Plays, playscripts, drama

Book SynopsisA dark and twisted coming-of-age story by the Bruntwood Prize-winning author of Yen. Hendrix is growing up. Or at least he's trying to. He's sick of his mother and her constant preaching on the virtues of an organic lifestyle. And he's sick of her girlfriend, a twentysomething stunner who winds him up relentlessly. But most of all he's sick of the bullies at school, who think if his mum is gay then he must be too. In a desperate attempt to prove his masculinity, Hendrix enters a very adult world - but gets more than he bargained for. He meets Luminita, a young girl enslaved in an unbearable life, and their secret friendship grows in snatched moments in a room above a chicken shop. Anna Jordan's play Chicken Shop premiered at the Park Theatre, London, in September 2014.Trade Review'A fine piece of challenging theatre' * WhatsOnStage *'Utterly convincing... crackle[s] with menace... [Anna Jordan is] a talented and deeply compassionate new writer' * Time Out *'Playwright Anna Jordan is the coming thing' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisKevin Elyot’s Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning comedy, My Night with Reg, defined a moment in the lives of gay men and became an instant classic on its premiere at the Royal Court and in the West End. At Guy’s London flat, friends old and new gather to party through the night. This is the summer of 1985, and for Guy and his circle the world is about to change forever. Deliciously funny and bittersweet, Kevin Elyot’s play captures the fragility of friendship, happiness and life itself. My Night With Reg first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1994, and went on to win the Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Comedy. This new edition was published alongside the first major revival of the play at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2014, directed by Robert Hastie. It includes introductions by Hastie, Roger Michell, who directed the premiere, and the Booker Prize-winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst.Trade Review'A modern classic… wickedly funny as well as deeply affecting' * Telegraph *'A play of genius... sublimely moving, genuinely funny and exquisitely observed' * Daily Mail *'Beautifully funny and achingly sad… what keeps the play from feeling like a period piece, irrespective of the advances in our understanding of HIV/AIDS, is its enduring grasp of human nature' * Time Out *'An instant classic… a lovely, touching play about old friendships and sudden liaisons' * WhatsOnStage *'Sad, funny… a beautifully observant study of friendship, longing and betrayal' * Evening Standard *'Often desperately sad, it always glows with compassion and is brimming with effervescent humour' * The Arts Desk *'Laughter with a killer punchline' * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisCrocodiles brings to life a dystopian, modern-fairytale town where fact and fiction weave as tightly and snag as easily as granny's knitting. In a sleepy seaside town, Cornelia Glass is busy spinning yarn. Witches are burnt in the town centre. Crocodiles lurk in the shallows. Boys who go to the big city are skinned alive by roving tramps. Cornelia's oldest son, Rudolph, is being forced to give up his Punch and Judy show. Matilda, his wife, is secretly writing her first romantic novel. Their daughter, Lucy, can tell the future. But when Cornelia's younger son, Vincent, returns from his glitzy television job in the big city, the stories that once held the Glass family together are in danger of smashing them to smithereens. Lee Mattinson's Crocodiles was runner-up for the 2011 Verity Bargate Award, and premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in October 2014.Trade Review'Dark, funny and off the wall' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'We live in an age of cuts. We are a working-class town, that’s our strength – and in the current climate, our weakness.' An urgent political play from the writer behind Let The Right One In and This is England ’86. Hope is a funny and scathing fable attacking the squeeze on local government. How do you save twenty-two million pounds? Mark and Hilary, the leaders of the Council, are about to find out. Jack Thorne's play Hope premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in November 2014.Trade Review'Valuable and timely... a sunburst of optimism'' * Daily Telegraph *'A surprisingly entertaining state-of-the-nation drama' * The Stage *'Mischievous without being strident, combining pensiveness and wry humour' * Evening Standard *'Sharp yet generous-spirited... [Hope] earns its final glow of optimism by being a critical, hard-edged play that is not a cynical one... it's rather beautiful' * The Times *'Jack Thorne's play about local authority cuts could not be more timely: what is equally important is that it entertains even as it offers a call to arms... [Hope] is part of a valuable tradition in combining the residual optimism of David Hare with the preoccupation with process of David Edgar. But it exists on its own terms and is particularly good on edgy personal relationships... it resonantly lives up to its title' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMelissa Bubnic's Beached is a darkly funny comedy about modern freak shows, love and cream buns. Loads of cream buns. Arty is the world's fattest teenager. At sixty-seven stone, he is a young man literally going nowhere.
 All that is set to change when a reality TV crew moves in to ruthlessly document Arty's supposed transformation from bedridden walrus to trousered sophisticate. But with the cameras rolling, something totally unexpected happens – Arty falls in love. Beached had its British premiere at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, in 2014 before transferring to Soho Theatre, London. It won the 2010 Patrick White Playwrights Award at the Sydney Writers' Festival.Trade Review'Funny but thoughtful... a moving and sensitive exploration of extreme obesity' * The Stage *'Touching and sensitive... a satisfyingly chewy four-hander' * Evening Standard *'A very funny, recognisable and hugely entertaining play' * Daily Telegraph Australia *'A well-crafted play that gets to the heart of human weakness and exposes the vulnerable' * Sydney Arts Guide *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping, kaleidoscopic drama about a clash of values in multicultural Britain, from actor and playwright John Hollingworth. Bradford. On the eve of a Conservative Party Conference the country is in turmoil and one of its most multicultural cities awaits a visit from the Prime Minister. Kash, a liberal British Muslim, prepares his address to politicians about the state of the nation. His girlfriend Natalie, a recent convert to Islam, cooks for anti-war protesters gathered at the Town Hall. Lyn, her mother, moans to anyone who’ll listen about the decline of her cherished England. It’s all too much for Kash’s daughter Qadira, who begins to plan a radical intervention. As the nation questions immigration policies and military support in the Middle East, one family face their own internal conflict of faith, belonging, and who gets to call themselves British. Multitudes, John Hollingworth’s debut play, premiered at the Tricycle Theatre, London, in 2015.Trade Review'One of the best new plays I've seen this year... you could teach the most fantastic sixth-form lesson out of this play because it's about what it means to assimilate... it's one of the clearest accounts I've ever seen of the anger someone can feel if they've suffered racism, ostracism, in Britain.' -- Mark Lawson * Radio 2 Arts Show *'As urgent and immediate as the morning headlines... a necessary play guaranteed to stoke argument and debate' * Guardian *'A passionate, often deeply emotional, charge pulses through the story... this really is a play for today' * The Arts Desk *'Written with wit and an appealing lightness of touch... consistently smart, insightful, and relevant' * Time Out *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wife, a muse, a coward, a heretic. Hedda Gabler is something to everyone, yet has no idea who she is to herself. Trapped by convention and by her own irreconcilable nature, will she have the courage to shape her own destiny? Mark O'Rowe's fluid yet faithful adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece Hedda Gabler was premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in April 2015.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA deeply provocative thriller set in a blighted landscape where nature is fiercely taking its course, Deluge is a gripping drama from the Papatango Prize-winning author of Coolatully. There's something uncanny going on at Joe and Kitty's farm. Precious feed is mysteriously disappearing from the hay shed and prized livestock is being slaughtered at night whilst sinister shadows lurk in the darkness. With fodder running out and no money left, Joe and Kitty, like their desperate neighbours, will stop at nothing to protect themselves and their cherished land. But at what cost? Fiona Doyle's play Deluge won the 2014 Eamon Keane Full-Length Play Award, and was premiered at Hampstead Downstairs, London, in April 2015.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA funny and passionate play from the author of The Pride and The Faith Machine. April 1967. Greece is in political turmoil. Charlotte and Theo have retreated to a small island in search of peace and inspiration. But when they meet a charismatic American couple at the port they are seduced into making choices with devastating consequences. Alexi Kaye Campbell's play Sunset at the Villa Thalia spans a decade as it explores the impact of foreign influence, planned and unintentional, on a nation and its people. It premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2016, in a production directed by Simon Godwin.Trade Review'Beautifully resonant... a convincing mix of social comedy and Greek tragedy' * The Arts Desk *'A winner, a slow-burn story that works on many levels' * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs violence sweeps the city, a couple escape to an isolated Nordic research facility. On the brink of discovering a cure for the devastating disease, cracks in their marriage start to appear. The outside world grows increasingly hostile and the couple are forced to choose between conflicting allegiances. As they battle for power and truth, the future of the human race is at stake. Suffused with Norse mythology, Paul Murphy's play Valhalla depicts a world where the boundaries of scientific research and the endurance of human love are stretched to their limits. It was joint winner of the inaugural Theatre503 Playwriting Award, and premiered at Theatre503, London, in 2015.Trade Review'Beautifully written... a thrilling account of the dynamics of interpersonal suspicion and sexual politics, and a story about how ancient mythologies can seep into the contemporary world... an immensely impressive piece of work' * The Stage *'Perfectly balances the personal and political... occasionally shocking, often uncomfortable, the play is also thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking' * The Arts Desk *

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘We can’t change things here, that’s the whole point, no one listens to us or cares, the only way we’re gonna change things is by going somewhere else, starting afresh.’ A group of disillusioned young women have disappeared. On a platform out at sea, they have formed The Community – a new type of society and a better way of living. But how can you change the world if you’ve taken yourself out of it? This Changes Everything by Joel Horwood is part of Platform, an initiative from Tonic Theatre in partnership with Nick Hern Books aimed at addressing gender imbalance and inequality in theatre. Platform comprises big-cast plays with predominantly or all-female casts, written specifically for performance by school, college and youth-theatre groups. ‘Drama is an important tool for building confidence and empowering young people. Platform will give girls opportunity to access these benefits as much as their male counterparts.’ - Moira Buffini

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Georgian London no one is more famous than Samuel Foote. Satirist, impressionist and dangerous comedian, friend of David Garrick and Dr Johnson, he is a bona fide celebrity in an age obsessed with fame. He even has the ear of the King. But when Foote finds himself at the centre of a media storm – and under the surgeon’s knife – there’s only one question on everyone’s lips: does fame make you mad? Based on Ian Kelly’s award-winning biography, Mr Foote’s Other Leg is a riotously funny play exploring our obsession with celebrities, through the true story of the Oscar Wilde of the eighteenth century. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre in September 2015, in a production directed by Richard Eyre and featuring Simon Russell Beale as Foote. ‘Written with panache and wit – as lively and entertaining a historical biography as you are ever likely to read’ Sunday Times on Ian Kelly’s biography of Samuel FooteTrade Review'Delightful... the wit starts flowing from the first scene' * Telegraph *'A ripely entertaining portrait of an eccentric, forgotten celebrity and the scandalous allure of the stage' * Evening Standard *'Witty and engaging… perceptive and humane, capable of moments of real tenderness, a celebration of the strange electricity of theatre' * The Stage *'Very, very funny… for a play with so many laughs, it also brims with insight and fascinating observations about culture and politics, both personal and public' * BritishTheatre.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA raucous family drama about the cost of living the life of our dreams. Gordon and Serena have worked hard to get where they are. He's on the verge of a massive promotion at an energy giant. She's preparing for a move into the house of their dreams. The family appear to be cooking on gas. But behind their perfect front door, light bulbs are blowing, the drains keep blocking, and a phone inexplicably refuses to charge. Not to mention that daughter Rachel’s adored toy polar bear is nowhere to be found. F*ck the Polar Bears premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in September 2015.Trade Review'Many brilliant lines... a compact family drama with a catastrophic global footprint, a stark message for those who retreat from responsibility behind their own four walls' * Time Out *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'It had been a while. I was really nervous. I mean, it's not really like riding a bike. Sex. It's far more complicated.' Phil and Alice are in love – familiar, flawed, ordinary love. They are on a journey, but this journey doesn't have an A to Z. Jack Thorne's The Solid Life of Sugar Water is an intimate, tender play about loss, hurt and rediscovery. It previewed at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and premiered at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in a co-production between Graeae Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Plymouth.Trade Review'Forceful, thrilling, stunning… Thorne's script is fearless and finds shattering detail' * Telegraph *'Startlingly good... an adult play in the very best sense... gutsy, challenging, witty, deceptively delicate' * The Times *'Hits you squarely in the gut - it has a real sense of precision and meter, the tone sometimes funny, sometimes filthy, sometimes hopeful, sometimes utterly devastating... an intense, powerful, brilliantly written two-hander about sex, relationships and loss' * The Stage *'Heartbreaking' * Time Out *'Funny, poignant, arresting… a complex emotional watch, heartwarming and heartwrenching, sometimes simultaneously, but super smart too; great on gender gaps, better on life's unexpected turns and loaded up with minuscule wisdoms' * FestMag *'Inclusive and succinctly powerful... Writer Jack Thorne never ceases to stimulate and entertain... Disability isn't the core of the story, just another colour in the palette. The characters aren't measured against an ableist world but against each other... They are both complex, and not entirely likeable... The central event of the play is harrowing, but what I mostly remember is the snark and warmth of the characters and the tender last moments' * Evening Standard *'Hits you with such raw, uncomfortable truth that it stays with you... a deeply intimate play... extremely graphic, hyper-realistic and very funny... a piece of beautifully balanced writing... devastating... the explicit details of sex, bodies and birth, will be too much for some. However, there will be fewer plays this year that feel so intrinsically honest' * Broadway World *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDazzling and sequin-studded, Kiss Me Quickstep is a play about the world of ballroom dance, taking us behind the fixed smiles and fake tan to look at the real lives of those for whom ballroom dancing is everything. Justin and Jodie have finally made it to the national ballroom-dancing championships in Blackpool – via the motorway hard shoulder. Luka's come all the way from Russia. Nancy's been training for this since she was three. Lee and Samantha arrive on a wave of success. But what if your dance-floor dreams are turning into a nightmare? How do you stop dancing to other people's tunes? What can you do if your partner's secret could cost you the crown? And, even when the whole world's at your feet, it only takes one false step... Amanda Whittington's Kiss Me Quickstep premiered at New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, in 2016, in a co-production between the New Vic and Oldham Coliseum Theatre.Trade Review'The combination of Amanda Whittington – a writer with an uncommon knack for intelligent, accessible drama – and the gladiatorial arena of sequins and tailcoats is a match made in ballroom heaven' * Guardian *'A joy from start to finish…[an] entertaining mix of comedy, drama and delightful dancing' * The Stage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of a young girl trapped in an increasingly tiny world. In the beginning was the mattress. Gradually, other little changes – more bolts on the front door; the gun; the locked cupboard. And she knew in her heart that change was bad. Based on a true story, Cordelia Lynn's play Lela & Co. premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2015.Trade Review'One of the most powerful 90 minutes I've spent in a theatre... An extraordinary Royal Court debut' * The Times *'One of the most powerful plays I've ever seen... a brilliant piece of new writing' * The Arts Desk *'Shattering... Lynn writes with a kind of reckless abandon... You have to force yourself to listen to [Lela] – and, god knows, it's about time we did' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA double bill by Terence Rattigan, featuring two plays of striking contrast that display his astonishing range as a writer. The comic gem Harlequinade follows a classical theatre company whose intrigues and dalliances are revealed with increasingly calamitous consequences in an affectionate celebration of the lunatic art of putting on a play. A powerfully atmospheric one-woman play, All On Her Own tells the story of Rosemary who, alone at midnight in London, has a secret burden to share that is both heartbreaking and sinister. Harlequinade & All On Her Own was performed as part of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s Plays at the Garrick Season in 2015, starring Zoë Wanamaker and Kenneth Branagh, and co-directed by Branagh and Rob Ashford. This official tie-in edition features both plays, plus exclusive additional content including an introduction to Rattigan's work, interviews with Kenneth Branagh, Rob Ashford, Zoë Wanamaker and designer Christopher Oram, and reproductions of Oram's original design sketches.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIbsen's forensic examination of a marriage as it falls apart, in a version by Richard Eyre. How is a life well-lived? Alfred Allmers comes home to his wife Rita and makes a decision. Casting aside his writing, he dedicates himself to raising his son. But one event is about to change his life forever. Little Eyolf was first performed in 1894. This new version, adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2015. The third in a trilogy of revelatory Ibsens, Little Eyolf follows Richard Eyre's multi-award-winning adaptations of Ghosts (Almeida, West End and BAM, New York), and Hedda Gabler (Almeida and West End).Trade Review'As quick, clean and shocking as a naked plunge into a winter fjord... a play awash with desire, reproach and grief' * Sunday Times *'Quietly shattering' * Independent *'An evening of shocking intensity... vividly captures what Henry James called "the hard compulsion" of Ibsen's terrifying masterpiece' * Guardian *'Eyre [is] the country's foremost illuminator of [Ibsen]... [he] reveals the play as a masterly study of how unhappiness corrodes us... an extraordinary stew of violent misery' * Observer *'Naturalism intermingles with expressionism, and slips, subtly, into something poetic and profoundly existential' * WhatsOnStage *'Laden with atmosphere… feels astonishingly contemporary' * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFive characters share a common thread: Joanne. But it's not about her. It's about Stella, whose tomorrow is as far away as winter from summer. It's the way Grace finds her song on the footpath between two cars. It's about Alice's MBA wasted on plugging holes, Kath's patients crawling alongside her after the night shift and it's Becky caught in the crosshairs of what's best and what's right for her students. But what about her? What about Joanne? In Joanne, five of the most exciting voices in theatre explore the pressures on our public services as one young woman buckles under pressures of her own. The play comprises five interconnected short plays for a solo performer, written by Deborah Bruce, Theresa Ikoko, Laura Lomas, Chino Odimba and Ursula Rani Sarma. Commissioned by Clean Break, Joanne premiered at Latitude Festival in 2015, before transferring to Soho Theatre, London.Trade Review'Intense and uncompromising... the quality of writing is intriguing throughout' * WhatsOnStage *'Powerful… drives home the tragedy at the piece's core' * Time Out *'Both personal and universal' * Exeunt *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt's the hot, humid, sticky summer of 1977. At a popular birdwatching spot jutting out into the North Sea at the mouth of the Tees, Martin, Jack, Michael and Carol are staring out into the future, their lives intertwined. A friendship, a marriage, a holiday, and a death – the gatherings and departures that make us human. Robert Holman's richly resonant play is an uplifting portrait of human hope and vulnerability. German Skerries was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, and won the George Devine Award in the year that it is set. It was revived in 2016 at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in a co-production with the award-winning Up in Arms Theatre Company, followed by a tour around the UK.Trade Review'Wise, touching… [a] prescient little gem' * Financial Times *'A still, beautiful forgotten classic... [Holman's] work tends to chronicle the quiet moments, what passes in the pauses between people... But his un-showiness isn't fuzzy. His grip on human nature is tender, but it's firm.' * Time Out *'An extraordinarily rich portrait of people trying to work out how to live... Holman seizes your attention through stealth' * Guardian *'Wonderfully clever and theatrically brilliant… delicate and subtle' * The Arts Desk *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA romantic drama with music inspired by the days of music hall and beyond, from the author of the modern classic Kindertransport. It is 1919. The Great War is over and Poppy Wright arrives in London from the north of England to make her mark in the world. Deep in the heart of the East End she finds work in Smith's tailor and costumiers workshop, where she meets dashing chauffeur George, and falls in love. This is a time of change and opportunity, emerging from the losses of war, when all are questioning who they are and what roles they can play in forging a new, modern era. It’s time to ditch the corset and discover who really wears the trousers. Poppy + George is a beguiling romance that draws on a world of female impersonators, popular song and double entendre. It was first performed at the Watford Palace Theatre in February 2016.Trade Review'A winningly big-hearted new play that explores gender and identity at a time of huge change... funny but deeply moving' * The Stage *'Fascinating... Erotic tension combines with social argument... the climactic scenes have real power... moments of gorgeous sensuality' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA delightfully unfestive comedy about a group of recent graduates doing seasonal work selling Christmas trees. 'Tis the season to be jolly. But the employees at Christmas Pines are certainly not. Gabby has a first-class honours degree and an MA, but somehow she's stuck – for the third year running – counting Norwegian Spruce. Betty wishes she was ice-skating with her mates at Somerset House rather than 'gaining work experience'. Joe is nursing a broken hand, and heart, by lugging trees. Taj can't decide whether he's in love with Gabby or Betty. And they're all being driven out of their minds by Christmas songs on repeat… Jacqui Honess-Martin's play Pine explores the value of learning on the job, the rose-tinted expectations of recent graduates, and the inability to see the wood for the trees. It premiered at Hampstead Downstairs, London, in December 2015.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn outrageously fun musical set in an all-girls school in the 60s, from the team behind Bad Girls: The Musical. It's 1963 and the Dame Dorothea Dosserdale School for Girls has a proud tradition of fostering free spirits from all walks of life. So it’s a crushing blow when the new headmistress turns out to be a tyrant with strict Victorian values – and top of her hit list are the two sixth-formers accused of ‘Unnatural Behaviour’ in the Art Room… Brimming with catchy tunes and witty lyrics, Crush is a hilarious pastiche of Girls’ School stories – a blend of Malory Towers and St Trinian’s – with added hockey sticks and ‘lashings of jolly good fun’ Coventry Telegraph. Crush was first performed on tour in the UK in 2015.Trade Review'The all-female (except for a solitary male) cast of twelve, minimal furniture and very achievable set-building requirements will surely put Crush on hundreds of amateur drama societies' to-do lists' * Sardines Magazine *'Crush taps into the subversive undercurrents of its source and brings them to the fore, producing a show that's boldly queer and a little bit crazy, yet with enough innocent exuberance to make it family-friendly, too' * British Theatre Guide *'Energetic, jolly, and just plain silly… Faithfully recreating and poking gentle fun at the whole range of "girls' school" tropes' * The Stage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeepolykus bring their exhilarating combination of verbal slapstick, visual surprise and anarchic comedy to Gustave Flaubert's seminal nineteenth-century masterpiece Madame Bovary. Laugh and cry in equal measure as Emma Bovary chooses the wrong husband. Lose yourself in mesmeric love scenes featuring a procession of devastatingly attractive men. Rail at the fate of women in a patriarchal society, if you will. Prepare yourself for vermin, moustaches, wild animals, lots of French people and a nun. Written for a bijou cast of four playing multiple roles, The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary was a co-production between Peepolykus, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, the Nuffield in Southampton, Bristol Old Vic and the Royal & Derngate in Northampton. It premiered at the Everyman in Liverpool in 2016 before touring to all those other places too. Like their tremendously popular Hound of the Baskervilles, Peepolykus's Bovary offers abundant opportunities for comedy and slapstick – plus some massive tragedy – to any theatre company or drama group looking for a loving derailment of a classic novel.Trade Review'Refreshes the parts other adaptions cannot reach... Far from being a dour portrayal of French provincial life, The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary is in fact a riot. Peepolykus have essentially juiced Flaubert's original novel, extracting all the sweet and tangy bits and leaving the pulp behind... It teases and pleases in equal measure... the delightful performer-text-audience interplay marks this out for distinction... With more than a hint of Monty Python it all adds up to a rather enchanting box of theatrical tricks' * British Theatre Guide *'Very funny, perceptive and true to the novel... a show delivered with both love and lunacy' * Guardian *'Wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, fast-paced… metatheatre [as] an extreme sport... despite the lunacy of it all, this is actually a remarkably lucid telling of the story' * The Stage *'Two hours of fabulous farce... as heart-breaking as it is hilarious... John Nicholson's script is quick-witted and skilfully crafted, perfect panto material' * Reviews Hub *'It's quick, it's clever, and it's totally bonkers... a deliciously entertaining adaptation that jumps off the pages... a feat of multi-casting foolery, spinning Emma Bovary's descent into disgrace and shame with bleak humour and blasé comedy. But it's not all just fun and games. Nicholson's stage translation is faithful to the original version, honouring its protagonist as effectively as it does its ultimate moral and (surprisingly relevant) social critique. While it's a comedy, there's tragedy's a-plenty... a stunning triumph' * Broadway World *

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘It’s passing on your thoughts, your personality, a part of yourself, your DNA. If we don’t do that, what are we? We’re just dust.’ Jess and Dylan are in love. They want a family. That's all they have ever wanted. This perfectly ordinary couple find themselves on an extraordinary journey when they enter the world of IVF. Forced to fight for the family they so desperately want, they put their faith in science and their relationship to the ultimate test. A funny, moving and unswervingly honest love story, The Quiet House was co-produced by Echo Presents, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Park Theatre, London. It premiered at Birmingham Rep in 2016 before transferring to the Park Theatre.Trade Review'Breaks the silence around the struggle to conceive in an affecting way' * Guardian *'Powerful and heart-breaking in equal measure' * The Reviews Hub *'Completely authentic and wholly engrossing... unflinching and deeply moving... [I was] completely absorbed and emotionally invested' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHoward Brenton's Lawrence After Arabia explores the afterlife of a legend, when being a hero has become a burden, and the man once celebrated as Lawrence of Arabia wants only to be normal once more. August, 1922. The most famous man in England has vanished without a trace: T.E. Lawrence has completely disappeared. But in the idyllic calm of the village of Ayot St Lawrence, on the top floor of the home of Mr and Mrs Bernard Shaw, the 'uncrowned King of Arabia' is hiding – with slabs of homemade carrot cake for comfort. Wearied by his romanticised persona and worldwide fame, disgusted with his country and himself, Lawrence is craving normality. But when you're a brilliant archaeologist, scholar, linguist, writer and diplomat – as well as a legendary desert warrior – how can you ever be normal? And beyond the Shaws' garden wall, nobody cares how he feels: England just wants its hero back. Can he ever return? Howard Brenton's Lawrence After Arabia, commissioned to mark the centenary of the start of the Arab revolt, finds Lawrence trapped in his love/hate relationship with the limelight, tormented by ghosts and haunted by broken promises. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2016, directed by John Dove.Trade Review'A quiet, but highly topical, masterpiece… clever and engaging… the skill of the play is that it doesn’t make you think; it lets you think' * Telegraph *'Written with a rare and engaging affection for its participants... full of wonderful, zinging lines, and a sharp-eyed observation of the collision between Bohemian values and establishment rules. It's a quiet reminder that recent history matters. I rather loved it' * WhatsOnStage *'Fascinating... it feels as if we have been given a magic window to see what really happened to Lawrence after Arabia' * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTerence Rattigan's epic and probing drama about the man immortalised as Lawrence of Arabia. Arrogant, flippant, withdrawn and with a talent for self-concealment, the mysterious Aircraftman Ross seems an odd recruit for the Royal Air Force. In fact the truth is even stranger than the man himself. Behind the false name is an enigma, a man named Lawrence who started as a civilian in the Map Office in 1914 and went on to mastermind some of the most audacious military victories in the history of the British Army. These victories earned him an enduring and romantic nom de guerre: Lawrence of Arabia. Rattigan's 1960 play reveals the unusual and deeply conflicted Englishman behind the heroic legend. This edition, with an Introduction by Dan Rebellato, was published alongside the revival at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2016, directed by Adrian Noble and starring Joseph Fiennes as Ross.Trade Review'A brilliant story… I cannot see how anyone could fail to be moved' * The Times *'Serves as an unsentimental precis of [T.E. Lawrence's] derring-do, acts as a timely reminder of the difficulties and possibilities of Anglo-Arab understanding, and explores with unflinching insight the demons that drove Lawrence (not to mention the curse of celebrity)… essential viewing' * Telegraph *'Fascinating' * The Stage *'Reveals Rattigan's unparalleled ability to suggest suppressed emotion' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping portrait of a destructive friendship between two women who push themselves to their limits. Luce and Charlene are thirty-something binge-drinking soulmates. Clocking in after a heavy night out on the tiles, they pop caffeine pills and down miniatures on the factory floor, boasting about last night's sexual conquests. When you're living for today, who cares about tomorrow? Kathryn O'Reilly's play Screwed premiered at Theatre503, London, in 2016, in a co-production with KOR.Trade Review'A savage, tender exploration of the emotional brutalisation of poverty' -- Simon Stephens, playwright'Packed with raw energy and frighteningly believable… O'Reilly's explicit dialogue pulls no punches… both funny and disturbing' * The Reviews Hub *'A witty look at female friendship in a broken society… sharply observed and bruisingly funny' * Time Out *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA chilling and powerful modern Medea about motherhood and class, taking an unapologetic look at the single young mum, the one already judged before she's even opened her mouth. This is Sam. Young, impulsive, single mum. Londoner born and bred and never ever left. Sam makes her mistakes, but who can blame her? Tom rents the flat above, the one Sam cleans. If they can come to 'an arrangement' he won't call the Social on her. You might think Tom is a monster. You might think Sam's kids would be better off without her. Someone needs to make a decision. Winner of the Soho Theatre Young Writer's Award, Phoebe Eclair-Powell's play Fury premiered at Soho Theatre, London, in July 2016.Trade Review'A portrait of damaged youth performed with rare maturity, desire and deprivation all wrapped up in one... will leave you trembling... a vivid, vital 70 minutes. Impressive' * The Times *'A play that offers a new perspective on an old story... fuelled by genuine anger and necessary compassion' * Guardian *'Profoundly affecting… an absolute triumph' * The Upcoming *'Eclair-Powell shows herself to be a considerable talent… a stylish, slickly spun modern-day Medea' * Evening Standard *'An excellent psychological drama filled with subtleties and complex damaged characters that command and deserve the audience’s full attention' * The Reviews Hub *'Eclair-Powell's play sears with ferocity' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA painful comedy about growing up and manning up. Tobes is young, free and having a ball. Off. He's successfully ignored his lump for two years but it's starting to get in the way – cramping his style and, worse, affecting his sex life. So now there are pants to be dropped, and decisions to be made... it's a real ball ache. Luke Norris's play Growth was first produced by Paines Plough in their pop-up theatre, Roundabout, at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it won a Fringe First Award. It subsequently toured the UK. An earlier version of the play was seen at the Gate Theatre, London.Trade Review'Norris' script is very funny, throwing laugh-out-loud one-liners out at a rate of knots' * WhatsOnStage *'Gripping and deeply moving from start to finish… brilliant, sensitive writing' * British Theatre Guide *'Achingly funny and tender... of the hundreds of shows at the Fringe, few feel as necessary as this' * Financial Times *'Consolidates the career of a significant playwriting talent… Quite simply, this is everything you could want from a play on such a difficult subject. It’s so straightforward and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny as to make it a popular hit, but with an unerring connection to its characters and their responses' * Scotsman *'Growth has a beady wit and lots of snazzy one-liners… funny and truthful' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA play that challenges our understanding of mythology, and forces us to ask vital questions about military occupation. ‘They ask us. When we sign up. We all get asked. “What do you want to do for the Capital State?” And we reply. “Fight. Help. Assist. Do some good.” Do some GOOD. That’s so horrific it’s funny.’ Jacob doesn’t know why he’s here. He’s been at war for six years, but nobody will tell him why. The Moon is upstairs and he wants so desperately to talk to her, but they just won’t let him. Will she be his salvation? Jay Taylor's debut play, The Acedian Pirates premiered at Theatre503, London, in October 2016, produced by Tara Finney Productions and Theatre503. 'Very funny and very powerful' Hilary MantelTrade Review'Incredibly complex, thought provoking and moving' * West End Wilma *'Ambitious and evocative… a thorny debut play exploring the claustrophobia and futility of war' * The Stage *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I refuse to be a panda. I refuse to go extinct. I want to live, to live well, to live like them.' Bunny, a young woman from the officially designated 'Shangri-La' in the Himalayan foothills of China's Yunnan Province, has witnessed her family's livelihood destroyed by mass tourism. She dreams of escape as a globe-trotting photographer. But what happens when the only thing you have to sell is your culture? When the only way to free yourself is to betray your roots? In Shangri-La, her first full-length play, Amy Ng lays bare the contradictions and private pain of cultural tourism. The play premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2016.Trade Review'Funny and compelling... [Amy Ng's] revelations are exciting and feel fresh... powerful' * WhatsOnStage *'Strong characters and witty writing are the standout qualities of this intriguing new play' * The Stage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBen doesn't even like Anna that much. She doesn't take life seriously enough. And then a couple of years go by and he's in absolute floods and she just wishes things could be different. This is a play about gender, the ethical dimensions of modern love, and a mandatory sillier third theme to make the whole thing seem less serious, in this case lemon tart. Travesty is the debut play by Liam Williams, double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and the 'voice of a generation' (Independent). It was produced by Fight in the Dog and premiered at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 'The Fringe's most articulate and original chronicler of twenty-something angst' TelegraphTrade Review'Raw, honest and captivating' * The List *'[A] sharply comic debut play... Williams achieves in an hour what a sit-com takes seasons to do... will surely resonate with anyone who's ever tried to make a relationship work' * Independent *'Takes a pleasingly quirky approach to its subject, twentysomething love... [has] some sharp humour' * Evening Standard *'Consistently funny, while packing quite an emotional punch' * WhatsOnStage *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMatt Hartley's moving, funny and charming play, Here I Belong, takes you through decades of history seen through the eyes of one village resident. It’s Elsie’s ninetieth birthday. Come and join us in the village hall to celebrate. There will be cake. Elsie has lived in the village for sixty years. She has seen elections, weddings, wars, people coming, people going. The village is where her daughter grew up, it’s where her husband died and it’s where she’s going to stay. Travel through time from 1953 to the present day in this play about village life and the right to grow old in your own home. First produced on a UK tour by Pentabus Theatre Company in 2016, performed by two women, Here I Belong provides ideal material for amateur companies for up to eight female performers – especially those performing in their own village halls. This volume also includes Matt Hartley's short monologue play, Last Letters Home.Trade Review'Intimate, affecting and quietly radical' * The Stage *

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Everyone gets what they deserve, they have to…’ It’s in the window of Sam’s, behind the rusty display. Two wheels, shiny body, handlebars ready to be gripped. Mum’s promised him that bike, so even when school or homelife bites, he knows to keep his chin up, his head down and his shirt clean. No harsh word, no sudden push to the ground, will distract him from growing up to be a good man. Set during the early noughties, Arinzé Kene's good dog is a theatrical monologue that chronicles growing up in a multicultural community, and the everyday injustices that drive people to take back control. Because even the most patient among us can’t wait forever. Delicately observed and fearlessly told, good dog was first produced by tiata fahodzi in association with Watford Palace Theatre in spring 2017. 'One of Britain’s most exciting young playwrights' GuardianTrade Review'An inner-city version of Under Milk Wood – a tapestry of urban life that's wry, non-judgmental and crackling with linguistic vigour... But with a sting in its tale... a howl that must be heard' * Guardian *'Theatre at its most simple and its most striking... Kene balances humour and tragedy with enormous skill, but, when he unites his story with real-life events, his play bites like a Rottweiler. If the argument that the way forward may not always be the good way is morally ambiguous, the play's central messages, advocating self-empowerment and positivity, are uplifting and encourage a vision of hope emerging from tragedy and despair' * The Reviews Hub *'Infused with an exhilarating urgency, with sparks of gentle humour, and with a fierce, deep-seated anger born of relentless injustice… compellingly vital theatre' * The Stage *'An amazing piece of writing with a fine ear for the vernacular and a real authenticity… funny and moving and so accurate… though much of it charts the bad things that happen — the injustices, frustrations, infidelities and personal tragedies — it is also a celebration of resilience and determination that leaves you with hope rather than anger' * British Theatre Guide *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It's the end of the fishing season, and two old friends are out on the ice, angling for something big; something down there that is pure need. Something that might just swallow them whole. In Nice Fish, celebrated actor Mark Rylance draws on his own teenage years in the American Midwest, in a unique collaboration with critically acclaimed Minnesotan contemporary prose poet Louis Jenkins and the whole company. This sublimely playful, profound and very funny play transferred direct from a sell-out run in New York to the Harold Pinter Theatre, London, in 2016, in a production directed by Claire van Kampen and starring Rylance and Jim Lichtscheidl.Trade Review'Exhilaratingly odd… Waiting for Godot on ice' * The Stage *'Beautifully strange… evocative and amusing' * The Arts Desk *'A whimsical, ultimately resonant portrait of lost souls waiting to hook or be hooked' * Time Out New York *'Deliriously funny' * Variety *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMade in China. Sold in Britain. Worn by you. From the factory floor to the catwalk, from Shanghai to London, World Factory weaves together the untold stories of people connected by the global textile industry. This published edition adapts the highly successful, provocative and participative theatre production for the page, offering readers the opportunity to play - as individuals or in teams - the managers of a clothing factory in China and recreate the experience of the game. Like a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' novel, the game has multiple routes and outcomes, interlinking questions of ethics, fashion, consumer capitalism, environmental impact, working conditions, migration and globalisation. In a cross between Monopoly and poker, players trade in workers and money, but it is a game about values - will you be an ethical factory owner or will profits always come first? In the rag trade, can anyone ever really win? World Factory was created and produced in 2015 by the performing arts company METIS, in co-production with the New Wolsey Theatre, Young Vic, and Company of Angels. It was performed at the Young Vic, London, and on tour of the UK.Trade Review'A smart, complex and genuinely thought-provoking exercise in game theatre: this ingenious thought experiment from Zoë Svendsen and Simon Daw [is] an ambitious, provocative and intricate piece of game-making, evading easy answers and polemic while succeeding inmaking us think – and think hard – about the cost of our clothing' * The Stage *'This is a show that tests the relationship between our competitive impulses and other factors. How far will ethical and environmental considerations impinge on commercial ones? Wrestling with this question, against the clock, makes for a richly absorbing experience' * Evening Standard *'We know that the ultra-competitive fashion industry is engaged in a constant cost-cutting battle.We know that the price war starts on our high streets. We know that results in poor working conditions, even sweat-shops and child labour. However, World Factory lets you live those ideas as an embodied experience. It’s one thing to be told about low rates of pay, another to be the person implementing those rates. Responsible capitalism isn't easy. You've little control. Consequences are unforeseeable, not least the invisible environmental impact, and decisions must be made, sometimes arbitrarily and often without any real alternative. The sense of competition carries you away, and the game is great fun as a result, but there are no prizes for principles. Only your numbers count. It’s your conscience that has to cope' * WhatsOnStage *'This lively and ambitious show from the directors and designers Zoë Svendsen and Simon Daw amuses, involves and unnerves us throughout its 100 minutes… How neatly World Factory makes us complicit in the process of exploitation before pulling us back to see a bigger picture that ain't so pretty' * The Times *'Many of us like to think of ourselves as ethical shoppers, but World Factory brings the murky economic realities of the globalised textile industry uncomfortably close to home. This clever and entertaining show… is part documentary drama, part game – and the result is smart, mischievous and genuinely thought-provoking' * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThree timely one-act plays set in war-torn Syria and Iraq, by 'one of our best new playwrights' (The Times), featuring the epic and bloody adventures of an Iraqi translator, a London schoolgirl and a crackshot sniper.. The Collector is a tale of creeping darkness, set during the Coalition’s occupation of Iraq, as a team of prison guards become brutalised by war. ‘Outstanding new writing… first class’ (Scotsman) Echoes is a bloody story of colonialism – ancient and modern – and the rhyme of history, drawing astonishing parallels between the lives of a Jihadi bride and a Victorian pioneer. ‘A dark and daring look at colonial cruelty… hugely impressive’ (Guardian) Angel is set in a Syrian town, where the apparently indestructible Angel of Kobane – a crackshot sniper with a hundred kills to her name – is all that stands between the town’s citizens and the fearsome approach of ISIS. ‘War reportage at its best – and great theatre’ (The Times) All three plays premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe between 2014 and 2016, and have subsequently toured the UK and globally, including runs in London, around Australia and at New York’s 59E59 Theaters. They have won eleven major international fringe awards, including several Fringe Firsts, and Angel was one of The Times’ Top 10 Best Plays of 2016.Trade Review'[Henry Naylor is] emerging as one of our best new playwrights' * The Times *'Gripping to the last moment' * A Younger Theatre on The Collector *'Superbly written … a must see' * Sunday Times on Echoes *'Simple but devastating... beautifully-structured' * Scotsman on Angel *Table of ContentsThree timely one-act plays set in war-torn Syria and Iraq, by 'one of our best new playwrights' (The Times), featuring the epic and bloody adventures of an Iraqi translator, a London schoolgirl and a crackshot sniper.The Collector is a tale of creeping darkness, set during the Coalition's occupation of Iraq, as a team of prison guards become brutalised by war. 'Outstanding new writing... first class' (Scotsman)Echoes is a bloody story of colonialism - ancient and modern - and the rhyme of history, drawing astonishing parallels between the lives of a Jihadi bride and a Victorian pioneer. 'A dark and daring look at colonial cruelty... hugely impressive' (Guardian)Angel is set in a Syrian town, where the apparently indestructible Angel of Kobane - a crackshot sniper with a hundred kills to her name - is all that stands between the town's citizens and the fearsome approach of ISIS. 'War reportage at its best - and great theatre' (The Times)All three plays premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe between 2014 and 2016, and have subsequently toured the UK and globally, including runs in London, around Australia and at New York's 59E59 Theaters. They have won eleven major international fringe awards, including several Fringe Firsts, and Angel was one of The Times' Top 10 Best Plays of 2016.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA divisive left-wing leader at the helm of the Labour Party. A Conservative prime minister battling with her cabinet. An identity crisis on a national scale. This is Britain 1981. One Sunday morning, four prominent Labour politicians – Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and David Owen – gather in private at Owen's home in Limehouse, East London. They are desperate to find a political alternative. Should they split their party, divide their loyalties, and risk betraying everything they believe in? Would they be starting afresh, or destroying forever the tradition that nurtured them? Steve Waters' thrilling drama takes us behind closed doors to imagine the personal conflicts behind the making of political history. Limehouse premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2017, directed by Polly Findlay. It is a fictionalised account of real events, and it is not endorsed by the individuals portrayed.Trade Review'Bitterly funny... the story of the SDP is one of political history's most intriguing "what if's". Limehouse expertly adds to its mystique' * Telegraph *'Richly enjoyable… Steve Waters' deliciously well-written, quick-paced play is timely… the clash of politicians' vanities feels spot on' * Daily Mail *'A highly intelligent account of the birth of the SDP… Waters characterizes his protagonists with great clarity' * The Arts Desk *'Steve Waters sharply characterises each member of the gang and allows them a turn in the spotlight… admirably brings to life a key moment in postwar politics' * Guardian *'A smart take on the Gang of Four… political drama of intellectual heft topped with a deliciously nimble-footed humour' * Evening Standard *'Funny, serious, timely… the glory of this surprisingly moving play is that it is no cynically hopeless Thick Of It. It does not despise politicians. It gives each of this ill-assorted quartet credit for real faith and real decisions' * TheatreCat *'Intelligent and timely… fascinating contemporary parallels abound' * The Stage *'What starts as a thought-experiment evolves into a compelling political debate about the heart and soul of the British left… it's all so bloody brilliant. Smart, slick, sophisticated, and steeped in political history with a refreshing lack of grandeur' * Exeunt Magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'My parents are here. In the walls and the floorboards and the bricks of this house. This is not only your street with only your stories.' On a residential street in South East London, reclusive siblings Peppy and Daniel live in a house stuffed full of everything they have ever owned. With their eccentric appearance and their rampant garden hedge, they're not like others on their road. When young Ben from next door comes visiting, looking for friendship, what happens next challenges everyone's idea of neighbourliness. Deborah Bruce's play The House They Grew Up In is a tender, dark and funny look at co-dependency, anxiety, and living alongside those who are different from us. The play was first performed at Chichester Festival Theatre in July 2017 in a co-production with Headlong.Trade Review'A subtle and surprising play that turns from the bleakest of comedies into a tender story of hope… powered by the kind of dialogue you could quote for weeks' * The Stage *'An intriguing, slow-burn piece… [has a] gentle, thoughtful humanity' * Evening Standard *'Powerful… has an extraordinary emotional impact' * Telegraph *'Upbeat but avoids sentimentality… a sympathetic look at modern urban hermitry and the pitfalls of excessive co-dependency' * Financial Times *'A humane plea for our tolerance of other people’s eccentricities' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I just don't know if I'm ever happy. Like, really truly happy. Even if you sent me up to space, by day four I'd be worrying if I had enough stuff on my Kindle...' What makes us truly happy? Health? Family? Professional success? Blasting it in the gym? Romance? Pills? Or are we ignoring the bigger stuff? Real life-changing stuff that can devastate the world if we just keep ignoring it. Glenn Waldron's darkly surprising comedy The Here and This and Now takes a look at the pharmaceuticals business, the salaryman and woman, and the quest for happiness. It premiered at Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2017.Trade Review'If you like Black Mirror, you're going to love this… structurally playful and infused with a gleefully black humour, it absorbingly exposes the irresponsibility of big pharma, the depravity of salesmanship, and a whole lot more besides. It's hilarious and horrific, all at once' * Whatsonstage.com *'A brilliantly taut black comedy… better and bigger than Black Mirror, and with much more to say' * The Stage *'Has an important point to make… seduces us with laughter' * Guardian *

Read more less