people with a devastating force for centuries. With her characteristic linguistic power, Jelinek articulates her own disconcertedness in the face of these crimes. In passing, she returns repeatedly to the contradiction between religious laws against representation and the deluge of images online, where movies of assassination, severed heads, and other atrocities are exhibited for millions to see. Fury is a compact grand epic that starts in primal times and attempts to describe the indescribable, relating the inexplicable in our times.Table of ContentsIntroductionFury

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Book SynopsisA collection of six Bernhard plays, all in English for the first time.Save Yourself if You Can is a collection of six plays that span the entirety of Thomas Bernhard’s career as a dramatist. The plays collected in this long-awaited addition to Bernhard’s oeuvre in English—The Ignoramus and the Madman, The Celebrities, Immanuel Kant, The Goal Attained, Simply Complicated, and Elizabeth II—traverse somber lyricism and misanthropy to biting satire and glorious slapstick. They explore themes that will be familiar to longtime readers of Bernhardt, but here they are presented in a subtly different register, attuned to the needs of the stage. Table of Contents1.The Ignoramus and the Madman2.The Celebrities3.Immanuel Kant4.The Goal Attained 5.Simply Complicated6.Elizabeth II

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Book SynopsisCelebrating twenty years of productions, acclaimed playwright Cathy Crabb has selected eleven of her works for staging. Filled with humour and emotional resonance, these texts explore themes of family, trauma, neurodivergence, class and locality, and their experiential effect on the ordinariness of life and repercussions. Includes the productions Beckett for Children, The Bubbler, Moving Pictures, Twirlies and Girlies, Paperboys, The Magi, Beautiful House, The Roots of Love, The Demon Dog of Waterhead, Breastfeeding, and Five Women: Rambling. Selected Plays also includes character and background notes by the author and a Foreword by Producer & Writer Lindsay Williams.Trade Review"I recommend any aspiring writers to read this." John Henshaw, Actor; "With an unfailing ear and eye, she brings real lives to the stage, in all their depth, delight, danger and daftness." John McGrath, Factory International Artistic Director & Chief Executive; "One of my favourite places to be is in Cathy Crabb's awesome imagination." Sally Carman, Actor; "A play by Cathy Crabb is always a treat. An unflinching and bittersweet look at life, encompassing empathy, humour and truth." Helen Nugent, Northern Soul Editor; "She writes with such skill and honesty about people and situations. The world needs to be full of Cathy Crabbs ... her philosophy, her kindness and her love of life." Noreen Kershaw, Director & Actor

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Book Synopsis'When the barman pointed to the cordoned-off area I was like, who are all these old people at our reunion?' It's been thirty years since former flames Alex and Jason last saw each other. With their carefree university days long behind them, the student reunion seems the perfect opportunity to reconnect, revive and relive their heyday. But as they flirt with reigniting their passion – even if just for one night – will the march of time get in the way? Deborah Bruce's Raya is a witty and tender play about whether or not we can ever turn back – or stop – the clocks. It opened at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, London, in June 2021, directed by the theatre's Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert. Deborah Bruce's other plays include Godchild, The Distance and The House They Grew Up In.Trade Review'A bewitching drama about marriage under the microscope... Bruce has created a fascinatingly multilayered character here... [she] keeps the story moving forward with mysteries and buried secrets... Raya keeps you hooked with its clear-sighted wit and tenderness' * The Times *'Well done Deborah Bruce for acknowledging the crisis that grips every woman at some point in their lives in a way that doesn't feel icky... [a] grown up new play' * Telegraph *'An enjoyably twisty 80-minute rollercoaster' * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis'I'd watch you eat. I'd eat you up. Look at you. You get it, don't you? You're real.' Lori is a professional chef. Bex waits on tables to make ends meet. One night together in a walk-in fridge and it's the beginning of something beautiful. Lori has big plans, while Bex is struggling. If we are what we eat, then Bex is in real trouble. It's not her fault – the system is rigged. No one on minimum wage and zero hours has the headspace to make their own yoghurt. Chris Bush's Hungry is a play about food, love, class and grief in a world where there's little left to savour. It was premiered in July 2021 in Paines Plough's the Roundabout, directed by Katie Posner, as a co-production between Paines Plough and Belgrade Theatre as part of Coventry City of Culture 2021, before touring the UK. 'One of the UK's most exciting young playwrights' The Stage 'A writer of great wit and empathy' The TimesTrade Review'Sensitive, confronting and seriously funny... smart writing... Like the best theatre, Hungry is reflective and thought-provoking – and a call for change' * The Stage *'Chris Bush's clever two-hander is a thoughtful exploration of attitudes to what we eat' * Guardian *'Thought-provoking and highly entertaining' * British Theatre Guide *'Powerful and emotive... a multilayered tale of bittersweet love and class entrenchment' * Evening Standard *'Quite simply, I loved everything about this play... blisteringly funny... a great evening of entertainment' * LondonTheatre1 *'The crisp, snappy dialogue is peppered with acute observational one-liners and unwavering social awareness, reconfirming Bush as one of our greatest, most relevant contemporary playwrights' * Broadway World *'Provocative and compellingly written...It seems that [Chris] Bush is competing only with the likes of Mike Bartlett to be Britain's most programmed playwright' * The Upcoming *'Whip-smart... this play is one of the stars of this year's Edinburgh Fringe' * Fest Mag *'Wickedly watchable... Chris Bush is a darn impressive writer... A quick classic has been added to the canon – a resounding success' * WhatsOnStage *

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Book Synopsis'This story showed me who I am and what I must do.' Over two hundred years ago, Olaudah Equiano changed the world. After reading reports of the British ship Zong, where 132 enslaved Africans were thrown overboard, he joins forces with anti-slavery campaigner Granville Sharp and together they set in motion events which will go on to galvanise the abolition movement. But Olaudah's impassioned fight for justice goes beyond the courtroom. Having bought his own freedom, he now faces a personal battle to rediscover his past and accept his true self. Weaving together the many lives affected by these events across the globe, The Meaning of Zong is both a depiction of a shameful true story from British history, and a timely response to the social upheaval the world has witnessed in recent years – celebrating the power of individual action to drive huge societal change. Giles Terera's debut play was commissioned by Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre, and first performed on stage at Bristol Old Vic in April 2022, co-directed by Tom Morris and Terera, after an acclaimed production on BBC Radio 3.Trade Review'Giles Terera's lyrical and inventive drama about a brutal episode in British history brims with urgency, pain and ultimately pride... triumphant... profoundly moving' * Guardian *'Brilliant... sparkles with ingenuity' * The Stage *'Throbs with passion and urgency... an important night of theatre' * WhatsOnStage *'Dense, affecting and powerful' * The Times *'Superbly moving and hugely ambitious... gifted storytelling... a tremendous accomplishment' * British Theatre Guide *'Shatters the frosted perceptions audiences have surrounding slavery... masterfully adept stagecraft and storytelling... A resonating achievement, poignant and glistening with brilliance' * Reviews Hub *

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Book SynopsisLarry Kramer's passionate, polemical drama, set during the early days of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. The Normal Heart traces the story of one man who, while his friends are dying around him, strives to break through a conspiracy of silence, indifference and hostility from public officials and the gay community, and gain recognition for a virus that threatens to change everything. The play received its British premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1986. Thirty-five years after that premiere, the play's prescience and its searing emotional power are beyond doubt. It was revived on Broadway in 2011 (winning the Tony Award for Best Revival) and adapted for television in 2014 (receiving the Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie). This new edition of the play is published alongside a major revival at the National Theatre, London, in 2021, directed by Dominic Cooke. It features the definitive text of the play, extensive supplementary material including a new introduction by critic and broadcaster David Benedict, and tributes to Larry Kramer by Russell T Davies, Tony Kushner and Matthew López, all of whom have also contributed to the canon of dramatic work about HIV/AIDS – with, respectively, It's A Sin, Angels in America and The Inheritance.Trade Review'Burning, argumentative, witty and contentious play about the political and emotional consequences of the AIDS crisis' * Observer *'Informative, heart-rending, witty, revelatory, poleaxing, a work of utter topicality and transcendent power' * The Listener *'An epic piece of reportage' * The Times *'[A] shattering evening of theatre' * Whatsonstage *'A glorious, wrenching watch... It's a talky play from an era when things weren't talked about, with a rock-solid emotional core and a leavening seam of dark humour. It's terribly, terribly moving' * Evening Standard *'Other plays about the period would follow... But they stood on the shoulders of this one. It demands our consideration' * Telegraph *'Captures the terror, fear, shame and fury of the moment... Kramer's play is living history, written without the benefit of hindsight, and it remains undimmed by time' * The Stage *

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Book Synopsis'It is really small. Whatever it is. But it's here. It's definitely here.' A teenage girl has something growing inside her. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows it's not a baby. It expands. It has claws. Eventually it takes over the entirety of her body. No one must know about it. She has to keep its presence, its possession of her, concealed. She pulls away from her friends. She refuses to speak, in case 'The IT' is heard. But she can't contain it forever. Sooner or later something's got to give... Presented in the style of a direct-address documentary, Vivienne Franzmann's The IT is a darkly comic state-of-the-nation play exploring adolescent mental health and the rage within. Written specifically for young people, the play formed part of the 2021 National Theatre Connections Festivals and was premiered by youth theatres across the UK. It was named Best Play for Young Audiences at the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards 2023. The IT offers opportunities for a large, flexible cast of any size and mix of genders.Trade Review'The standout text [of the Connections festival] for character development, plot and vivid use of language and imagery... perfect for the age of information with an exciting, darkly enticing pace' * Red Pepper magazine *

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Book Synopsis'I can't undo what's been said. My world changed this morning. I hope for the better, but we'll see in the future.' Sisters Dolly and Esther grow up in ultra-conservative Harrogate in the 1960s. Fifty years later, following the death of their mother, Dolly comes to stay with Esther – now a successful novelist and living in Little Venice with her younger, inscrutable lodger, Jude. The three go to Norway to meet the rock-star grandfather Jude has only ever heard about. Instead, he meets Anila who changes his world. To make a new future, these four people will have to be honest, heal old wounds – and two sisters learn to laugh together again. The Lodger by Robert Holman is an enlightening, cathartic and acerbic play about identity, maturity and reconciliation. It premiered at The Coronet Theatre, London, in September 2021.Trade Review'Great riches... A story of sisters and midlife reckonings, [Robert Holman's play] puts two older women centre stage and comes with a seismic sibling betrayal... stuffed full of wise statements about life, love and death' * Guardian *'Robert Holman [is] the most instinctive and humane of British playwrights' * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis'O'Brien! They've got you too!' 'They got me a long time ago.' Winston Smith is in prison, found guilty of Thoughtcrimes against Big Brother. As part of his reconstruction, he must re-enact key moments from his past life, with the help of other thought criminals, so that everyone can learn from his mistakes. Including his biggest mistake of all: falling in love with Julia. George Orwell's classic dystopia 1984 is a still-resonant vision of the tolls of living under totalitarianism. Constructed almost entirely from dialogue taken from the original novel, this bold and powerful dramatisation restores the blazing heart of Orwell's work: a doomed love story, with the lovers at its centre. This pre-eminently stageable version, adapted with an eye on economy by Nick Hern for a cast of five or more, is ideal for any school, youth group or amateur company looking to bring Orwell's chilling vision to life on stage.

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Book SynopsisTwo compassionately subversive plays about identity, by Young Jean Lee, a Korean American playwright whose work is groundbreaking, humorous and often thrillingly transgressive. In Straight White Men, it's Christmas Eve, and Ed has gathered his three adult sons to celebrate with matching pyjamas, trash-talking, and Chinese takeaway. But when a question they can't answer interrupts their seasonal cheer, they are forced to confront their own identities. Raucous, surprising and fearless, Straight White Men takes an outside look at the traditional father/son narrative, shedding new light on a story we think we know all too well. It had its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse, London, in 2021, following US productions including a Broadway run that made Lee the first Asian-American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. In Untitled Feminist Show, six charismatic stars of the theatre, dance, cabaret and burlesque worlds come together in an exhilaratingly irreverent, nearly wordless celebration of a fluid and limitless sense of identity. Untitled Feminist Show isn't a show about feminism – it is a feminist show. It premiered at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, in 2012 before transferring to the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City. 'Young Jean Lee is, hands down, the most adventurous downtown playwright of her generation' New York TimesTrade Review'Young Jean Lee's Untitled Feminist Show is one of the more moving and imaginative works I have ever seen on the American stage… what makes it so transcendent is its delicious ability to alternate the pain of being different with a sense of humor about lives not lived among the status quo' * New Yorker *'The twisty, turbulent, argumentative work of Young Jean Lee… will make you flinch, but it's hard to look away… Lee has always been interested in exposing how we perform our identities. But in Straight White Men, she drills into something more core. Shuck off, subvert, cleave to your gender or race all you like, but a universal horror of weakness remains – a collective orientation toward status, power, control' * New York Times *'A timely identity study that gives a powerful critique of 21st-century white male psychology' * Guardian on Straight White Men *'Funny, well-observed, often surprisingly gentle, and refreshingly nuanced' * Evening Standard on Straight White Men *'A subtly judged balancing act, an often fascinating blend of absurdism and realism' * The Stage on Straight White Men *'Hilarious and probing satire' * Arts Desk on Straight White Men *

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Book SynopsisFive ambitious and exciting plays by the multi-award-winning playwright, hailed as ‘one of the prime movers in a new golden generation of British playwrights’ (Independent), and introduced by the author. Earthquakes in London (National Theatre & Headlong, 2010) is an epic drama about climate change, population explosion, social breakdown and worldwide paranoia, travelling from 1968 to 2525 and back again. ‘The theatrical equivalent of a thrilling roller-coaster ride’ (Daily Telegraph) Love, Love, Love (Paines Plough & Drum Theatre Plymouth, UK tour, 2010; Royal Court & Paines Plough, 2012) examines the baby boomer generation, from coming-of-age in the 1960s to retirement-age more than forty years later, in a play that ‘does the clash of generational world views with a devastating precision’ (Guardian). The Enemy is a short play in which a journalist seizes an opportunity to interview the man who shot Osama bin Laden. It was staged by Headlong as part of Decade (St Katherine’s Dock, London, 2011), exploring 9/11 and its legacy. 13 (National Theatre, 2011) is a panoramic drama in which a young man returns to London, a city riven by social protest and upheaval, with a radical vision for the future. Premiered on the National’s largest stage, it confirmed Bartlett’s ability to tackle epic themes with supreme assurance: ‘His ambition is distinctive and immense’ (Evening Standard). Medea (Headlong, UK tour, 2012) is a startlingly modern version of Euripides’ tragedy, exploring a woman’s private fury at her husband’s infidelity, while imprisoned in her marital home. ‘A savage play for today, superbly well done’ (Mail on Sunday)

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Book SynopsisAn anthology of five of the best plays from VAULT Festival 2023, London's leading festival of live performance. Fanboy by Joe Sellman-Leava is a love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia. A five-star hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, it's the story of a thirty-something, self-confessed nerd – obsessed with Star Wars and Nintendo – asking why his generation can't let go of their childhoods. Five Years with the White Man by Eloka Obi and Saul Boyer is a startling account of satirist ABC Merriman-Labor – the greatest Black Briton ever to have been forgotten – whose dreams of becoming the greatest writer of his generation lead him on a defiant journey from Sierra Leone to Edwardian London. Honour-Bound by Zahra Jassi is a powerful solo show about family, anti-Blackness, and what we're willing to sacrifice for love. After Simran loses her friend to honour-based violence, she has to answer some life-changing questions: will she and her boyfriend be able to live safely ever after? How We Begin by Elisabeth Lewerenz is a tender exploration of love, queerness and identity. Helen and Diana are perfect for each other: they've both got good degrees, busy jobs and nice flats. There's just one small problem – Diana's got a boyfriend. I Fucked You in My Spaceship by Louis Emmitt-Stern is a razor-sharp comedy-drama about sex and relationships. Two couples each invite a stranger into their homes with the hope of sparking new life. Instead, they find themselves threatened by alienation, abduction and invasion... 'A major London festival... showcasing new and rising talent' Independent on VAULT Festival

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Book Synopsis'To be honest with you, before I went secondary school I thought that the kids they would be like really mature and like by the time I reached Year Ten I'd be fully mature and everything. And I'd lose my like funsense and stuff... But, I don't know if it's just my class in particular but we really haven't matured at all... I don't want to be the serious adult and have serious children and have serious future in a serious house and serious everything.' Alecky Blythe's engrossing verbatim play tells the stories of a generation. Created from five years of interviews with twelve young people from across the UK, Our Generation is a captivating portrait of their teenage years as they journey into adulthood. Often too extraordinary to be fiction, this funny and moving play is for anyone who is – or has ever been – a teenager. It was co-produced by the National Theatre, London, and Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, directed by Daniel Evans.Trade Review'Extraordinary... shines a light on a generation dealt a spectacularly bad hand... a terrific piece of work' * Evening Standard *'Magnificent... masterful... will steal your heart' * Guardian *'Dazzling... a beautiful and funny journey through twelve young people's lives... The dialogue in this extraordinary state-of-the-nation play is comic gold dust... Through a dynamic distilling of her ongoing encounters with these young people, Blythe and her team respect and explore each of them as individuals... It's a thrill to spend time inside these young people's lives; it's hard to imagine getting so close to these characters without the immersive documentary-style process that Blythe has honed over several plays... eye-opening, generous and brilliantly inventive' * Time Out *'Thrilling... a frank, fond tribute to the agony and ecstasy of generation Snapchat' * Daily Telegraph *'An extraordinary show... we grow to love these kids, fear for them, celebrate with them, laugh and cry with them' * Broadway World *'Wise, beguiling, hilarious and gut-punchingly moving: a living portrait of adolescence, in all its overwhelming intensity... supremely lovable' * iNews *

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Book Synopsis'We are all slaves to our genes. Worse than that; we are all slaves to our parents' genes.' Dr Richard Myers, the great IVF innovator, is virtually a secular saint because of the thousands of babies he has created throughout his career. Now, his family have gathered at his home on Manhattan's Upper West Side to see him receive a lifetime achievement award. It's not long before this fractious group, more accustomed to debate than empathy, fall into dispute once again: over conflicting Thanksgiving memories, polarised opinions on investment banking, and how best to care for their ailing father. And crucially, who will inherit Richard's wealth and his prestigious science institution? A vivid and thrilling portrait of a brilliantly dysfunctional family, Alexis Zegerman's The Fever Syndrome was first produced at Hampstead Theatre, London, in March 2022, directed by Roxana Silbert.Trade Review'Finely crafted... a rollercoaster of issue-driven emotion' * Evening Standard *'Captivating... echoes Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and HBO's Succession... as a portrait of blended family dysfunction it is highly enjoyable, while also raising provocative questions about the limits of science' * WhatsOnStage *'A big, psychologically chaotic, Miller-esque American family drama' * Broadway World *

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Book SynopsisA despot has come to power. The population is listless, submissive and scared. But beneath every violation of civil autonomy, there are real human beings; behind every act of resistance, there is an individual willing to risk everything. And these people aren't heroic or remarkable – they're just like us. Through the lives of bureaucrats, soldiers, ornithologists and tour guides, No Particular Order charts the fate of a single society, asking at every step of the way: is it empathy, or power, that endures? Joel Tan's startling and apocalyptic play No Particular Order was shortlisted for the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award, and opened at Theatre503, London, in May 2022, directed by Josh Roche. It was subsequently shortlisted for the 2022 George Devine Award.Trade Review'Joel Tan is a fiery new talent... highlights just how boringly safe and naturalistic most theatre remains' * Evening Standard *'A mosaic portrait of a society in collapse, with a spine of bitterly dark comedy' * Broadway World *

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Book Synopsis'I'm going to answer all your wishes, bubba! Big or small, it'll be me who makes them come true, no one else.' Leila is happy living at home with Noor, her loving but traditional grandmother. But when Aleena, her fiercely independent mother, returns home from prison determined to deliver a new world of fun and excitement, their calm lives are upended in a blur of nail varnish and sweet treats. Family secrets come tumbling into the light, and Leila finds the task of deciding on her future more difficult than she first thought. Ambreen Razia's play Favour is a touching and hopeful family drama about a working-class Muslim family, tackling duty, addiction and the challenge of pulling yourself back together after it all falls apart. It was a Bush Theatre and Clean Break co-production and premiered at the Bush, London, in 2022, directed by Róisín McBrinn and Sophie Dillon Moniram.Trade Review'A lean multi-generational family drama with an emotional punch... its tender dissection of motherhood intersects with class, immigrant life, addiction and faith, alongside the emotional effects of incarceration... Razia's script does a fine job of establishing the complicated layers in the relationships between mothers, daughters and grandmothers... masterful characterisations... incredibly moving' * Guardian *'A searing portrait of a polarised family... Favour has the ambition and emotional yearning of a Greek tragedy yet remains firmly planted in humanity and the lived experience of its characters' * Broadway World *'Funny, pithy and plausible... Razia's characters burst into life with all too human flaws and characteristics... very powerful, with a lot of heart and humour' * WhatsOnStage *'A brilliant balance of raucous comedy and immense pathos... masterly' * Arts Desk *'A revolutionary new play... Razia's script is a lesson in showing rather than telling, at once sharply refined and stuffed to the brim with pop culture references... There are belly laughs and devastating, earth-shattering lows... stories like this are so rarely told' * Independent *'A raw, affecting drama... wit, humanity and unflinching honesty... absorbing and psychologically astute' * iNews *

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Book Synopsis'Today in Afghanistan there are many important issues that we are facing in our country, and I want us to look at some of these issues. So I am asking you, the audience, to help answer a very important question. Britney or Shakira?' Afghanistan. It's 2004. Farook and Samia broadcast live every day to the whole of Kabul, delivering ninety minutes of musical bliss: Britney, Backstreet Boys and Enrique Iglesias. But when their show starts to make waves, the two young friends must take on repressive forces to build a new Afghanistan. Inspired by the true story of Afghanistan's first youth music programme, Waleed Akhtar's play Kabul Goes Pop: Music Television Afghanistan explores a world following the US invasion that is complex, contradictory and shocking – all to a soundtrack of early noughties' pop. The play premiered at Brixton House, London, in 2022, directed by Anna Himali Howard, before touring the UK. It was presented with HighTide, in association with Mercury Theatre Colchester. Waleed Akhtar was later named Most Promising New Playwright at the 2023 OffWestEnd Awards, for Kabul Goes Pop and The P Word.Trade Review'A fizzing tribute to bubblegum songs of hope' * Guardian *'A cracker... pulses with energy... powerful and compelling... heartbreaking' * The Stage *'An elegantly written, often very funny, piece that works precisely because it takes a moral position on Afghanistan… underlying every word, there is a raw and admirable fury' * New European *

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Book Synopsis'There's a knock at the door.' Fifteen years after Nora Helmer slammed the door on her stifling marriage, leaving her family behind, she's back with an urgent request. Lucas Hnath's funny, probing and bold play is both a continuation of Ibsen's complex exploration of traditional gender roles, and a sharp contemporary take on the struggles inherent in all human relationships across time. A Doll's House, Part 2 premiered at South Coast Repertory, California, in 2017, and transferred to Broadway later that year. It received its UK premiere at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2022, directed by James Macdonald with a cast led by Noma Dumezweni as Nora.Trade Review'Smart, funny and utterly engrossing… This unexpectedly rich sequel reminds us that houses tremble and sometimes fall when doors slam, and that there are living people within, who may be wounded or lost… Mr. Hnath has a deft hand for combining incongruous elements to illuminating ends' -- Ben Brantley * New York Times *'Hnath's play is less a conventional sequel than a thought experiment inspired by the original. Luckily, Hnath is no mean thinker... Provocatively, the play functions as both homage and riposte, casting a critical eye on Nora's choices and trying to wrestle with their consequences... Hnath writes fast, vibrant dialogue – much of it in a salty, modern vernacular' * Guardian *'Provocative, funny and, ultimately, generous... A Doll's House, Part 2 demonstrates just how imposing is that big doorway Nora walked through once upon a time, and the guts it takes to keep walking through it, again and again' * Washington Post *'Freedom versus responsibility, attachment versus solitude, domestic stability versus individual growth – these subjects are thrashed out in the explosive context of gender and social class' * Los Angeles Times *'Lucid and absorbing... Judiciously balances conflicting ideas about freedom, love and responsibility' * Time Out New York *'As much an ingenious elaboration and deconstruction of A Doll's House as a sequel, and it stands perfectly on its own' * Hollywood Reporter *'Scintillating and genuinely thought-provoking... a play that asks many-faceted questions about love, loneliness and freedom' * The Stage *'Razor-sharp and frequently hilarious' * Time Out *'How on earth do you follow up Ibsen's masterpiece? Exactly like this. Lucas Hnath's audacious sequel is nothing less than essential viewing' * Telegraph *'Thrilling... intricately layered... the rare sequel that richly delivers' * Arts Desk *

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Book Synopsis'They're always trying to do that. Make us run off in different directions to try to catch a single hare. Because they know. If we work together we might bring down the stag.' By day, machine operator Prab struggles to survive the precarity and brutality of his factory job in West Bengal. By night, he writes stories for his baby daughter Amba. When a popular actress recruits him to write a play for her, Prab seizes the opportunity to expose the injustice of factory conditions and the rumours of child exploitation. But in his fight for change, is he ready to risk his future, his family and even his own life? Winner of Theatre Uncut's Political Playwriting Award, Sonali Bhattacharyya's Chasing Hares is a tale of resistance and dignity in the face of global exploitation. It was premiered at the Young Vic Theatre, London, in July 2022, directed by Milli Bhatia.Trade Review'[A] drama about the gig economy and the workers trapped inside it [that] plays out like a thriller. Sonali Bhattacharyya's fast, witty script finds an original way to tell the global backstory of the zero-hours workforce, joining up the dots from child labour in West Bengal to unethical working conditions in Britain... [It has] emotional power and intelligence' * Guardian *'Impassioned and moving... stirring stuff' * WhatsOnStage *'Forceful storytelling... heartbreaking... this is no simplistic diatribe about inequality... The story seamlessly yokes the personal to the political in sparkling dialogue' * Telegraph *'Powerful... delivers a persuasive final call-to-arms to its audience' * Time Out *'A story of political hope... Bhattacharyya takes us on a journey that encompasses the idealism of stories, and what happens when that collides with the ugly truth of life' * Reviews Hub *'Ambitious and essential... [it doesn't] shy away from moral complexity and complicity' * The Stage *'Pulls no punches... the play is as entertaining as it is meaningful. An important piece to watch' * Broadway World *'With its energetic arguments, moments of great charm, gritty humour, and mix of filth and idealism, this story of resistance and dignity in the face of dreadful global exploitation is both relevant and contemporary' * Arts Desk *'An exuberant, warm-hearted, socially motivated new play... Bhattacharyya's writing is driven by the uncynical hope that we can put ourselves in each other's shoes and make the world a fairer place' * Observer *'Fascinating... smouldering with anger... its arguments are potently compelling, and it achieves ignition through topicality and sheer political passion' * iNews *

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Book Synopsis'Just cos it's in your imagination doesn't mean it's not real.' Noah and Celeste Quilter met on a blind date organised by a newspaper, fell in love, got married and had a baby. But from the very earliest days of their relationship, they were under surveillance. And when they started a fight for their future, they never guessed it would cost them their lives. In a modern world where reality is whatever we imagine it to be, how do we know the stories we tell ourselves are true? What happens when there's only one person in the whole world you can truly trust? And what if they never take the bins out? Rapture by Lucy Kirkwood is a slippery thriller about love, power and belief which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in June 2022, directed by Lucy Morrison. It was promoted under the title That Is Not Who I Am, by Dave Davidson, a pseudonym.Trade Review'Brilliantly tricksy... a remarkably layered, brain-boggling story, in which reality and sanity are under constant scrutiny... Rapture is a thriller, a trickster, and an absolute romp' * Guardian *'Undoubtedly a majorly significant piece of writing... a strange political mystery that's exhilarating to watch, but full of things that are frightening to contemplate' * Independent *'Explosive... thrilling theatre' * Reviews Hub *'Audacious, gloriously cynical, and painfully relevant... unravels with calculated twists and turns, looming mystery, violence, and thrills... When all the cards are laid bare, the true extent of the writer's creativity can only be gaped at in awe; like a spider, they have woven a narrative web and trapped the audience in it' * Broadway World *'An enjoyably slippery, enthralling piece of work... Fascinating, and gripping throughout' * Evening Standard *'An urgent, unsettling thriller... a knotty interrogation of truth in an era of fake news... Kirkwood's layered text relentlessly challenges the audience to assess our own engagement with the piece, raising troubling questions about how we assess information, what sources we trust, and how much of what we're told we are prepared to believe' * The Stage *'Exciting and transgressive... this is intense and overwhelming theatre, raising powerful questions' * The Upcoming *'A deeply chilling and hyper real thriller, a masterpiece of fabrication' * Culture Whisper *

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Book Synopsis'Maybe gender is like life? And like time too? In that it doesn't actually exist, and yet our world revolves around the expectations we put on it.' Starting in the quaint days of dial-up and MSN, Happy Meal is a funny, moving and nostalgic story of transition, following two initial strangers on their journeys from teen to adult; from MySpace to TikTok; from cis to trans... Tabby Lamb's joyful trans rom-com was directed by Jamie Fletcher and produced by Roots and Theatre Royal Plymouth, with ETT and Oxford Playhouse, on a UK tour in 2022, including a run at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won a Fringe First Award.Trade Review'Endearing and playful... takes its place alongside iconic romcom classics at Edinburgh's Traverse, from David Greig's Midsummer to Liz Lochhead's Perfect Days... It makes your heart go hoppity-hop... a moreish and irresistible show that takes us to a very happy place indeed' * The Stage *'Generous and warm-hearted... a lovely, smart piece, written with great honesty and full of terrific dialogue... sharply funny, but also instinctively truthful' * WhatsOnStage *'Delightful... both a sweet comedy and an astute exploration of digital relationships and gender identity' * Guardian *'A simple one-hour tale of young love made complicated by society's attitudes to shifting gender... fine and touching' * Scotsman *'Captivating... the voice of a generation... leaves audiences with a Cheshire grin that doesn't leave their faces for hours after watching' * Reviews Hub *'Rapturous... wise, tender and joyous' * Fest Mag *

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Book Synopsis'We all live under the same sky. It's just that, beneath that sky, there's some arsehole saying, "Don't stand here, stand over there and shut your mouth."' Elif shears sheep for a rich landowner. Every other waking hour she spends queuing outside the palace, hoping that the King will let her live within the city walls. She comes from a faraway land. She is searching for sanctuary. And this is what we call a 'hostile environment'. Sami Ibrahim's play A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain is a poetic fable about an impenetrable immigration system that mirrors our own. It premiered in Paines Plough's Roundabout in 2022, including a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as a co-production between Paines Plough and Rose Theatre, Kingston, in association with the Gate Theatre, London.Trade Review'A stunning, devastating excoriation of the Home Office's hostile environment policy that never forgets the human lives at its core' * Observer *'A captivating story... powerful, heart-wrenching and mesmeric' * The Skinny *'Resonant, at once recognisable and heightened... a modern-day story of emigration [that] has no happily ever after certainty' * Guardian *'A slyly told story, one which is buoyantly playful and yet undercut with sadness... a lovely show and a sobering one' -- Lyn Gardner * Stagedoor *

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Book Synopsis'In the morning they'll shut the streets, roll the tanks in and begin the arrests. Everyone who tries to leave will be taken in for days, weeks, years. If I don't board the flight tonight, I'll be here forever.' Middle-aged, middle-management Dasha is ordered to quell the anti-government protests in her factory in Belarus by firing sixty workers. Her only escape is a one-way ticket to the US, but as she prepares to flee, she cannot escape memories of her rebellious youth resisting the Soviets. As her country heads to the polls, Dasha must make a decision… The Anarchist is a gripping, timely and deeply moving play, which won the inaugural Woven Voices Prize for migrant playwrights. It was first performed during the Footprints Festival at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2022, directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye. Originally from Kazakhstan, Karina Wiedman lived in Russia and Belarus before moving to the UK. The Anarchist is her first play. 'A beautifully written play for our times' Jatinder Verma, Chair of the Woven Voices Prize judging panelTrade Review'Wiedman's award-winning play is a gripping exploration of youthful politicisation and the grinding down of those beliefs over a lifetime of disillusion and betrayal... migrant voices like Wiedman's need to be heard' * Reviews Hub *'Has a diary-like intimacy, lit up by vivid details and an innocent sense of humour... Powerful and beautifully layered... an open-hearted and moving piece of writing' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn 1988, two Birmingham school friends tentatively come out to one another: Edward as gay; Peter, even more daringly, as an ABBA fan. Nearly thirty years later, they meet again – and take a chance by forming the world's first ABBA tribute band in drag. It's a riot of platform boots and dodgy beards, 'Waterloos' and 'Chiquititas', and they couldn't escape if they wanted to. But can Edward and Peter's friendship survive the tribulations of a life on the road? Ian Hallard's The Way Old Friends Do is a tender, laugh-out-loud comedy about devotion, desire and dancing queens. It premiered at Birmingham Rep in 2023, directed by Mark Gatiss, before touring the UK, including a run at Park Theatre, London. The play offers every theatre company and drama group all the ingredients to give their audience the time of its life.Trade Review'Camp, funny and jolly good fun' * Sunday Times *'A super-trouper of a show that reminds us all of the part music can play in our lives and our friendships... Hallard's script is keen-edged and perceptive, rapidly creating characters and imbuing them with life views that make the audience both laugh and feel a tinge of sadness' * WhatsOnStage *'Hilariously funny... a positive joy to watch from start to finish... bang on the Money, Money, Money' * Reviews Hub *'Side-splittingly funny... the easy comedy of the first act gives way to a dramatic series of genuinely surprising twists in the second ahead of a touchingly sentimental conclusion... a genuine love letter to ABBA with plenty for the die-hard enthusiasts to enjoy, but when all is said and done it is ultimately a story about enduring friendship' * Broadway World *'A gorgeously realised super trouper of a play that's well worth taking a chance on' * West End Best Friend *'A fun, frothy comedy with heart-stopping moments... incorrigibly entertaining... [Hallard is] a comic writer who brings big dollops of warmth to his work, and abounding joyfulness too. A must-see for Abba fans; fun and laughs for the rest of us' * Guardian *'Hilarious... you don't have to be an ABBA aficionado to enjoy it' * British Theatre Guide *'Wonderfully funny' * LondonTheatre1 *'A sweet, juicy, peach of a show that is physically impossible not to savour... a veritable goldmine of deliciously funny one-liners. But it also a touching, tender, and brilliantly executed meditation on the nature of enduring friendship, and of the challenges involved in coming out late in life... this show really is an awful lot of fun' * Reviews Hub *'Full of heart, and enough witty one-liners to lift the spirits, whether or not you're an ABBA fan' * The Stage *'Extremely endearing... a refreshing twist on the conventional rom-com... Hallard's real-life love of ABBA shines through in his script' * Time Out *'Abbasolutely a delight! Warm but a bit rude, affirmative but absurd, with sudden big laughs and many, many treasurable lines' * TheatreCat *

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Book SynopsisPearl, Jan and Linda are enjoying a long-awaited break on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, when a surprise visitor turns up. They haven't seen Shelley for years, and their retreat becomes a reunion – and pretty soon, a riot. But a lot has changed since they were last together and, cut off from the mainland, tensions rise with the tide. As the sky darkens, the island grows restless with echoes of the past. Will the four still be friends when dawn breaks? Following the smash hits Ladies' Day and Ladies Down Under, Amanda Whittington's Ladies Unleashed is the third play in her Ladies Trilogy. A moving comedy about friendship, growing older and living for today, it was first performed at Hull Truck Theatre in September 2022, directed by Mark Babych. The Ladies are back, and amateur theatre companies – as well as their audiences – are sure to delight in their riotous exploits.Trade Review'A joyous comedy... a story that serves every character with humanity... Whittington has created people who are rich with history and bursting with humour and passion. They're complex, multi-layered, and recognisable... glorious' * The Stage *'A comedy-drama tinged with poignancy... Amanda Whittington's perceptive writing makes it easy for the audience to relate to and grow fond of the characters' * Yorkshire Times *'A strong voice, deeply rooted in the community... a fab sense of humour... clever and funny dialogue, paired with some heart-wrenching scenes exploring womanhood and friendship... Ladies Unleashed has something for everyone' * Hull Is This *

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Book Synopsis'History always ripples on. Even if we don't realise it.' In the Downing Street Press Office an emergency meeting has been called. The Prime Minister has been ad-libbing on live TV (again) and his words are going viral. There is a flurry of accusations, and demands for an apology; but as his team debate what to do next, it's already too late. His words have found their way to dinner parties, bus journeys and newspaper columns across the nation – and not everyone is angry. Rabiah Hussain's play Word-Play explores how language seeps into public consciousness and reverberates with far-reaching consequences that will last for generations. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, in July 2023, directed by Nimmo Ismail.Trade Review'A fascinating new play exploring the insidious potential of bland language... skewers a particularly British kind of bigotry... there's so much about this play that'll stick in your throat: a reminder that words can wound, however bland they might sound' * Time Out *'Playful, thoughtful, and deliciously up-to-the-minute... Often hilarious, sometimes moving, this play about how words matter has a cumulative power' * Evening Standard *'Amusing and boldly, excitingly experimental... Hussain's script shines in sudden moments of lyrical outrage' * Guardian *'Audacious, incisive and emotive' * The Upcoming *'A turbo-charged lesson in minding your language... thought-provoking and explosive' * Metro *

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Book Synopsis'We should've seen this coming. We did. We did see this coming. The world will not be kind to us because we haven't given it a reason to be.' On his fifteenth birthday, Noble transforms into a bird. Thousands of miles away, his sister Cleo is stationed on a remote island with the British Antarctic Survey. But the birds have disappeared and Noble needs to reach her. Lying low until it's safe to take flight, he finds solace in misfit Ellis, while his mum desperately tries to stop their home from falling apart. The world turns. Dark clouds gather. Chaos is on the horizon... Billie Collins's play Too Much World at Once is an urgent coming-of-age story for our times – and a lyrical, theatrical journey that spans continents and lives. It was premiered at HOME, Manchester, in March 2023 by Box of Tricks Theatre before a UK tour.Trade Review'A timely, richly theatrical piece that straddles the intimate and the epic with ease... an impressive debut... heartbreakingly believable, with a welcome mix of light and shade to the story' * The Stage *'Challenging but rewarding... A coming-of-age play with a difference... a full-on environmental call to arms... a remarkable achievement' * Reviews Hub *'Quirky yet beautiful... an unusual take on a coming-of-age story that is wonderfully told with a beautiful simplicity' * West End Best Friend *

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Book Synopsis'I know it's difficult. You've obviously been a good friend to her but it's time to let us take over now.' Es and Flo fell fiercely in love in the eighties. They've been living as secret lovers ever since. As Es becomes more forgetful around their home, an unexpected carer arrives. Who sent this woman? Why? And can they trust her? As the outside world comes crashing in, Flo fights to protect the life they've built together over forty years behind closed doors. And faces the hardest battle of her life – to hold on to the woman she loves. Jennifer Lunn's play Es & Flo is a sharply observed, deeply compassionate drama, coloured with memories of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. It celebrates an older lesbian relationship, women coming together to fight for what's right, and the healing power of chosen family. The play was produced by Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, and opened there in 2023 before moving to Kiln Theatre, London, directed by Susie McKenna. It won the Popcorn Group Writing Award and the Nancy Dean Lesbian Playwriting Award.Trade Review'A deeply moving play about love and dementia... poignant, with a finely honed script... brimming with nuance, sentiment and pathos' * The Stage *'A tender portrait of a woman caring for her love, in sickness and in health... Es & Flo has heart and soul... the characters are so charming and funny, and their dedication to each other so complete, that joy and affection seep through at every turn' * Guardian *'A ray of sunshine... a moving dementia drama that left me in happy tears' * The Times *'Tender and moving... sharply observed... captivating and truly powerful' * Queer Review *'Moving and authentic... emotionally piercing... written with refreshing expertise... a rich and rare tale of two women sharing their lives' * Time Out *'A tender drama by an accomplished playwright... packs emotional punch... a deeply moving love story' * WhatsOnStage *'A complex, glorious celebration of senior queer women... tender and multifaceted... written with storytelling verve' * Broadway World *'Warm, funny and full of love' * Reviews Hub *'A beautiful lesbian love story, and a heartbreaking picture of the onset of dementia... not only moving but often touchingly funny' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'No one. No dark knight in shinin armour. Not even someone I'd let fiddle with me on a regular basis. Went through all my twenties thinkin don't worry he'll come. Well, I'm almost forty now, and he still hasn't, has he?' David is in love with King. But King is a superhero. After an unexpected encounter, David plunges himself into a world of sex, drugs and hero worship in the hope of being rescued, until fantasy and reality merge with devastating consequences. Danny Lee Wynter's play BLACK SUPERHERO is a brutal, unflinching, funny portrait of one man's life spiralling out of control, in an age where our idols are Kings and our superheroes Gods. It was premiered at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, London, in March 2023, directed by Daniel Evans and with a cast including Dyllón Burnside and the playwright Danny Lee Wynter.Trade Review'Audacious and inventive... full of punchy dialogue and quippy one-liners... Wynter's voice is an exciting one, and BLACK SUPERHERO a unique exploration of blackness, queerness, and mental health' * Evening Standard *'Wickedly funny and provocatively entertaining... some genuinely outrageous one-liners that bring the house down' * Time Out *'Alive and edgy, with plenty of kapow... slowly reveals its emotional powers... a seductive debut' * Guardian *'An incredibly witty play packed full of popular culture references and some crowd-pleasing theatrical sideswipes' * Reviews Hub *'Superb... wildly funny but also dark and deeply thought provoking... playfully and innovatively explores themes that other playwrights shy away from... a funny, sexy, and vital piece of theatre. A powerful debut from a very talented writer' * Theatre Weekly *'A witty debut... a talent to watch' * Telegraph *'Gripping and very funny... a first play that comes from the heart' * British Theatre Guide *'A funny and unflinching exploration of Black masculinity... radical and exciting... Danny Lee Wynter's ambitious play is witty and biting, with intense stand-out moments that force its audience to pay attention' * Independent *'A sexy show… Danny Lee Wynter proves himself a natural-born playwright' * Metro *'Sharp, witty and unflinching... A funny, sexy, and ultimately poignant portrait of fragility in love' * West End Best Friend *'Sexy, brimming with talent... It bristles with ideas and emotion' * Observer *

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Book SynopsisDavid is gay, disabled and profoundly horny. He can't eat, drink or shower by himself – or wank. Totally inexperienced, he embarks on a sexual and romantic odyssey, armed with a fierce brain, and dick pics that he has to get someone to take. Can he keep it casual whilst also relying on round-the-clock care? And will he manage the thrill and uncertainty of random hook-ups after a lifetime of knockbacks? Animal is a hilarious, challenging and heartbreaking play by Jon Bradfield, from a story by Bradfield and Josh Hepple. It won the inaugural Through the Mill Playwriting Prize, was shortlisted for the Papatango Prize, and was first performed at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, and Park Theatre, London, in 2023.Trade Review'What a joy to discover a play that is so bold, so outspoken and so thoroughly unpredictable... Angry and mischievous, droll and unforgettably poignant. Deserves to be seen on a bigger stage as soon as possible' * The Times *'Hard-hitting but wildly entertaining comedy. It's marvellous to find something that deals with so many Big and Important themes in such a breezy, confident way' * Time Out *'A bold and brilliant new queer comedy. Absolutely hilarious. Will resonate with anyone who's experienced the world of modern dating' * Gay Times *'An exceptional piece of theatre... uniquely brilliant in its sensitive foregrounding of a disabled protagonist... searingly insightful, soulfully intimate and utterly hilarious' * The Upcoming *'Hilarious and extremely entertaining... David is a complex and flawed character, and his sarcastic quips and rude sense of humour are always a hit... a gem' * Reviews Hub *'An excellent piece of socially engaged theatre that educates and entertains in equal measure... brutal honesty delivered with raw empathy... Animal is, simply put, a great play' * Broadway World *'Unmissable... a whirlwind of an adventure, combining both intense emotional heartache and literal laugh out loud moments... an exceptional piece of work that hits all the right spots' * Everything Theatre *'Insightful, funny and quietly heartbreaking' * WhatsOnStage *'A wonderful experience... a barrier breaking, provocative exposé on sexual equality, full of humour, grit and filth... refreshing, necessary and compelling' * The Theatre Talk *'A hilarious, laugh-out-loud comedy, which at the same time punches you straight in the gut... eye opening, heart-warming and deliciously funny... a wonderfully written, clever, witty stage play' * North West End *'Bold, brave and brilliant... a truly vital piece of theatre that everyone should see' * Frankly My Dear *'Hilarious and heart-breaking... It is truly refreshing to see a fleshed-out disabled main character who is allowed to be complex and flawed and human... captivating' * I Love Manchester *

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Book Synopsis'Let's just talk until it goes.' The average person will speak 123,205,750 words in a lifetime. But what if there were a limit? Oliver and Bernadette are about to find out. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a tender and funny rom-com about what we say, how we say it, and what happens when we can't say anything any more. This special edition of Sam Steiner's hilarious and provocative play – featuring a revised text, plus an introduction by the author – was published alongside a major revival in 2023 performed at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End, as well as at Manchester Opera House and Theatre Royal Brighton. It was directed by Josie Rourke and starred Jenna Coleman and Aidan Turner. The play was first performed at Warwick Arts Centre in 2015, and won three Judges' Awards at the National Student Drama Festival before appearing at Latitude Festival, Camden People's Theatre in London, and several runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was a hit with both audiences and critics. It has since been performed around the world, is widely studied and has been translated into multiple languages.Trade Review'A beautiful play about the beauty and preciousness of language' * Time Out *'Takes the can opener to a typical opposites-attract romcom in order to explore wider issues of democracy and free speech' * Guardian *'An accomplished debut… bright, light and sharp - a rom-com with smarts' * WhatsOnStage *'A masterpiece of beautiful simplicity' * Broadway Baby *'[A] taut two-hander… intriguing and original… [a] complex piece of theatre' * FestMag *'Marvellously wide-ranging… truly experimental and unique… a must-see' * A Younger Theatre *

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Book Synopsis'The difference between death and extinction is this: death is to cease to exist. Extinction is to extinguish. I think of death as individual. Extinction is collective.' Naomi belongs to a theatre company that has made a play especially for you, who are living through extinction. The actors haven't shown up yet, but in the meantime Naomi has a plan. Part ritual, part battle cry, A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction is an innovative one-woman show exploring what it means to be human in an era of ecological disaster. Miranda Rose Hall's darkly funny, life-affirming play received its 2023 British premiere in a Headlong and Barbican co-production, directed by Katie Mitchell. A bold experiment in eco-theatremaking, it was powered entirely by bicycles. After opening at London's Barbican, it embarked on a 'zero-travel' tour: the play journeyed to other venues around the UK, whilst the people and materials did not. The play had been first produced at Baltimore Center Stage in 2021, and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.Trade Review'Transfixing, sobering and haunting' * Telegraph *'A new vision for touring theatre' * WhatsOnStage *'Thoughtful and provocative... a pioneering eco-production that is streets ahead of the pack' * Evening Standard *'Stripped-back theatre that is, at times, sharply funny as it takes aim at the dazzle of form over substance in the "worthiest" productions' * The Stage *'Gut-churningly powerful... searingly effective' * Time Out *'An elegy to what has gone and to what is about to go' * Reviews Hub *'Powerfully cathartic' * Broadway World *

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Book Synopsis'We're dying of manners. We're under siege from personal embarrassment. This is not sane. This is not rational. That woman is a monster!' While on holiday, Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA. She's less than woke but kind of wonderful. They agree to stay in touch – because no one ever really does, do they? When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online. Too late, they learn the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski. Deadly danger has just boarded a flight to London! But how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming, well, a bit impolite? Because guess who's coming... to murder! Steven Moffat's play The Unfriend takes a hilarious and satirical look at middle-class England's disastrous instinct always to appear nice. It was first performed at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in 2022, before transferring to London's West End – first to the Criterion Theatre, then to Wyndham's – in 2023. Steven Moffat is an award-winning writer whose internationally successful television shows include Doctor Who, Sherlock and Dracula – the latter two co-written with actor and writer Mark Gatiss, who made his stage directorial debut with The Unfriend.Trade Review'Steven Moffat has skilfully crafted one of the funniest plays to be seen on stage in a very long time... pure comedy gold... a comedy of manners that niftily speeds along and is full of outrageous humour... never anything except laugh-out-loud funny... a killer comedy to die for' * WhatsOnStage *'Effortlessly entertaining... The action is line-by-line funny and an apt commentary on English middle-class manners... Moffat may be the new Ayckbourn' * Telegraph *'A hilarious dark comedy of good manners... a tour de force of toilet farce, proper gut-busting stuff' * The Stage *'A cringe-tastic play of exquisite embarrassment... worthy of a place in the macabre comedy series Inside No 9' * Guardian *'Boasts a ruthlessly efficient devotion to the punchline and a relentless urgency in ratcheting up the awkward tension. Every second or third line of this farcical modern comedy of manners is a gag... The premise is brilliant in its simplicity and hugely effective in its laugh-filled execution' * Chortle *'A much-needed, riotous bit of fun... an uproarious comedy of English embarrassment... a relentlessly snowballing orgy of cringe and discomfiture... a delight' * Evening Standard *'Hits the funny bone with a welcome twang' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisMary has just been released from prison. She wants to come home and forget all about it – but Briana has other ideas. Over two tumultuous days, a family is forced to confront not only their past, but everything about themselves. Because the truth doesn't go away, even if you refuse to hear it. A powerful story of family and forgiveness, Deborah Bruce's play Dixon and Daughters was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in April 2023, directed by Róisín McBrinn and co-produced with Clean Break.Trade Review'A powerful piece of drama that has us leaning forward eagerly in our seats. Bruce creates a beguiling quality of understated intrigue... poised and compelling' * iNews *'A challenging and insightful piece exploring the connection between domestic abuse and the criminalisation of women... Bruce's keenly observed dialogue is vivid and raw, lifted by moments of grim humour' * The Stage *'Potent... a different kind of haunted house drama, one that builds from slow beginnings to something disturbing and memorable... Bruce's writing deftly scratches out the outlines of these abrasive, damaged, strange women... Each one has a real arc and journey... impressive and powerful' * Time Out *'Fiery and intriguing... Bruce has a great ear for dialogue... [the characters] all get great, laugh-out-loud lines and grandstanding emotional moments... lots to admire and enjoy' * Evening Standard *'Powerful... Bruce's script is frank, funny, and sad' * Broadway World *'An involving examination of exactly why women continue to suffer in silence, in homes where they should feel safe... an authenticity that cannot be questioned... it has the tang of truth as well as the tension of drama' * WhatsOnStage *'A comic domestic noir with both humour and horror... beneath its apparent simplicity runs a complex dynamic between family members and cyclically repeated abuse or trauma that feels as genuine as it is tragic' * Guardian *'A compelling jet-black comedy with a central figure who's at once perturbing and interestingly flawed, loaded with contradiction' * Telegraph *'Raises important issues about family life... extremely moving... gradually creates a sense of compassionate engagement with the victims of harassment and abuse... truthful and authentic' * Arts Desk *'Powerful... an important and timely play. Harrowing, but full of love as much as it is full of fear, a rousing study in female resilience' * West End Best Friend *

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Book SynopsisAfter the breakout success of his early work for stage and screen, Jack Thorne turned for inspiration to his own family for a series of plays about hope, idealism and domestic politics. The work in this collection – five full-length plays and two shorts – showcases his extraordinary ability to combine electrifying dialogue with heartfelt warmth, candour and humour. Hope (Royal Court Theatre, 2014) is a funny and scathing fable about the leaders of a local council faced with savage funding cuts. 'A surprisingly entertaining state-of-the-nation drama' The Stage The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae/Theatre Royal Plymouth, 2015) is an intimate, tender play about loss, hurt and rediscovery. 'Startlingly good... an adult play in the very best sense' The Times Junkyard (Headlong, 2017) is a joyful celebration of imaginative play, a musical drama about a group of young people tasked with building a playground out of junk. 'Genuinely funny and poignant' WhatsOnStage the end of history... (Royal Court, 2019) is a moving and sophisticated portrait of the impact of political idealism on a family. 'Clever and highly intriguing' Independent Also included are Burying Your Brother in the Pavement, written for the National Theatre Connections Festival in 2008, which tackles complex themes of grief, violence and sexuality with fierce compassion and wild imagination; and two short plays: Whiff Whaff and Boo. 'I think these plays are about love, about heroes, about trying to understand how to be heroic, about trying to understand how to lead a good life' Jack Thorne, from his Introduction 'Jack Thorne is Britain's hottest playwright and screenwriter' The Times 'Jack Thorne never ceases to stimulate and entertain' Evening Standard 'Thorne is a writer of immense emotional intelligence and his dialogue regularly devastates' The Stage

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Book SynopsisSophie is about to become a single mum – a third-generation one – and she's terrified. How will she afford to feed her baby? Or a Deluxe Snuggle Pod? Can she hold on to her job? What if she's crap at parenthood? Surely she can count on her own mum and nan to help... Except her mum's got used to having a life of her own, and doesn't fancy giving up pole-dancing class and Tinder to go back to changing nappies and no sleep. Meanwhile, fresh out of hospital with a broken leg, her nan's having a three-quarter-life crisis of her own. From slammed doors to living-room karaoke, Lydia Marchant's play Mumsy is a sparky, soulful comedy drama about the highs and lows of motherhood. It premiered at Hull Truck Theatre in March 2023. Trade Review'A brilliant bittersweet comedy with plenty of ribald humour... Without sermonising, Marchant demonstrates the impact of a decade of Tory austerity amid a cost of living crisis... It's a skill to write across generations like this... Marchant's play is a bundle of joy' * Guardian *'A striking debut... beautifully balanced between comedy and tragedy... a tender exploration of the power of connection and perseverance' * The Stage *'Raw, real and utterly Northern... as homely and refreshing as a mug of Yorkshire Tea' * Reviews Hub *'Masterful... whip-crack funny... a play with a huge heart... a brilliant piece of theatre' * Hull Is This *

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