Nick Hern Books

Book SynopsisA disastrous family reunion is the occasion for a sharp and perceptive look at what has happened to 60s idealists and their children. Kristin Miller is an eminent and successful art historian. As a young mother she followed her politics and vocation, storming Parisian barricades and moving to Florence. Her birthday should be a time for celebration but, when her two sons deliver their versions of the past, everyone must confront the cost of Kristin‘s commitment to her passions. Alexi Kaye Campbell's play Apologia premiered at The Bush Theatre, London, in 2009. It was revived at the Trafalgar Studios, London, in 2017, directed by Jamie Lloyd.Trade Review'A fascinating play that tackles, head on, the subject of women, ageing and motherhood… eviscerating and funny' * The Times *'Raw and very funny... confirms Campbell's standing as a fresh and sensitive voice' * Evening Standard *'Sharp, funny, wise and humane, Alexi Kaye Campbell is a writer to cherish' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA powerful, provocative play about international relations and the shifting balance of power between East and West. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play (2014), the Evening Standard Best Play Award (2013), the Critics' Circle Best New Play Award (2014), and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Tiananmen Square, 1989. As tanks roll through Beijing and soldiers hammer on his hotel door, Joe – a young American photojournalist – captures a piece of history. New York, 2012. Joe is covering a presidential election, marred by debate over cheap labour and the outsourcing of American jobs to Chinese factories. When a cryptic message is left in a Beijing newspaper, Joe is driven to discover the truth behind the unknown hero he captured on film. Who was he? What happened to him? And could he still be alive? A gripping political examination and an engaging personal drama, Chimerica examines the changing fortunes of two countries whose futures will shape the whole world. Lucy Kirkwood's play Chimerica was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2013 before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End.Trade Review'Gloriously rich, mind-expanding... if we see a better new play this year, we'll be extremely lucky' * Guardian *'Hurtles along with a mixture of humour, dramatic tension and terrific visual ingenuity... a hugely entertaining and at times deeply affecting play... I cannot recommend it too highly' * Telegraph *'A gripping, multilayered and meticulously researched thriller... like an expansive HBO mini-series expertly compacted into an evening at the theatre... Kirkwood's sharp, incisive dialogue is splendid' * Time Out *'A tremendously bold piece of writing... topical without being gimmicky and well-informed without being showily so... a landmark production' * Evening Standard *'Ambitious, sprawling, morally fascinating, as gripping as a good novel' * The Times *'A taut, complex and nuanced thriller with [an] exhilaratingly ambitious scope' * Exeunt Magazine *'Rich, riveting and theatrically ambitious... fizzing with wit and intelligent ideas... a work of real brilliance' * The Arts Desk *'Absolutely riveting... an important, far-reaching drama' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisSephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love. It is forbidden. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife-edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger. This gripping Romeo and Juliet story by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman is a captivating drama of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world. Sabrina Mahfouz’s stage adaptation first toured the UK in 2019 and won the Excellence in Touring category at the UK Theatre Awards. It was commissioned and presented by Pilot Theatre in co-production with Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury Theatre Colchester and York Theatre Royal.Trade Review'Malorie Blackman's bestseller leaps off the stage in a fine new adaptation' * Observer *'A searing insight into the injustices of the world… Mahfouz's adaptation highlights some deep truths and sharp parallels with the here and now' * The Stage *'A fascinating and disturbing play which forces all of us to re-evaluate our fundamental assumptions about race and power... profoundly life-affirming... an important play with a message for us all' * LondonTheatre1 *

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Book SynopsisA modern classic about one woman's struggle to come to terms with her past. Brutally separated from her German Jewish parents at the age of nine, Eva is brought to England with the promise of a new life... Between 1939 until the outbreak of World War II, nearly 10,000 Jewish children were taken from their families in Nazi-occupied Germany and sent to live with foster families in Britain. Diane Samuels’ seminal play, Kindertransport, imagines the fate of one such child. Now widely considered a modern classic, Kindertransport has been read and studied the world over. Kindertransport won the 1992 Verity Bargate Award and was subsequently staged by the Soho Theatre Company at the Cockpit Theatre in London in 1993. It also won the Meyer-Whitworth Award in 1993. Since its premiere the play has been revived several times. Watford Palace Theatre staged it in 1996, in a production that transferred to the West End. Renowned theatre company Shared Experience also revived the play to great acclaim for a regional tour in 2007. This edition includes several personal memoirs by German-born children whose lives were saved, and transformed, by the Kindertransport. Kindertransport is a SET TEXT for GCSE English Literature (AQA) and AS/A-Level English Literature (WJEC).Trade Review'Desperately harrowing... searing theatre that cuts across a continuum of suffering to the very heart of what unifies us as human' * The Times *'A powerful contribution to Holocaust literature... presented with emotional clarity and intense sympathy' * New Yorker *'Samuels has written the best play about the pain and passion of mother/daughter relationships' * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis‘What doctor know about our illness? Just give you pills to sick you stomach and a doctor certificate. What they know about a black woman soul?’ In North London, Del and Viv are soul-sick. Del doesn’t want to be at home; staying out late – 3 p.m.-the-next-day late – is more her thing. Viv scours her schoolbooks trying to find a trace of herself between their lines. When Enid takes her daughters to the local obeah woman for some traditional Caribbean soul-healing, secrets are spilled. There’s no turning back for Del, Viv and Enid as they negotiate the frictions between their countries and cultures. Two generations. Three incredible women. Winsome Pinnock's play Leave Taking is an epic story of what we leave behind in order to find home. It premiered in 1987, and was revived at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2018, in a production directed by the Bush’s Artistic Director, Madani Younis. Winsome Pinnock has written numerous plays, including Talking in Tongues, for which she won the George Devine and Pearson Best New Play Awards. ‘The godmother of Black British playwrights’ GuardianTrade Review'A devastatingly powerful story of a British-Caribbean family... why Winsome Pinnock's play isn't on the English Literature syllabus is a mystery to me, given its shocking contemporary relevance... this play warms and devastates' * Time Out *'A beautiful, humourous and often impossibly sad portrayal of the immigrant experience... Pinnock's dialogue is a subtle marvel, offering all the poetry and rhythm of the Jamaican accent, where phrases sing with layers of meaning. It is a brilliantly wrought piece of drama' * WhatsOnStage *'An epic story that spans generations and puts the narratives of four formidable women on the centre stage... Leave Taking is an undeniably important addition to our theatrical landscape' * Broadway World *'There are few plays in British theatre that speak so directly, resonantly and truthfully to the experience of the black woman. Winsome Pinnock's first full-length play does this with such profound eloquence – it is rousing to watch… Leave Taking is timely in its politics, yet timeless in its themes' * The Stage *'Three decades since its debut Winsome Pinnock's pioneering portrayal of the lives of black Britons feels shockingly contemporary... Pinnock was a pioneer and her piece still hits home through its often shocking honesty about the hazards facing black people in Britain' * Guardian *

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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 SynopsisLove is challenged by divisive political realities in Harrison David Rivers' play at Soho Theatre, London, in 2025, starring Omari Douglas.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisMike Bartlett's 'future history play' explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain's most famous family. Queen Elizabeth II is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, her son ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? Drawing on the style and structure of a Shakespearean history play, King Charles III opened at London's Almeida Theatre, directed by its Artistic Director Rupert Goold, in April 2014, before transferring to the West End. The play went on to win Best New Play at both the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and the Olivier Awards. It also won the South Bank Sky Arts Theatre Award.Trade Review'Outstanding and provocative… the most spectacular, gripping and wickedly entertaining piece of lèse-majesté that British theatre has ever seen' * Telegraph *'Bold, brilliant and unstoppably entertaining… an intelligent, empathetic, moving look at the power and limitations of the modern monarchy… theatre doesn't get much better than this' * The Times *'Extraordinary… a meaty, hilarious, dizzyingly audacious state of the nation political thriller' * Time Out *'Royally entertaining… raises fascinating questions about the future of the monarchy' * Guardian *'Scintillating and highly ambitious... a brilliant, provocative piece of drama' * Financial Times *'Wonderfully original... Bartlett's brilliant text pulses with Shakespearean resonances... a right royal triumph' * The Stage *'Pitch-perfect… bracingly provocative and outrageously entertaining' * Independent *'Brilliantly ambitious… deliciously smart… [the] script is a witty amalgam of Shakespearean rhythms and sharp modern colloquialisms' * Exeunt Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA short play about death by Caryl Churchill. A funeral party for a man with an adventurous past and a ginger cat that needs a home. Where is he now? Is his heart lighter than a feather? How did he die? And what happens to his friends? Caryl Churchill's play Here We Go was premiered at the National Theatre, London, in November 2015.Trade Review'Provocative and startling… I was mesmerised' * Evening Standard *'Exquisitely atmospheric… [has] a black humour that resonates far off, like the mad laughter of the cosmos' * Time Out *'Many plays confront death. A few deal with the process of dying. Caryl Churchill's new work manages, in 45 minutes, to encompass both. It not only confirms her ability to experiment with dramatic form but, more importantly, acts as a chilling reminder of our own mortality... a striking memento mori for an age without faith' * Observer *'This is unforgettable. You feel as though you've aged a decade as the light gradually fades' * Independent *

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Book Synopsis‘Imagine being him. Every day you wake up. You’re tired. Your body doesn’t work properly… You said it – you’d kill yourself.’ Two teenagers sneak into an old man’s home for a secret meeting. A young couple try to build their future whilst looking after an ailing parent. A care home offers its residents the opportunity to unburden their children. James Fritz's play The Fall takes a funny, moving and candid look at young people’s relationships to older people, confronting the frightening prospect of ageing in a country undergoing crises of housing and care. It was commissioned and premiered by the National Youth Theatre at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2016, and revived at Southwark Playhouse in 2018. Trade Review'Takes a candid look at young people's relationship with their elders, mixing humour with a deeper contemplation of life and death… delicately outspoken writing' * Broadway World *'[A] short, sharp shock of a play... youth theatre at its most mature, and most dazzling' * Guardian *'Perfectly pitched as a play for young actors... sets a new standard for youth theatre' * The Stage *'Intelligent, absorbing... confirms Fritz as a major new voice in British drama' * The Reviews Hub *'It's dreamlike, but gritty at the same time, and gripping... it's a little glimpse of a faintly dystopian future that hits home because it doesn't take things too far... what's impressive about Fritz's writing is that he manages to horrify with his vision of human coldness, and yet it's not propaganda: it recognises that there are no simple statements to be made.' * Exeunt *

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Book SynopsisA new edition of the hugely successful musical by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, published alongside its West End premiere and featuring exclusive content. A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he's always wanted: a chance to belong. Both deeply personal and profoundly contemporary, Dear Evan Hansen is a groundbreaking musical about truth, fiction, and the price we're willing to pay for the possibility to connect. The production opened in Washington DC in 2015, off-Broadway in 2016, and on Broadway later that year, before winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. This official West End edition is published alongside the production's transfer to London's Noël Coward Theatre in 2019. It features the complete book and lyrics of the show, plus exclusive bonus content and colour photographs of the West End production. 'Dear Evan Hansen lodges in your head long after you've seen it or heard it or read it. It feels like a pure expression from young writers at a crossroad of coming to terms with who they are and what they want to say about the world' James Lapine, from his ForewordTrade Review'Quite extraordinary – a musical not like any other' * WhatsOnStage *'A superb, unmissable musical… asks questions about mental health, about connection and isolation among teenagers today, and ends up being as overwhelming and complicated as adolescence itself' * Independent *'Gives voice to the angst of doubt-riddled adolescence… it doesn't just possess musical confidence, it exudes considerable wit and sounds commendably contemporary' * Telegraph *'Powerful, moving… a musical all about connection, anxiety and loneliness that reaches out to the anxious and lonely and tries to make a connection with them' * The Stage *'A breathtaking knockout of a musical' * New York Times *'One of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history' * Washington Post *'This heart-scorching musical about the struggle to connect feels like a hallmark of this particular moment in history. It's an old-school interactive experience in which you show up in person and sit very close to whomever you came with. It's a visceral exchange, one that feels primal and rare' * Time *

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Book SynopsisOn a reality television show, six remarkable - and remarkably young - geniuses are competing for the coveted Golden Brain trophy and the title 'Britain's Brainiest Child'. As the contestants battle it out round after round, the pressure mounts, the spotlight gets harsher, and each is faced with questions they were never expecting. Who will win and who will lose - and what exactly does winning mean anyway? Georgia Christou's Bright. Young. Things. is a funny, fast-paced play about identity, truth and the challenge of finding out who you really are. It is part of Platform, an initiative from Tonic Theatre in partnership with Nick Hern Books. Aimed at achieving greater gender equality in theatre, Platform comprises big-cast plays with predominantly, or all, female casts, written specifically for performance by young actors.Trade Review'There is fun to be had in portraying these quirky characters and some amusing situations, plus the flexible staging leaves a lot of staging decisions to the company... an interesting challenge for any youth group' * British Theatre Guide *'[Offers] strikingly different characters and an effective storyline... a young, brilliant director could do wonders with this' * Broadway World *'A clever piece about identity, parental pressure and the media... has much humour and tremendous energy' * BritishTheatre.com *

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Book Synopsis‘Come, you drunken spirits. Come, you battalions. You fields of ghosts who walk these green plains still. Come, you giants!’ When Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2009, it served notice of an astonishing development in the career of a writer whose debut, Mojo, had premiered on the same stage nearly fifteen years before. Unearthing the mythic roots of contemporary English life, and featuring Mark Rylance in an indelible central performance as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron, the play transferred to the West End and then to Broadway, before returning to the West End in 2011. 'Storming… restores one's faith in the power of theatre' Independent. 'Unarguably one of the best dramas of the twenty-first century' Guardian. Jerusalem was followed by the bewitching chamber play The River (Royal Court, 2012), a 'magnetically eerie, luminously beautiful psychodrama' Time Out. 'A delicately unfolding puzzle… all of it is wrapped in marvellous language… extraordinary' The Times. This volume concludes with the multi-award-winning The Ferryman (Royal Court and West End, 2017; Broadway, 2018), an excavation of lives shattered by violence, set in a farmhouse in Northern Ireland in 1981. 'A richly absorbing and emotionally abundant play… an instant classic' Independent. 'A magnificent play that uses, brilliantly, the vitality of live theatre to express the deadly legacy of violence' Financial Times. Also included here is the screenplay for the short film The Clear Road Ahead (2011), published here for the first time, and an edited transcript of a conversation between Butterworth and the playwright Simon Stephens.

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Book SynopsisA dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, part of the bestselling Drama Games series, offering 80 games and exercises to explore the fundamental concepts of clowning and physical comedy, encourage playfulness, curiosity and collaboration, and help develop performance material.

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Book SynopsisA practical investigation of how comedy works, by a well-respected practitioner and teacher. With a Foreword by Toby Jones. Comedy is recognised as one of the most problematic areas of performances. For that reason, it is rarely written about in any systematic way. John Wright, founder of Trestle Theatre and Told by an Idiot, brings a wide range of experience of physical comedy to this unique exploration of comedy and comedic techniques. The book opens with an analysis of the different kinds of laughter that can be provoked by performance. This is followed by the main part of the book: games and exercises devised to demonstrate and investigate the whole range of comic possibilities open to a performer. Why Is That So Funny? is an invaluable book for teachers and performers, and a fascinating read for anyone interested in how comedy works.Trade Review'A welcome relief from the flood of performance studies theory, being firmly based in a lifetime of practice ... a must for any budding physical comedy performers - and an inspiration for everyone who treads the boards, whether they think of themselves as 'comedic' or not' * Total Theatre Magazine *'John Wright's magnum opus... a real labour of love and it is hard to believe that there is any aspect of the subject that he does not explore and explain... essential' * British Theatre Guide *Table of ContentsAbout Laughter The Gentle Art of Playfulness (Play; Complicity; Theatre as Game) Messing About with Meaning (States of Tension; Rhythm; Timing; Making Choices and Shaping Action) The Gentle Art of Idiocy (Simple Clown; Pathetic Clown; Tragic Clown) The Gentle Art of Ridicule (Parody; Pastiche; Caricature; Burlesque; Buffoon)

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Book SynopsisA complex and intense portrait of the mechanics of a family - and a marriage - through the eyes of four siblings struggling to define themselves beyond their parents' love and expectations. Bob and Fran have worked hard to give their four children the opportunities they never had. Now, with the kids ready to make lives of their own, it's time to sit back and smell the roses. But the change of the seasons reveals some shattering truths, leaving us asking whether it's possible to love too much. Andrew Bovell's beautifully touching, funny and bold play Things I Know To Be True was premiered in Adelaide, Australia, as a co-production between Frantic Assembly and the State Theatre Company of South Australia. It received its British premiere in 2016, co-produced with Warwick Arts Centre in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith.Trade Review'Both down to earth and gently magical. It's the sort of uniquely theatrical evening that might just convert those suspicious that theatre doesn't speak to them' The Times; 'An understated gem of a play... [its] searing honesty about family relationships stays with you long after the curtain falls' Radio Times; 'A thing of beauty... Bovell offers us a portrait of family life in all its gory reality - and it is an absolute gem... so exquisitely observed it makes you wince' Telegraph; 'A mix of warm humanity and sadness... there's an intelligent attentiveness to the little details of domesticity, some sour and others honeyed' Evening Standard 'A beautiful and painfully perceptive family portrait... genuinely haunting and fervently recommended' Independent; 'Beautiful and devastating... a powerful look at the coexistence of narcissism and unconditional love in family life' The Stage;'Exquisitely articulate... a drama that explores big ideas through an almost unbearable intimacy' The Arts Desk; 'Bovell's hypnotic, poetic use of language and his unusual plotting structure... are piercingly beautiful' Arts Hub Australia

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Book SynopsisA classic of 20th-century theatre, Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden ran for a year in the West End, was a hit on Broadway and was filmed by Roman Polanski starring Ben Kingsley and Sigourney Weaver. A woman seeks revenge when the man she believes to have been her torturer happens to re-enter her life. Death and the Maiden was given a first reading at the Institute for Contemporary Art in London in November 1990. After a workshop production staged in Santiago, Chile, in March 1991, the play had its world premiere at the Royal Court Upstairs, London, in July 1991, transferring to the Main Stage at the Royal Court in October. The play then transferred to the West End, at the Duke of York's Theatre, in February 1992. Death and the Maiden won the 1992 Olivier Award for Best New Play.Trade Review'A play for today, for the age of revenge, when dictatorships crumble right and left and the victims, the living dead, emerge from the shadows and present their accounts...' * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA fresh interpretation of George Orwell's classic story ofrebellion and treachery, first performed by the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

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Book Synopsis'It's kind of a ritual, we speak the truth. Then, let go and cook.' In the bustling kitchen of a run-down Pennsylvania truck stop, the formerly incarcerated staff have been given a second chance. Under the tyrannical eye of their boss Clyde, this unlikely team strives to create the perfect sandwich, as they dream of leaving their past mistakes behind for a better life. Lynn Nottage's hilarious and hopeful play Clyde's premiered in 2021 at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, becoming the most-produced play in the United States the following year. It received its European premiere at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2023, directed by Lynette Linton, who also directed the British premiere of Nottage's play Sweat at the Donmar. 'Lynn Nottage is remarkable and uniquely exhilarating' Washington Post 'Is there a better living American playwright than Lynn Nottage?' The Wall Street JournalTrade Review'A glorious, humane and penetrating comedy... uproarious fun with a serious undertow... like cult TV hit The Bear, but better' * Evening Standard *'Sublime... Lynn Nottage's mouthwatering play is a dish to be savoured' * Guardian *'Gritty but gorgeous... a vivid, life-enhancing play, full of heart, hope and humour... There are few finer writers working in contemporary American theatre than Lynn Nottage' * WhatsOnStage *'A laugh-out-loud comedy that has much to say about life beyond prison and the class circumstances that led to incarceration in the first place' * The Stage *'A mouthwatering kitchen drama from one of America's finest... Lynn Nottage's blisteringly funny play will leave you drooling' * Telegraph *'A great play... blue collar grit meets sitcom humour... a joyful feast' * The Times *'Stirs the soul with heart-wrenching intimacy' * Broadway World *'Riotously funny, peopled by characters you come to deeply care for, and skilfully constructed to keep you hooked' * Culture Whisper *'A little gem... a wonderful evocation of human hope, endeavour and creativity' * TheatreCat *

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Book SynopsisAn entrancing stage play about fate, family and unseen forces in 1980s Ireland. First performed at The Old Vic, London, in 2025.

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Book SynopsisIt's Bobbie's thirty-fifth birthday party, and all her friends are wondering why she isn't married. Why can't she find the right man, settle down and start a family? A breakthrough on Broadway in 1970, Company is Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's legendary musical comedy about life, love and loneliness, featuring some of Sondheim's most iconic songs including 'Company', 'You Could Drive a Person Crazy', 'The Ladies Who Lunch', 'Side by Side' and 'Being Alive'. The acclaimed West End revival in 2018 was conceived and directed by award-winning director Marianne Elliott and produced by Elliott & Harper Productions. Reimagining the musical by switching the gender of several characters, including the protagonist Bobbie, played by Rosalie Craig, the production also starred Patti LuPone, Mel Giedroyc and Jonathan Bailey. It won the Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical at the 2018 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. This edition features the complete revised book and lyrics for the production, colour production photographs, and an introduction by Sondheim's biographer David Benedict.Trade Review'A magic mixture of New York grit and Broadway heart... the text stands alone as a razor-sharp piece of art - and a hugely significant musical renaissance… [this edition includes] a superb introduction by David Benedict... Company jumps off the page from the word go. It's a delight to read' * Broadway World *'An astonishing reinvention of a classic musical' * The Stage *'This is more than a revival: it is a remaking' * Observer *'A sublime cocktail of an entertainment… Sensational. Theatrical magic' * Daily Telegraph *'A game changer. I can't remember ever laughing more at a musical' * i *'Thrillingly inventive' * WhatsOnStage *

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Book SynopsisA top-ranking director sets out his rehearsal techniques in this invaluable handbook for actors and directors. Mike Alfreds' Different Every Night is the culmination of a lifetime of work in the theatre, the most complete rehearsal methodology in print since Stanislavsky. It offers a vital masterclass for actors and directors, full of sound practical advice and guidance, and is packed with techniques for bringing the text to life and keeping it alive - both in rehearsal and performance. 'Most of what I am as an actress I owe to Mike Alfreds. He gave me the language and the tools I needed for my craft' Pam Ferris, from her Foreword 'If I was allowed to train again to be an actor, but I was only allowed one teacher, it would have to be Mike Alfreds. To me he is a genius when it comes to acting and storytelling' Mark RylanceTrade Review'An illuminating and inspiring book... based in rich experience and acute observation of actors at work (and play)... essential reading for actors and directors' * Rogues & Vagabonds *

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Book SynopsisA practical, accessible and inspiring guide to using puppetry in theatre - the perfect entry point for anyone looking to use puppets in their productions, to explore what puppets can do, or to develop their puppetry skills. Written by an experienced theatre and puppetry director, Puppetry: How to Do It focuses on the performer and the craft of bringing any puppet to life. No puppet-making is required to use this book: starting just with simple objects, it lays out the skills required to unlock a puppet's limitless potential for expression and connection with an audience. Inside you'll discover fifty practical, easy-to-follow exercises - for use in a group or on your own - to develop elements of the craft, build confidence and help you improve your puppetry through play and improvisation. Also included are sections on different types of puppet, thinking about how the puppeteer is presented on stage and how to direct and devise puppet performances Ideal for actors and performers, for directors and designers, and for teachers and students of all ages and levels of experience, this book will demystify the art of puppetry, and help you become more confident and creative with all kinds of puppets and objects on stage. 'Based on the workshops he developed for training performers for War Horse, Mervyn has written this book to share his craft... the exercises are clear and easily reproducible for many different types of participants... a wonderful gift to the field of puppetry. I hope that it will be used widely to introduce adventurous spirits to this dynamic art form.' Cheryl Henson, President of the Jim Henson Foundation, from her Foreword.Trade Review'Brilliantly demystifies the art of puppetry and places the development of the performer at its heart… a clear, accessible and playful guide… the exercises are so well-constructed that you will immediately want to test them out' * Drama Magazine *'A treasure trove of practical advice and insights into puppetry, suitable for people at all levels… with its clear, engaging style, this book will add a new dimension to drama classes, enabling teachers to build on students' existing skills and develop new ones in a fresh, innovative way' * Teaching Drama *'An invaluable resource… Millar's obvious enthusiasm for puppetry leaps off the page and could convert even the most ardent puppet skeptic of the value of the art form. It's an absolute must for anyone with even the slightest interest in taking up puppetry - or even teaching it themselves' * Broadway World *

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Book SynopsisDrama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price García Lorca's passionate, lyrical tale of longing and revenge: a twentieth century masterpiece. Translated from the Spanish and introduced by one of Scotland's finest playwrights, Jo Clifford.

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Book SynopsisAn essential resource for anyone studying Princess & The Hustler by Chinonyerem Odimba for GCSE English Literature – featuring a complete guide to the text, plus sample questions and answers to help you prepare for assessment. Get to grips with Princess & The Hustler with expert, easy-to-follow breakdowns and analyses of key aspects of the play – including the characters, plot, structure, themes, setting and language – along with a clear explanation of the historical context. This guide also contains prompts for further reflection and research, to help you get the most out of your study and revision, whether at home or in the classroom. Featuring insights from playwright Chinonyerem Odimba, colour photographs of the original production, and extensive quotes and extracts from the text, this GCSE Study Guide will strengthen your understanding, build your confidence and boost your chances of success. It is also an invaluable resource for teachers approaching the play.

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Book SynopsisTessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. But an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law, where the burden of proof and morality diverge. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is an award-winning play for a solo actor, taking us deep into a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game. After several acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama, the play received its European premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in April 2022. It starred Jodie Comer, the Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of TV's Killing Eve, making her West End debut.Trade ReviewA damning portrait of justice denied women… teems with rich nuance, testing sympathies… like a punch to the guts. --Telegraph; Suzie Miller's play is an outstanding piece of theatre that has a phenomenal impact. --Reviews Hub; An impassioned play about an important subject... blazing. --Time Out; Suzie Miller’s script is shrewd and economical in its analysis of how the system treats assault survivors... timely and timeless. -- Evening Standard; A Striking drama... Suzie Miller's text is pacy and punchy. --Independent; A polemical monologue that makes its point in style.... the cumulative effect is quite something. --The Times; A searing, intense indictment of the ways the legal system perpetuates the patriarchal order that has created it in the first place… The relevance of this unsettling drama for our present moment of #MeToo is obvious… joins the ranks of such works as Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You and Nina Raine’s Consent… What we come to know is certainly disturbing, but, as in all great theatre, it strikes one as a true privilege to have made the journey --The Arts Desk

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Book Synopsis'I saved lives and I got rewarded and I'm bloody well not going to apologise for it.' Sir Neil Marriot had a 'good pandemic', becoming familiar to millions from his TV appearances as a government medical advisor. His service even earned him a knighthood, and he is now rewarding himself with a lavish birthday party. But, amidst the oak panelling, the champagne and the silver service, his family are at one another's throats again, and he thinks there's something familiar – and somehow unsettling – about one of the catering staff... The Snail House is a play about how the past impacts on the present, and how overconfidence can have disastrous consequences. Written and directed by Richard Eyre, it premiered at Hampstead Theatre, London, in September 2022.Trade Review'A classic family drama... written and directed with unimpeachable skill' * WhatsOnStage *'Well-crafted' * The Times *'An honourable, polished play with a fine grip on the contemporary moment' * Observer *

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Book Synopsis'Only what is open and searching is active and alive. You, the actor, must learn to find security in insecurity, certainty in uncertainty, to trust that this will lead to discovery and growth.' In What Actors Do, revered theatre director Mike Alfreds explores the wellspring of the actor's craft, tracing a pathway to creative freedom through the thickets of competing methodologies and confusing paradoxes that you will face throughout your training and career. How do you give life to a character that both is and isn't yourself? How can you be childlike and open in your work without becoming childish? How, when you know what's coming next, can you still be spontaneous? Frank, uncompromising and full of sharply focused insights, this book will help you strip away the inhibitions and habitual thinking that can shackle our imaginations. It will show you how to generate truthful performances by trusting your inner creativity and remaining radically open, responsive and present in every moment. Mike Alfreds has been directing plays for more than seventy years. In the 1970s he founded Shared Experience, and has since worked for the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and also extensively abroad. He is hugely respected within the profession, and is the author of two previous books, Different Every Night and Then What Happens? 'If I was allowed to train again to be an actor, but I was only allowed one teacher, it would have to be Mike Alfreds. To me he is a genius when it comes to acting and storytelling' Mark Rylance

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Book SynopsisWhen orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. Left to make her own entertainment, Mary stumbles upon a garden, overgrown and locked for years. A forbidden garden. Finding her way inside, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary begins to feel a connection to the house and its inhabitants. Then, one night, in one of the house's many rooms, she hears the sound of crying... Frances Hodgson Burnett's delightful and enduring tale celebrates the power of transformation and healing through nature. Elizabeth Newman's magical adaptation was premiered at Pitlochry Festival Theatre's open-air amphitheatre in 2023, where Newman is Artistic Director. This version will appeal to other professional and amateur companies looking for a much-loved classic that can be easily staged in theatres, outdoor venues – and gardens.Trade Review'An enriching, affirmative show, steeped in gentle wonder' * The Stage *'A near-perfect summer theatre experience for children... The Secret Garden is fast emerging as a key children's story for our time: a profound legend about how human beings need the natural world and its energy to survive and thrive... Newman's adaptation glows from its opening moments with love for, and understanding of, the basic dynamics of Hodgson Burnett's bold narrative... a beautiful show' * The Scotsman *'Enrapturing... a tremendous fervour of pace... simply gorgeous... a thing of beauty' * Reviews Hub *'Retains all the essentials of the original novel but brings in the whole thing at around 90 minutes, including an interval. It's appealingly crisp, which is helpful for the younger members of the audience, and it doesn't shun the novel's all-important use of Yorkshire dialect... a play that retains its own distinctive sense of charm' * WhatsOnStage *'The perfect show for all the family... delights at every turn... a salve to the soul for grown ups in these troubled times and even better, the children in the audience clearly loved it' * Broadway Baby *'A wonderful adaptation with a sense of magic throughout... A very inviting project for any drama or theatre department or company. "Flexible" really is the key word with this adaptation as it is a play that could work with a range of age groups... It could make for a wonderful open air summer production or one where the outdoors could be brought in. A great addition to any collection' * Drama & Theatre Magazine *

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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 SynopsisSomeone sneezes. Someone can't get a signal. Someone shares a secret. Someone won't answer the door. Someone put an elephant on the stairs. Someone's not ready to talk. Someone is her brother's mother. Someone hates irrational numbers. Someone told the police. Someone got a message from the traffic light. Someone's never felt like this before. In this fast moving kaleidoscope, more than a hundred characters try to make sense of what they know. Caryl Churchill's play Love and Information was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2012.Trade Review'This exhilarating theatrical kaleidoscope... What is extraordinary about Churchill is her capacity as a dramatist to go on reinventing the wheel' * Guardian *'A myriad of short scenes, a plethora of ideas, a large cast, a script of unallocated lines (with an appendix of "random" alternatives), a comedy of communication, a drama of depression, a modern manual of sex, memory and schizophrenia. I'm not quite sure how it happens, but every time Caryl Churchill writes a play, she breaks the mould' * Whatsonstage.com *'In the fast-moving traffic of life there are still quiet moments of beauty, heart wrenching sorrow, joy, and profound epiphanies... (The) succinct and thought-provoking script... speaks volumes about the fast turnover of modern life. Five Stars' * Huffington Post *'A wonderful web of complex emotions, memories, secrets and facts' * A Younger Theatre *'The wit, invention and structural ingenuity of Churchill's work are remarkable...she never does anything twice' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA practical guide to creating successful immersive theatre productions, by an experienced theatre-maker and practitioner. Placing the audience at the heart of a production – not as passive bystanders but as active participants – is the impetus behind the hugely varied work of leading immersive theatre companies such as Punchdrunk, OneOhOne and Hobo Theatre. Done well, it can generate powerful, gut-level emotional effects that will long outlast the production itself. Creating Worlds offers a step-by-step breakdown of the entire journey towards making an immersive theatre production, and covers everything you need to consider, including: Deciding what kind of production you want to make, and the ‘mission statement’ for your piece Understanding and anticipating audience behaviour Planning and influencing journeys through the space Balancing interaction with narrative Giving your audience an active role, and navigating the thin line between free will and uncontrolled chaos Managing complex rehearsals, and preparing your cast for the unexpected Extending the audience experience outside of the performance Generating innovative ideas and tactics for marketing your production Throughout the book, Jason Warren draws on his own experiences of creating immersive theatre work in a variety of styles and settings. Also included is a glossary of key terms, and a schedule to help you make the most of your rehearsal period. An essential how-to guide for theatre-makers, artists, students and teachers who want to create their own immersive theatre, Creating Worlds is also a fascinating read for those interested in the inspirations and ideas that fuel the performances they love. ‘The joy of working in this field is that there is so much left to discover… my aim with this book is to help you craft your own beliefs on what makes good immersive theatre – and to create responsive and rich worlds of your own.’ Jason WarrenTrade Review'This book is very much an encourager and enabler of ideas... Jason Warren's writing style is clear, full of vim and often with a light sense of humour. He brilliantly explores and categories the various elements that go into making many forms of immersive work... incredibly useful both for practitioners new to immersive work but also for those who have staged such work in the past... a fantastically insightful and clear exploration of the mechanics of immersive performance and one which bears repeat reading before and during a making process' * Drama Magazine *'A valuable guide… the advice given is judicious and constructive' * Word Matters - Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama *'Jason Warren's exceptional introduction to the world of immersive theatre creation is an essential starting point. This book is a must have for any drama library… a brilliant guidebook that simplifies terminology for students and makes the impossible seem possible' * Teaching Drama Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA bold and exciting new approach to Bertolt Brecht, making his theories and ideas about theatre accessible to a new generation of actors, directors, students and theatre-makers, and showing how they can be put into practice. Theatre practitioner and academic David Zoob demystifies Brecht’s theories, and offers an approach to study and performance that can be applied to a wide range of texts and theatre styles. With close analysis of texts by writers including Shakespeare, Chekhov, Miller, Pinter, and of course Brecht himself, the author demonstrates how Brechtian techniques can provide practical pathways to exploring plays across the canon, as well as non-traditional forms of theatre. Also included are dozens of exercises to help turn theory into practice, and explore what Brecht’s ideas mean for actors and directors, both in training and rehearsal. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, an actor or a theatre-maker, this book will change the way you view and work with Brecht. `Zoob has engaged with Brecht’s many and varied principles for a politicised theatre and channelled them into a wide range of novel and innovative exercises that are applicable to a great many dramas and can equally interrogate devised material… Excellent ’ --David Barnett, Professor of Theatre, University of York, and author of Brecht in PracticeTrade Review'Brilliant… a fresh, energised approach [with] comprehensive exercises, playful games, script interpretations and plentiful opportunities for learning' * Drama Magazine *'Where David Zoob makes his mark is in demystifying the terminology and the practice, turning the unintelligible into the practical and allowing readers to gain a really good and deep understanding of what Brecht was trying to achieve and how his ideas can be applied to theatrical performances today… such is the breadth of Zoob's knowledge that anyone wishing to gain a greater understanding of acting and/or directing would do well to pick up a copy since they are just about guaranteed to learn something that will help them to work more effectively in future' * British Theatre Guide *'Demystifies Brecht in a straight-talking, deeply informed way… a fresh, energised approach' * Teaching Drama *

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Book SynopsisAward winning playwright Chris Bush reimagines the Faust myth to explore what we must sacrifice to achieve greatness, and the legacy that we leave behind. Faustus: That Damned Woman is a radical new work in which the iconic character of Faustus becomes a woman who makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to traverse centuries and change the course of history. It is premiered at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in January 2020, in a co production with Headlong and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, prior to a UK tour. An epic, ambitious, gothic, baroque fever dream of a piece that takes a well known classic and inverts it to say something truthful about the contemporary female experience.Trade Review'Original, ambitious and fantastically revisionist' * Guardian *'With a ruggedly lyrical style, the writing echoes and counterpoints Marlowe's original play but Bush takes the story in exciting new directions... lively and engaging, peppered with humour... an entertaining, lucid piece of storytelling which bursts with ideas and speculation' * BritishTheatre.com *'A re-examination of the most famous pact in world literature from a female slant… rich with ideas... Bush's writing abounds with flair and rhythm' * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisTwo plays by award-winning playwright Marie Jones: the smash hit Stones in His Pockets, which ran for four years in London's West End; and an earlier monologue, A Night in November, exploring the subjects of football and sectarianism, set during the 1994 World Cup. Stones in His Pockets is a comedy with a poignant undercurrent, about a small rural town in Ireland where a Hollywood epic is being filmed. The story centres on Charlie Conlon and Jake Quinn, who, like much of the town, are employed as extras for the filming. After a tragic incident concerning a local teenager, Charlie and Jake assume responsibility for giving an account of events, taking on all the roles themselves. A two-hander that delights in exploring the limits of comedy and theatricality, and the collision of romanticised notions of 'Irishness' and the harsher reality, Stones in His Pockets has delighted audiences around the world. Marie Jones's play was first staged at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast in June 1999 before opening at the Tricycle Theatre, London, in August 1999. It transferred to the New Ambassadors Theatre, London, in May 2000. Stones in His Pockets won the 2001 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. A Night in November is a one-man show following Kenneth McCallister, family man and Ulsterman, on the fateful night in November in Belfast when the Republic of Ireland qualifies against Northern Ireland for the World Cup, and Kenneth finds himself watching the sectarian hatred of the crowd rather than the football. A Night in November was first performed at The West Belfast Festival, Whiterock, Belfast, in August 1994, then toured extensively throughout Ireland, and was also seen in New York. It was staged in London at the Tricycle Theatre in March 1995.Trade Review'[Stones in His Pockets is] a delightful piece... often richly funny' * Daily Telegraph *'[Stones in His Pockets is] an unalloyed source of joy, laughter, tears and delight... Marie Jones's script digs deep and dark while giving us two hours of serious pleasure' * Daily Mail *'[In Stones in His Pockets,] Jones builds an astonishingly complete, acute, funny and humane picture - a complete theatrical tour de force - hilarious, loveable and at times even breathtaking' * Scotsman *'[Stones in His Pockets] is clearly magical, dealing as it does with myths, memories, class and sex, with two actors who create a whole world on stage. The play itself not only sends up the delirious fantasy of film, it becomes a moving and heartfelt tribute to the imaginative power of live performance' * Guardian *'If there is a more cleverly constructed, enterprisingly acted play [than Stones in His Pockets] on offer in London right now, I cannot think of it' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisHarriet Walter's wonderfully practical - and personal - introduction to acting. 'Acting is what I do with who I am', writes Harriet Walter. And in this book she takes us step by step through the processes involved in performance. Each step of the way is illuminated with brilliantly precise examples from her own career. So we are introduced to the Workshop, the Rehearsal, and the Roots and Pathways into a role. Then follows the main meat of the book: six Keys to the Development and Exploration of character. The closing section deals with Performance on stage and screen. Every insight, every suggestion is firmly rooted in the author's own experience. Harriet Walter's book is full of unparalleled insights into the everyday working life of an actor, and into quite how much hard work is needed before they can convincingly put themselves in other people's shoes. 'My advice to a young actor: read this book' Richard EyreTrade Review'Buy it, and be delightfully and unhectoringly informed about exactly what it is that actors get up to and why... Harriet Walter is sharp, clear, elegant, sturdily sensitive' * Observer *'A fascinating insight into the working life of an actor... very enjoyable' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisBruno has a friend called Shmuel. Like Bruno, Shmuel is nine years old. Their birthdays are on the same day. But Shmuel lives on the other side of a fence, and he's always wearing striped pyjamas... Based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a heart-wrenching tale of an unlikely friendship between two innocent boys. Angus Jackson's deeply affecting adaptation was produced by The Children's Touring Partnership and Chichester Festival Theatre on a UK tour in 2015.Trade Review'Heart-breaking... A marvelous piece of theatre' * The Public Reviews *'Parents and teachers looking for a good way of introducing children to the horrors of the holocaust will find what they need in this adaptation of John Boyne's multimillion-selling novel' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisLynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel is a multi-award-winning play about the empowerment of a black seamstress in New York City in 1905. Esther sews exquisite lingerie for clients who range from wealthy white patrons to prostitutes. She has saved enough to allow her to dream of one day opening a beauty salon for black women, and at thirty-five years old, longs for a husband and a future. When she begins to receive beautiful letters from a lonesome Caribbean man who is working on the Panama Canal, it looks like life may be about to take a different course. Intimate Apparel was first produced by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, and Centerstage in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2003, winning the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play and the American Theatre Critics/Steinberg New Play Award. It received its UK premiere at the Theatre Royal Bath in 2014 before transferring to Park Theatre, London, the same year.Trade Review'Marvellous... quietly subversive, its recovery of lost lives makes this a defining piece of American drama' * Observer *'Finely wrought... [a] play tinged with love, warmth and lightness' * WhatsOnStage *'Tender, illuminating... this warm, rich, complex tale will stay in the memory for a long time to come' * The Times *'An exceptionally gifted playwright' * New York Times *'A thing of beauty' * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating meditation on human cloning, personal identity and the conflicting claims of nature and nurture. Bernard thought he was an only child. One day he learns the shocking truth: he is just one of a number of clones. Together, he and his father confront epic questions of identity, intimacy and belonging. Caryl Churchill's play A Number pushes the boundaries of science and ethics with an astonishing twist on the dynamics of the father/son relationship. It was originally produced at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2002, winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. Set Text: A Number is a set text for AS/A-Level Drama (WJEC) A Number is also available in the volume Caryl Churchill Plays: Four.Trade Review'A Number confirms Churchill's status as the first dramatist of the 21st century. On the face of it, it is about human cloning... Like all Churchill's best plays, A Number deals with both the essentials and the extremities of human experience... The questions this brilliant, harrowing play asks are almost unanswerable, which is why they must be asked' Sunday Times 'Caryl Churchill's magnificent new play only lasts an hour but contains more drama , and more ideas, than most writers manage in a dozen full-length works' Daily Telegraph 'Caryl Churchill never stands still. After the dystopian nightmare of Far Away, she now comes up with a challenging new form of moral inquiry. And the key question she ask in this play is from what the essential core of self derives: from nature or nurture, genetic inheritance or environmental circumstance?' Guardian

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