Modern and contemporary plays / drama

Book Synopsis'A nation that devours another will one day devour itself.' Set when the Great Devouring comes home, England & Son is a kaleidoscopic odyssey, where disaster capitalism, empire, Thatcherite politics, stolen youth and stolen wealth merge into the tale of a working-class boy who just wants his dad to smile at him. With some deep, dark laughs – and some deep, dark love – England & Son is a one-man play by Ed Edwards, first performed by the celebrated political comedian Mark Thomas. It was first produced by HOME Manchester and Tin Cat Entertainment, and premiered in Paines Plough's Roundabout during the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by Cressida Brown, where it won a Fringe First Award. This edition also features an illuminating essay by the author, 'Writing the End of Empire'.Trade Review'A triumph... Ed Edwards' play has a terrifying force as it charts the story of a homeless man... it unfolds in fragmentary snapshots, kaleidoscopic images that build a picture in shards... The play's observations are fierce and sharp; its empathy, profound and moving' * WhatsOnStage *'A funny and ferocious telling of a lost childhood that frames the story of a juvenile offender through the lens of colonialism... powerful and moving' * Guardian *'Tremendous energy and real pathos' * The Stage *'A powerful cinematic journey through ecstatic highs and bone-crushing lows. Not your average coming-of-age story' * Edinburgh Reviews *'Magnificent... a ferocious script' * The Times *'A passionate plea for humanity... heartbreakingly powerful, sharp and tragic' * Scotsman *'A ferociously funny and thrilling drama, full of rage and hurt but also laced with humour, tenderness and empathy... political theatre at its most entertaining, engaging and effective' * Morning Star *'Absolutely top tier theatre... a bludgeon of horror' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'Fereydoun Farrokhzad is invisible to everyone apart from, mostly, Iranians, because nobody apart from them ever has to think about him.' It's the 1970s, and Fereydoun Farrokhzad's star is blazing bright – he's a sex symbol and chart-topping pop singer. Imagine an Iranian Tom Jones. A decade on and he's living in political exile in Germany, though still selling out the Royal Albert Hall. Then, on 7 August 1992, he's found brutally murdered. The neighbours said his dogs had been barking for two nights. The case has never been solved. Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World is an investigation into the nature of investigation; part free-wheeling lecture, part podcast and part play. It is a thrilling ride down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia and true-crime podcasts, sorting through the tangle of information available online to reveal the limits of the search engines in solving a decades-old cold case. Originally produced by The Javaad Alipoor Company in 2022, this witty, fast-paced and cutting-edge play, by Javaad Alipoor with Chris Thorpe, was co-commissioned by HOME and the National Theatre of Parramatta. It has toured worldwide, including a run at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2023 Festival Fringe.

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Book Synopsis'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.' Christmas Eve, 1946, Bedford Falls. Down-on-his-luck banker George Bailey feels life has passed him by, and he's at the end of his rope. But when George's guardian angel pays him a visit, he's amazed to discover what life in his beloved town would be like without him. Maybe it's a wonderful life, after all? Based on the critically acclaimed Frank Capra movie, Mary Elliott Nelson's reimagining is a joyful story of love, hope and community. Commissioned by New Perspectives Theatre, It's a Wonderful Life has been produced around the UK, including a revival in 2023 at Reading Rep Theatre. Written for four actors, but suitable for many more, it offers other theatre companies a heartfelt adaptation of a much-loved classic to charm and delight audiences – at Christmas or any other time of the year!Trade Review'Cleverly makes us think about our lives and how we fit into our communities' * Guardian *'A magical stage adaptation… offers surprises while being truthful to the narrative' * York Press *'Beautifully conceived... rises to this challenge of translating such an uplifting and moving story to the stage with just four actors... an exceptional piece of theatre' * West End Best Friend *'Has a delightfully atmospheric economy... Nelson's text hits the right beats... Capra's message about valuing what we have shines through in this festively enjoyable production' * The Stage *'Fans of this story will not be disappointed... the perfect show to see with your family over the festive period' * Theatre and Tonic *

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Book Synopsis'One can't help where one is born. Or one's station, of course. The trick to happiness is to be content where one is. Or so I am told.' 1979. Clarence House, London. The Queen Mother's receptions are in full swing and the champagne is flowing. Guiding the proceedings is William 'Billy' Tallon, page of the backstairs, keeper of the keys, holder of the royal corgis – and the royal secrets. Outside the palace walls, unemployment, inflation and industrial action are bringing Britain to its knees, and the country is on the verge of changing seismically under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. These two worlds are about to collide, with dizzying consequences for everyone... Backstairs Billy examines the fifty-year relationship between the Queen Mother and her most loyal, most outrageous servant, who joined her household at the age of fifteen. Marcelo Dos Santos's irreverent comedy was first produced by the Michael Grandage Company at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, in 2023, directed by Grandage and starring Penelope Wilton and Luke Evans.Trade Review'The best royal drama in a decade... Abounding with witty entertainment and curiosity value, it confirms the promise shown by Marcelo Dos Santos' * Telegraph *'Nothing has made me laugh more... it's the funniest play Ive seen this year' * Sunday Times *'Gleefully subversive and unexpectedly hard-hitting, with some great one-liners' * Time Out *'Smart and shrewd... the most unusual depiction of an unlikely duo since Judi Dench crossed wits with Billy Connolly in Mrs Brown... by turns devastating and delicious' * Arts Desk *'Plays like a cross between The Crown and X-rated PG Wodehouse' * The Times *'An early festive delight... makes The Crown look too careful' * Independent *'Bubblingly witty, with many great one-liners' * Financial Times *'A comedy of manners with a sprinkling of farce, conducted in cut-glass bon mots and bitchy sideswipes' * The Stage *'Full of zinging one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments... Every joke lands with the precision of a targeted missile, always suggesting the sharpness behind the smile... has all the trappings of a West End hit... Dos Santos is undoubtedly a talented writer, with a distinctive voice and a welcome wit' * WhatsOnStage *'Deliciously frothy... consistently funny and entertaining' * Evening Standard *'Fascinating... the writing has sophistication... the Queen Mother would have loved it' * Guardian *'A frisky frolic that is more than just a caper... Marcelo Dos Santos's play glances at a country on the cusp of Thatcherite change... full of ricocheting puns... the conversation pings electrically' * Observer *'A rip-roaring comedy... uproariously funny... a fascinating insight to the inner workings of that famous family' * Theatre Weekly *'Very funny... nicely balances palace gossip with broader ideas about class, power, and way that tradition can both comfort and stifle' * London Theatre *'A sympathetic, subtle portrayal of a uniquely fascinating relationship, full of deliciously arch banter... a right royal laugh that will delight' * Chortle *'Simply delightful... wonderful... an unexpectedly touching tale of genuine connection... pure entertainment at its finest. Dos Santos folds in a healthy dollop of heart and politics for good measure, but make no mistake; this production is first and foremost an absolute feel-good gem' * Reviews Hub *'Very funny and likely to tickle even the most reluctant royalists in the audience' * Culture Whisper *

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Book SynopsisA playwright known for dazzling structural inventiveness combined with emotional intelligence and wit, James Fritz is a unique voice in British theatre. His work, reflected in these six plays covering the first decade of his career, confronts the fault lines in our culture with thrilling imagination, an unflinching moral seriousness and a warm, compassionate sense of humour. Four Minutes Twelve Seconds (Hampstead Theatre, 2014; Trafalgar Studios, 2015; winner of the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright) is a 'morally terrifying drama' (Evening Standard) that unpicks the trust between parents and their teenage offspring in an age of selfies and sexting. Ross & Rachel (Edinburgh Fringe, 2015; Off-Broadway, 2016) is a 'dialogue for one' that takes an incisive look at the myths of modern love. 'Shockingly good... a virtuosic piece of writing, playful, post-modern and devastatingly serious, all at once' Time Out Parliament Square (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and Bush Theatre, London, 2017; winner of the Judges' Award, Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting) is a searingly powerful exploration of what one individual can do to effect change. 'There are few playwrights working in Britain today whose work is as slick and unsettling as James Fritz's' Exeunt Lava (Nottingham Playhouse/Fifth Word, 2018; revived 2022) is a funny, tender and moving story about friendship and reconnection in the aftermath of catastrophe. 'Compassionate, warm and funny... Fritz's plays find reservoirs of humour in places you wouldn't expect' The Stage Skyscraper Lullaby (Audible Original, 2022) is a powerful drama, first written as an audio play, about two parents trying to come to terms with the disappearance of their toddler, a haunting examination of the ways we cope with tragedy, complicity and remorse. Also included is a previously unpublished short play, twins (Arcola Theatre, 2015), as well as a playful and illuminating introduction written by the author.

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Book SynopsisGregor Samsa wakes up each morning, quietly leaves the house to take the same train, and works to pay off the family debt. But that world explodes one morning, when Gregor awakes to find himself changed. To those around him he is dangerous, untouchable vermin. Worse than that, he is a burden. Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka's shocking tale of cruelty and kindness, has been a literary landmark since it was first published in 1915. Lemn Sissay's thrilling stage adaptation is a visceral and vital depiction of humans struggling within a system that crushes them under its heel. It was commissioned and first produced in 2023 by Frantic Assembly, in a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth, Curve, MAST Mayflower Studios and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, and was directed by Scott Graham.Trade Review'An ingenious, nightmarish adaptation... Frantic Assembly has been rewriting the rulebook for almost three decades now; its rigorous physical exploration of emotion combined with edgy pulsing soundtracks has won an ardent following' * The Times *'Compelling... a brooding, expanded take on Kafka's immortal novella that likes to toy with our expectations' * Time Out *'Uncompromising, utterly captivating... combines the best of physical theatre with poetic language and stimulating storytelling... a sublime, intense theatrical experience' * Reviews Hub *'An urgent observation of a bloodsucking, broken system that renders people worthless if they cannot work' * WhatsOnStage *'Poetically vivid and visually mesmerising' * Broadway World *'Deliciously eerie... makes the 1915 novella speak for today' * Culture Whisper *

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Book SynopsisWhen Ben Targét was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2012 Edinburgh Comedy Awards, he was set on the path to becoming a critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning performance artist. Eight years later, amidst a global pandemic, he gave it all up to become the live-in carer for his uncle: an irascible octogenarian prankster called Lorenzo Wong. LORENZO is their story, a show that confronts the messiness of ageing and dying through the medium of storytelling, servitude to the audience and live carpentry, a combination not seen on the world stage since Nazareth circa 30AD. This book is the full script of that life-affirming show, with illustrations by Targét himself. It was directed by Adam Brace, and was premiered at Summerhall, Edinburgh, during the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it was awarded a Fringe First. It subsequently transferred to Soho Theatre, London.Trade Review'A beautiful and wise work' * Time Out *'Very lovely... a joyful and philosophical show... a heartfelt hour about tough times and the people who quietly help us survive them' * Guardian *'An exploration of the sorts of things that give life meaning... completely engaging... very funny and very moving... a life-affirming tale that is warm and whimsical, but fundamentally all about human connection' * WhatsOnStage *'A moving and courageous piece of theatre' * The Scotsman *'The ultimate celebration of life. I've never laughed and cried so much at the same show' * Everything Theatre *'A joyous celebration of what it means to love deeply' * Fest Mag *'A deeply affecting, tender and funny story of love and loss' * The List *'A beautiful and touching insight into life' * West End Best Friend *'Ben Target is a master storyteller... The play is as heartfelt as it is disarmingly funny... a truly beautiful piece of work' * British Theatre Guide *'A heartfelt true story about providing end-of-life care to a family member during COVID, told in such a way that is never predictable and always, oddly, a pleasure' * Broadway Baby *'A testament to the art of storytelling... captures the humanity, tragedy and humour of life with a seeming ease' * Reviews Hub *'A masterclass in storytelling theatre, with the audience completely and utterly gripped throughout. It's beautiful and captivating and a sad story becomes utterly joyful in the hands of our charismatic host' * Broadway World *

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Book Synopsis'I should've seen him. Felt him. Walking across the sand. His antlers, twisting, reaching up to the moon. But the Mariner didn't come. The Mariner didn't come.' Mark and Tiny go for walks along the beach at Seaton Carew, County Durham. Their dad is dying, and their town is crumbling. Family rifts and political divides try to pull them apart, and a figure made of driftwood stalks the shore at night. Tim Foley's Driftwood is an intoxicating and mystical play about love, belonging and the tides within us. It was premiered in 2023 by Pentabus and ThickSkin on a tour of the UK, co-directed by Neil Bettles and Elle While.

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Book Synopsis'All children grow up, except one.' Chasing his runaway shadow, a mischievous young boy who will never grow up crash lands through an open window and meets a headstrong young girl who is desperate to be an adult. With a sprinkle of fairy dust, they take flight on a whirlwind voyage over pirate ships, through mermaid lagoons and into the heart of Neverland. Adapted from J.M. Barrie's perennial favourite, this enchanting new version by Evan Placey, with songs by Vikki Stone, premiered in 2023 at Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames, directed by Lucy Morrell. It was commissioned by the Rose to be performed by twenty members of the Rose Youth Theatre alongside four professional adult actors. It offers rich opportunities for other theatre companies who want to keep their audiences hooked with a magical, musical classic. 50% of royalties from the sale of this book and amateur performance licences are donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.Trade Review'Delightful and enchanting... cleaves close to JM Barrie's beloved original... serves up fun, games and entertainment in bucketfuls' * Time Out *'Ample charm and an excellent hero... retains the period sweetness of JM Barrie's original' * Telegraph *'Evan Placey is loyal to Barrie's original sentiments. The script successfully balances the important messages of the story with the playfulness of the piece... there is so much to enjoy... Music and lyrics by Vikki Stone add to the energy of the evening... Real festive family fun' * Reviews Hub *'Sweet and sentimental... focuses on themes of family, belonging and taking responsibility for the people you love. Adapter Evan Placey has lightly tweaked the familiar text, bulking up Wendy's story by adding a believable conflict between the headstrong teenager and her loving but overwhelmed mother... Vikki Stone's catchy, contemporary songs help to drive home the show's sweet message about embracing a found family and following your dreams' * The Stage *'A humane, thoughtful show for today with some fine theatrical moments' * Sardines Magazine *'Entertaining and inventive' * West End Best Friend *

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Book SynopsisWhen the worlds of science-fiction and science-fact collide… extraordinary things can happen. Dave is the great-great grandson of H.G. Wells, author of the 1895 novella The Time Machine, a book that foretold (with suspicious accuracy) the future of the human species. What if the ideas in that book weren't entirely fiction? Right now, Dave and his friends Amy and Michael must set out on a journey through time… the journey of a lifetime! The Time Machine: A Comedy is (very loosely) adapted from H.G. Wells by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, whose previous adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles was a hit in the West End and subsequently for numerous companies worldwide. It was first produced in 2023 on a tour of the UK, before a run at Park Theatre, London, produced by Original Theatre and directed by Orla O'Loughlin. Fast-paced and wise-cracking, this riotous retelling zips from the nineteenth century to the end of the world, and (with any luck) back again. It will suit any theatre company looking for a time-bending adaptation of a well-loved story – and a surefire audience-pleaser.Trade Review'Breathtaking… gloriously silly, unrestrained fun' * The Stage *'Exquisitely entertaining… thoroughly, ridiculously amusing' * Indiependent *'Glorious... an amusing, witty, imaginative show hinging on actual time travel, as it pivots around a gleefully ridiculous plot twist... it ends very amusingly indeed' * Time Out *'A rollercoaster ride through time and space' * What's On Bristol *'Unmissable... many laugh out loud surprises... a weird and wonderful story that seems simple on the outside but has a lot of layers (each one just as funny as the last) that slowly but surely get peeled away... two hours of pure nonsense and humour... It all blends together perfectly, with plenty of energy, some hilarious Goes Wrong-style problems, and a finale that is bizarre and wonderful, yet perfectly in keeping with everything that's just gone before... If you're looking for an evening of pure silliness that sends you out into the night with a smile on your face, The Time Machine: A Comedy fits the bill' * Everything Theatre *'Jolly good fun... part backstage farce, part Doctor Who special, underpinned by a celebratory silliness' * LondonTheatre1 *'A real hoot... unpretentious and easy-flowing, with a lot of laughter... side-splitting and unpredictable' * Broadway World *'Steven Canny and John Nicholson's script gleefully takes inspiration from the source material while offering us something new... delivers consistent surprises and genuine laugh out loud moments' * Theatre Weekly *'A thorough celebration of the comedic arsenal... H.G. Wells on speed' * British Theatre Guide *'A triumph... Steven Canny and John Nicholson have once again created a hit show, using their incredibly witty writing style to deliver a script that is fast paced, slick and easy to follow... utterly insane from beginning to end' * London Theatre Reviews *'A wild and crazy ride... highly entertaining' * Sardines Magazine *'A triumphant success... one of the most hilarious explorations of the theory of time travel' * The Spy in the Stalls *'A work of some mad genius... a humorous and emotionally turbulent show with a truly brilliant script... Every moment is perfectly crafted... The writing stays true to the sentiment of Wells' novel, giving us a glimpse into how the time travelling tropes that we know and love have developed into what they are today' * Broadway Baby *'Delightful... a must-see for the holiday season... a winning combination of outright stupidity and truly engaging storytelling' * All That Dazzles *'If you are a fan of comedic mishaps, outrageous innuendo, Cher tribute songs and hip hop Wilde mashups, I'd suggest that time waits for no one and you'd better run to see this show' * Theatre and Tonic *'Very clever and highly enjoyable... a play where everything that can possibly happen happens - twice' * Reviews Hub *

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Book Synopsis'You care a lot, that's nice. It shows your age.' Jay's new. He's just started as a temp in NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. He arrives with little more than a fledgling desk plant and well-meaning plans to change the broken system. Angela's been working here for over thirty years and nothing seems to faze her – except Jay. Exhausted and worn down by archaic protocol, Jay starts bending the rules in a desperate attempt to help their patients. But when professional boundaries are crossed and trust is shattered, he discovers the harsh reality of what's truly at stake. Sophia Chetin-Leuner's play This Might Not Be It is a candid portrayal of human lives at the mercy of our crumbling NHS. The play was longlisted for the Verity Bargate Award and shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Playwriting. It was premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2023, directed by Ed Madden and produced by Broccoli Arts and Jessie Anand Productions.Trade Review'The beauty of this piece is that it speaks in a universal language about the way people find ways of co-existing in an office where space is tight and time is short' * The Times *'Intriguing and immensely engaging' * Guardian *'Timely and compelling... the characters are startlingly vivid, filled with hopes, flaws and intriguing contradictions' * The Stage *'Affecting, with much to admire' * Telegraph *'A mirror to our times, forcing an audience to choose whether they will care for others in a system that actively dehumanises them or whether they will fight for a better tomorrow... The play has a wonderful flow to it... expertly renders the characters with a truthful relatability' * Reviews Hub *'Strikingly honest and human... beautifully layered... writing of wonderful precision, insight and perspective' * West End Best Friend *'A devastatingly accurate vision of the NHS's crumbling mental health service' * London Theatre *'An honest look into the every day of NHS mental health workers that starkly lays bare the failings of a collapsing healthcare system' * The Upcoming *

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Book Synopsis'I'm the one who's left behind. I'm the one to tell the tale. I knew them both, knew how they lived and how she died.' Ella Grey and her friends are ordinary kids from ordinary families in an ordinary world. They fall in and out of love, play music, stare at the stars, yearn for excitement, and have parties on the beautiful beaches of Northumberland. One day a stranger – a musician called Orpheus – appears on the beach, entrancing them all, but particularly Ella. Where have they come from and what path will Ella follow? A Song for Ella Grey is a version of the myth of Orpheus that sings of the madness of youth, the ache of love, and the near-impossibility of grasping death. Zoe Cooper's stage adaptation of David Almond's award-winning novel was first produced in 2024 by Pilot Theatre, in association with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal. This edition includes the full text of the play along with a range of teaching materials and resources designed to help educators bring the play to life for their students. Praise for the novel: 'Infused with lyricism and with the fire and oddness of adolescence. Fresh, involving and lucid, it is a song in itself and teens will find it fills them with poignant longing and joy' Telegraph 'The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is retold against a wild Northumbrian landscape: life, death, love and myths. Just wonderful' Bookseller 'Extraordinary' Metro 'Spell-binding… impossible to resist' HeraldTrade Review'Soulful and imaginative... admirably answers the questions posed by David Almond's novel... timeless, fractured and haunting' * Guardian *'A stylish and seductive retelling of the Orpheus myth... Lacing its dreamy mysticism with sharp humour, Zoe Cooper's clever adaptation captures the raw intensity not just of first love, but of all the complex bonds of youth... a refreshing take on a classic that feels both immediate and timeless' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisComedies for young actors (and the young at heart): ''Gwylltio'' by Haf Llewelyn and ''Ffyrst Rispondars'' by Gwynedd Huws Jones.

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Book SynopsisIn the 1940s, Picasso wrote two plays in French: the first, Desire Caught by the Tail, was conceived during the German occupation of Paris and features a cast of grotesque allegorical characters such as the Onion, Silence or Fat Anxiety discussing the crucial wartime themes of hunger, cold and love; the second, The Four Little Girls, came about a few years after the end of the war on the French Riviera, and presents the stream-of-consciousness thoughts of four unnamed girls in a vegetable garden, revealing an unexpectedly evil aspect of childhood. These surreal compositions, which were meant to be read aloud rather than formally staged, are a testament to the great artist’s imaginative powers, and have been considered as forerunners to the theatre of the absurd of the 1950s, as exemplified by Beckett, Ionesco and Adamov.

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Book SynopsisA powerful study of infidelity and interwoven lives, filmed as the award-winning Lantana. A woman disappears. Four marriages become entangled in a web of love, deceit, sex and death. Who will survive? Nine parallel lives – interlocked by four infidelities, one missing person and a mysterious stiletto – are woven through a fragmented series of confessionals and interrogations that gradually reveal a darker side of human nature. Andrew Bovell's play Speaking in Tongues was first performed in August 1996 in a production by Griffin Theatre Company at The Stables, Sydney, Australia. It was later adapted by Bovell into the screenplay for the feature film Lantana (2001). The play was first performed in the UK at Hampstead Theatre, London, in June 2000, and was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in September 2009.Trade Review'Bovell explores love, marriage, strangeness, intimacy, trust, betrayal, obsession, self-punishment and detachment with generous emotional intelligence' * Observer *'Clever, provocative, elliptically resonant' * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisIn 1949, scientist and mathematician Dr Jacob Bronowski installs a hidden, locked room in his house. Fifty years later, his grandson discovers the secrets contained in the room, unearthing echoes from across six million years of human history. David Byrne's play Secret Life of Humans was first seen during a sell-out, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017. It had its London premiere at New Diorama in April 2018, ahead of transferring Off-Broadway. David Byrne is a playwright and director. His other plays include a radical new version of George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London.Trade Review'Ambitious, intelligent and moving... unfolds with thriller-like precision with real visual flair' * Guardian *'Bold, beautiful and utterly absorbing theatre, finding the thrilling drama inherent in the human story. It takes your breath away' * The Stage *'Presented with brilliant imagination... strikingly accomplished, absorbing and enjoyable' * Scotsman *'A masterpiece...mesermising to watch. Nothing less than a theatrical triumph' * Broadway Baby *

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Book SynopsisWhen her first play, Eight, transferred from student theatre in Edinburgh to the West End and then New York, Ella Hickson was still in her early twenties. She has since built on that promise with a series of engaged and engaging dramas that pit romanticism and optimism against the realities of life as a young person in Britain. Eight (Edinburgh Fringe, 2008), that astonishing first success, is included here: a state-of-the-nation group portrait in monologues, ‘an interactive Talking Heads for 21st-century teens and twentysomethings’ (Independent). Also included is Hot Mess (Edinburgh Fringe, 2010), a dark and lyrical tale about twins born with just a single heart between them, and Precious Little Talent (Edinburgh Fringe, 2009; West End, 2011), about two young adults graduating into a world that’s sold them down the river. In Boys (HighTide Festival, Nuffield Theatre Southampton and Soho Theatre, 2012), the Class of 2011 faces a tricky transition to adulthood in a play that ‘powerfully captures the mood of a generation’ (Independent). The volume also contains an introduction by the author and two short plays: the previously unpublished PMQ, part of the Coalition season at Theatre503, London, in 2010; and Gift, first seen as part of Headlong’s immersive theatre production Decade in 2011. ‘On the cusp of greatness’ Independent

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Book SynopsisJohn, a wealthy, brilliant, and successful PhD student with cerebral palsy, hires Jess, a recent graduate who has fallen on hard times, as his new carer. Across town, truck driver Eddie attempts to support and re-engage with his estranged wife, Ani, following a terrible accident that has left her quadriplegic. As four very different lives collide and entwine, roles are unapologetically flipped, reversed and exposed - who is actually caring for whom? Martyna Majok's exquisitely original, honest and deftly funny new play Cost of Living explores our need to connect and be loved regardless of the gulfs that disability, race, class, and wealth place between us. Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Cost of Living was first seen at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2016, and had its UK premiere at Hampstead Theatre, London, in January 2019.Trade Review'A richly empathetic work that asks searching questions about who or what defines us, and what we owe to each other. Frank, funny and thrumming with feeling, in its best moments it bypasses the head and strikes right at the heart' * Broadway World *'A rare combination of matter-of-fact candour and watchful empathetic insight' * Independent *'Dares to venture to places few dramas go, examining with a kind of wide-eyed truthfulness the lives of a marginalised quartet struggling to get by... Majok's writing has a poetic naturalism' * WhatsOnStage *'A tough drama that earns its poignancy... gets under your skin through its ability to provoke feeling without lapsing into sentimentality' * Guardian *'Cost of Living is perfection. It reawakens my belief in the poetry of theater and highlights its purpose as the critical eye on our human existence… Majok brilliantly infuses her characters and dialogue with biting humor' * New York Theatre Guide *'Full of effective moments… deeply felt' * Village Voice *'Sensational... poses colossal questions in scenes so bracingly intimate that you might be tempted to look away were they not so utterly magnetic... manages to capture, in the span of 100 minutes, how it feels to be alive... the kind of theater that imprints on the body and lives in your bones... one of the most poignant and arresting new dramas on Broadway in recent memory' * Variety *'Immensely haunting… Majok has engineered her plot to lead naturally to moments of intense and complicated pungency… If you don't find yourself in someone in Cost of Living, you’re not looking' * New York Times *'Deeply moving, bracing and harrowing' * The Hollywood Reporter *

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Book SynopsisWhen repressed British schoolfriends Nina and Noa start writing a parody American coming-of-age romance, the colourful, familiar characters come to life and show them that they might just have a story of their own to tell. Cowboys and Lesbians is a queer romantic comedy which examines the intersection between sexuality and fantasy through the eyes of two closeted teenage girls, highlighting just how much the stories we consume affect the ones we tell about ourselves. CASTING 2 actors (both female, playing later teens) or up to 8 actors Running time: 75-80 minutes ★★★★ "Funny, mischievous, utterly absorbing..’ Clive Davis, The Times "Outrageous, hilarious, and wonderfully wholesome, this queer rom-com is exactly what the title insists and more." - Vi Dang, Playbill "Incredibly tender, fuelled by the hopeful urges of early understandings of queerness and the desperate desire to be kissed" - Kate Wyver, The Guardian ★★★★★ “refreshing, original and laugh out loud hilarious” London Theatre Review ★★★★ “outrageously funny, and gay too - what more could you want?” Watch that Scene ★★★★★ West London Queer Project

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Book SynopsisA powerful debut collection exploring one family's pursuit of the American Dream. Sebastian Paramo renders a semi-autobiographical collection, utilizing self-portraiture and memory to uncover how his Texan, working-class, Mexican American identity shapes his relationship to his stepbrother and to his family's burning desire to become American.Trade ReviewPortrait of Us Burning wrestles with the deep, unknowable layers of familial history and the myriad possibilities of narrative a son imagines to better know from whom and from where he comes. For those interested in narratives of immigrant parents and experiences of first-generation children, this collection is lush with material. Traveling between geographical borderlands (crossing between Mexico and the United States) and the borderlands of memory (the synapses of memory that result from intergenerational trauma), these well-wrought and complex poems serve as exploration of lineage and testament to love of family even under the most difficult of circumstances." - Ángel GarcÍa, author of Teeth Never SleepTable of Contents Table of Contents Where Your Father Was I. Portrait of Us Portrait of My Father as a Failed Romantic Diego Rivera, the Flower Carrier, 1935 Self-Portrait as My Father, the Roofer Where Your Mother Was Portrait of a Firebird Self-Portrait of the First aBorn's Questions Footage of Us Playing Watching The Lion King with My Father Hibiscus Dear Father Self-Portrait as Half-Sibling Diptych: Days of the Latch-Key Siblings Portrait of Rivalry Portrait of a Reunion Self-Portrait While Holding My Mother’s Hand The Laundromat Saint Self-Portrait as My Mother’s Blood Portrait of What He Didn’t Want Unfaithful Father, Disobedient Son When Father Sings Portrait of a Boy Returning to Dirt Stepping Through a Door The Home Slaughter Self-Portrait with Thunder & Exhaustion, or, Self-Portrait as My Father Crossing Your Portrait in Smoke Portrait of Family I Footage of Me Tomorrow Not Pictured: II. Burning Portrait of the Unsaid Portrait of Vows Self-Portrait Looking Backwards My Mother’s Blessing Portrait of My Parents’ Desire Portrait of My Mother, as the Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Myself, Diego, and SeÑor Xolotl After El Hombre by Rufino Tamayo Big Tex Is on Fire! Lost Footage of Us Playing Studying Abroad in Mexico, Looking Up at Man of Fire by Jose Clemente Orozco Footage of My Father Telling a Story about Dirt When Father & I Speak Father’s Advice Footage from the Field Sobbing in a U-Haul Diptych: Dreams on Fire My Father Never Speaks about His Father Blood & Breath Footage of Me Yesterday Portrait of Us Burning Everything Is on Fire When My Mother’s Portrait Sings Portrait of Family as a Bag of Worms Portrait of Family II Cajeta Still Life with Salt on Fruit Watching the End of the Film Paris, Texas Forgive Me, Brother Distant Father The Ownership of the Night Acknowledgments

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Book Synopsis'I said no one should ever try to recreate this. This is agony in its purest form.' Five women in Northern California lie outside on chaises longues and philosophise. But can you ever communicate what it feels like to be inside your own body? Annie Baker's play Infinite Life is a surprisingly funny inquiry into the complexity of suffering, and what it means to desire in a body that's failing. It was first produced in a co-production between the National Theatre, London, and Atlantic Theater Company, New York, and performed at both theatres in 2023, directed by James Macdonald.Trade Review'A great new play. It peeps at the greatest mysteries of life' * The New York Times *'The peerless Annie Baker's latest play is a mind-bending exploration of sex, pain and bodies... Infinite Life is a lucid fever dream, a trippy vision of profound truth... It is another extraordinary play from a writer seemingly capable of nothing else' * Time Out *'Exquisite and bleakly funny' * The Times *'Superb... Infinite Life is that rarest of things – a comedy about death and pain, written with such precision it seems to expose the workings of the heart... a terrific play, understated yet rich, utterly engrossing' * WhatsOnStage *'Extraordinary... meticulous and mighty... a critique can't capture it: you have to be there' * Observer *'A play like no other... I don't know how Annie Baker does what she does. I only know that she does it brilliantly' * Daily Express *'Quietly riveting and stealthily moving... an absorbing, compassionate meditation on pain, mortality and our relationship with our bodies... Annie Baker's extraordinary plays are as idiosyncratic as they are fascinating and as funny as they are profound' * The Stage *'[Annie Baker] has a knack for seeing people's weird innards and transmuting them into something transcendent… an undeniably important and timely work' * Guardian *'Exquisite new comic drama' * New Yorker *'Intensely humane and minutely observed... Baker's plays are singular creations that march to their own rhythm, and we're fortunate that four of them have now come to the National Theatre' * Evening Standard *'Full of small wonders and subtle moments of quiet awakening' * Independent *'Baker's play feels capacious – ever widening its arms to hold more humanity, more searching spirit… Infinite Life gathers us all in its wide embrace, turning its curious, accepting gaze on our brokenness' * New York Magazine *'A very funny play, and a fine showcase for all its cast members… a work of lyrical beauty, humour, and insight' * New York Sun *'An enigmatically idiosyncratic mediation on human suffering... richly rewarding... Baker truly is a powerful writer' * Broadway World *'Spare but richly satisfying, full of beguiling subtleties and opportunities for dry humour' * Arts Desk *'Baker may be the Pinter of our generation, with exquisite writing displaying true human insight. She may never be mainstream, but she remains a genius whose work is always enlightening' * Broadway Baby *'Slow, searing and profound... Annie Baker is a master at tunnelling into the nucleus of niche, private settings, populating them with a wholly plausible cocktail of characters and enthralling her audience with the early interactions and seminal conversations that take place between them' * Culture Whisper *

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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 SynopsisThe most widely staged dramatist after Shakespeare, Chekhov left a deep mark both on the development of Russian literature and world theatre, with plays that were remarkable not just for their dialogue but their atmosphere and the tensions expressed between the lines. Collected in this volume are Chekhov's four most celebrated plays - The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard - in a brand-new translation by Hugh Aplin. In these personal stories of unfulfilled love, failed ambition and existential ennui, set against a background of unsettling social and economical change, the reader can appreciate the groundbreaking qualities of Chekhov's theatrical genius.Trade ReviewWhat writers influenced me as a young man? Chekhov! As a dramatist? Chekhov! As a story writer? Chekhov! -- Tennessee Williams

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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's somethin' about this house. Somethin' here. Somethin' in the walls. Its bones. Like DNA.' A family packs into a small house with a tangled history. Matt is here, yearning to reach someone he's lost. His cousin Jess is here, too; she just wants to feel something. Anything. And Aunt Monica and Jeff are still here, just about. Together, ferocious and funny, they laugh, they scrap, they remember. Tonight these four people, inextricably bound yet so far apart, will finally confront the old decisions that haunt them. How does a family make a future, when everything that holds it together lies in the past? Clive Judd's play Here is a tender, funny and utterly truthful story about family and feeling. It was premiered by Papatango at Southwark Playhouse, London, in November 2022 after winning the Papatango New Writing Prize, whose previous discoveries have gone on to win Olivier, Critics' Circle and OffWestEnd Awards and be performed worldwide.Trade Review'Creepy and captivating... there is something utterly invigorating about Judd's writing: it is funny, delicate, assured, pleasurably circuitous... a truly exciting discovery with what feels like a quietly radical new form of genre-defying theatre' * Guardian *'Engaging, empathetic and spooky, with a beautiful pattern of slow revelation... Papatango has once again identified a talent worth watching' * Evening Standard *'A hauntingly beautiful drama of family secrets... has a strange, captivating power... lyrical and elegiac... Judd deftly uses the uncanny to tell a very human, very flesh-and-blood story... unsettling and rather beautiful' * The Stage *'Full of humour and heart ... [Judd has] a great deal of writing talent' * Reviews Hub *'Excellent... an absorbing and moving play that deals intelligently with ideas of memory, seen and unseen connections, and the difficulties of articulating feelings... highly recommended' * Everything Theatre *

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Book SynopsisThis educational edition, with the full play text and an introduction to the playwright, features a detailed analysis of the language, structure and characters of the play, and textual notes explaining difficult words and references. It contains:- The full playtext- An introduction to the playwright, his background and his work- A detailed analysis of language, structure and characters in the play- Features of performance- Textual notes explaining difficult words and referencesProfessor Murray''s notes, to be read alongside the full playtext provided here, will enable students to better understand, appreciate, enjoy and write about O''Casey''s greatest play.

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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 SynopsisTrade ReviewA delightful adaptation, faithful to the spirit of Louisa May Alcott's novels * Sunday Telegraph *

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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 SynopsisTwo plays by the 2021 Papatango Prize-winning playwright Tom Powell.Surfacing NHS therapist Luc is fine. Honest. She's definitely not overwhelmed by meeting Owen, a new client, definitely not freaked out by what she's started seeing, definitely doesn't think her reality has been punctured and something else is leaking in. Luc goes for a swim and feels a hand dragging her down to the bottom of the lake When she surfaces, her reality is different. She's haunted by tormented mice, shape-shifting people, and secrets she thought she'd buried.This breathtaking new two-hander creates a contemporary Through The Looking Glass world. It premiered in February 2023.The Silence and the Noise Winner of Best Online Production at the Offies Awards 2024Ben and Daize are teenagers either side of a county line. Drug runner and daughter of an addict. As the adult world around them becomes deadly dangerous, do these natural enemies have it in them to save each other? The Silence andTrade ReviewA modest masterpiece. (on The Silence and the Noise) * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisIf I were an animal there would be legislation to protect my home, but because I'm just a bloody human they can do whatever the f**k they like.Welcome to the village of Syresham; it''s not quite the Cotswolds. Townies have decided they want a lie-in, so they''re building a new high-speed railway. Issue is, it''s going right through Barbara Honeybone''s house, and she ''ent having none of it. Barbara''s grandson Peter works for the townies and it''s his job to convince the village that having a two-tonne bullet hurtling through their cabbage patches will actually be for the best. Then there''s Harry, Barbara''s younger grandson, he ''ent that bothered about trains, he''s only got eyes for Debbie Mahoney. But the only thing Barbara hates more than townies is the Mahoneys.Originally commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse, Village Idiot by Samson Hawkins is an audacious comedy, where family feuds kick off around a country fair that all you townies are invited to.This edition wa

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Book SynopsisI stand at my open window. I feel like I''m on the edge of reality.April 1982. The Falkland Islands are invaded by Argentine forces. The shockwaves reverberate around the world. For some, it's overdue: seen in the gradual sweep to decolonise the world it is thought of as an inevitable next step. For others, the act strikes at the very heart of British identity.Falkland Sound tells the incredible story of a small community plunged into the middle of an international crisis. About half the size of Wales, populated by fewer than two thousand people, with conditions so hostile that trees struggle to grow, everyday life on these strange and beguiling islands is changed forever as two powerful nations fight for the right to claim sovereignty.Brad Birch's lyrical new play turns modern history into a theatrical epic, depicting a community and way of life turned upside down. Falkland Sound is a play about empire, community, and what it means to live in someone else's metaph

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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 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 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 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 SynopsisExhuming the little blue dress that launched the biggest media circus of a generation, this barbed spin on a political drama conjures the five women who collided in what became known as The Lewinsky Scandal. Hillary Clinton and Monica Lewinsky find themselves centre stage in a theatrical feat that takes us through the corridors of power and behind the closed doors where the abuse of that power took place. Devil with the Blue Dress grapples with one of the most challenging questions in American political history: How do we respond to women seeking power, and the men who abuse it?

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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 time to learn. A time to rebel. A time to love. A time to burn. A group of teenagers – silenced and controlled by a censorious society – discovers a new world of feeling and freedom, with beautiful and devastating consequences. Inspired by German playwright Frank Wedekind's once-banned and groundbreaking play from 1891, Spring Awakening tells a story of adolescent anarchy, set to one of the best-loved musical scores of the twenty-first century. Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's musical opened in New York City in 2006, and London in 2009, and won eight Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards, including both prizes for Best New Musical. This new edition of the complete book and lyrics – the first to be published in the UK – features four pages of colour photographs and exclusive bonus material by writers Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and members of the original Broadway and West End casts: Aneurin Barnard, Jonathan Groff, Evelyn Hoskins, Lea Michele and Iwan Rheon. It was published alongside the first London revival at the Almeida Theatre in 2021, directed by Rupert Goold, which won the 2022 Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical. Trade Review'Here it is at last, the answer to one's prayers - a new musical, bursting with ambition and achievement... It's a blast' * Telegraph *'An absolute must-see and by far the best new musical in London for ages' * Whatsonstage.com *'With a ravishing rock score by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, this brave new musical, haunting and electrifying by turns, restores the mystery, the thrill to that shattering transformation that stirs in all our souls, some time around the age of thirteen' * New York Times *'Once in a generation, if we're lucky, an unexpected new musical comes along and changes everything. That is the thrilling achievement of Spring Awakening' * New York Observer *'Filled with powerful and poetic intelligence! The awakening here is not just to sexuality but to musical storytelling' * New Yorker *'A show that bristles with rawness, vitality and urgency. Sater's book and lyrics seem to capture from within the uniquely teenage feeling that every emotion is the most tempestuous, frightening, passionate or exciting one ever experienced' * Variety *'Exquisite... a musical masterpiece... I was blown away by [it]... dark and sophisticated... feels raw and dangerous and honest in a way few musicals really are... pure poetry, a howl of adolescent rage that sings like an angel, a teenage riot that floors you with its beauty' * Time Out *'A tidal wave of surging adolescent hormones... feels powerfully current' * Evening Standard *'An explosion of anarchic energy and pent-up frustration... throbs with passion and ingenuity... thrilling' * iNews *'A triumph, a piercing beam of light into the way that the adult world simultaneously ignores and suppresses young people... the themes of the piece speak with loud contemporary clarity... devastating... punchy and lyrically expressive... a triumphant achievement' * Whatsonstage *'Probably the best thing I've seen this year: it moves me; it chokes me; it thrills me' * British Theatre Guide *

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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 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'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 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 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 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 Synopsis'Where's Robin? Where's Robin? Where's Robin?' In a cottage by the sea, four women live in a house made for five. Meals are prepared, stories are shared and the waves break on the shore. When only one of their two expected guests arrives for the summer, life is about to change for all of them... Cordelia Lynn's Sea Creatures is a haunting play about grief, loss and the power of storytelling. It opened at Hampstead Theatre, London, in March 2023, directed by James Macdonald. Trade Review'Bewitching and otherworldly... a languid meditation on grief, resilience, and the primal forces of creation and destruction' * The Stage *'A rough jewel of a play... an audacious study of family grief and love' * Guardian *'Deeply evocative' * Time Out *'Raw and gripping' * The Upcoming *'Wildly atmospheric and intriguing... leans into fables of the sea and eerie archetypes with powerful poetry... hypnotic, funny and thought-provoking – an exciting new play' * LondonTheatre1 *'Adventurous, witty and given wings by wonderful sights and sounds... marvellous' * Observer *

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