Plays, playscripts, drama

Book SynopsisBy combining literary and dramatic narrative with eye-witness accounts of Sasquatch encounters culled from the internet, The Securely Conferred, Vouchsafed Keepsakes of Maery S. reinvents as many versions of the Frankenstein author Mary Shelley as there are definitions of the word “Gothic.” In this work, a string of financial, maternal, and familial misfortunes causes Shelley—referred to in this production as Maery S.—to spawn a monstrous creative expression, which takes on its own life and violent history. Maery cannot help but fall  in love with her Monster, only to see it “collected” and imprisoned by charitable funding at a mandatory artists’ residency.

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed Portuguese Canadian playwright Elaine Ávila's new play, Fado: The Saddest Music in the World, is a tale of love and ghosts set in the back alleys and brothels of old Lisbon. Part concert, part theatre, the story of a young woman confronting her country's fascist past and her own identity is interwoven with the heartbreaking national music of Portugal known as fado, which means fate. Playing sold-out crowds in Vancouver and Victoria in 2018 and 2019, Fado was honoured on the Playwrights Guild of Canada's Sure Fire List (the Top Twenty-Three Most Producible Plays in Canada by Women) and selected as one of the Top Unproduced Latinx Plays in the U.S. by Fifty Playwrights. Fado won the Award for Favourite Musical in Victoria with B.C.'s own beloved Sara Marreiros playing the ghost of Amália Rodrigues, the Queen of Fado.

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Book SynopsisForeword by Kwame Kwei-Armah How many Black British plays can you name? Inspired by both classical and contemporary plays, The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors gives readers an insight into some of the best cutting-edge plays written by black British playwrights, over the last sixty years. This collection features over twenty speeches by Britain’s most prominent black dramatists. The monologues represent a wide-range of themes, characters, dialects and styles. Suitable for young people and adults, each selection includes production information, a synopsis of the play, a biography of the playwright and a scene summary. The aim of this collection is that actors will enjoy working on these speeches, using them to help strengthen their craft, and by doing so, help to ensure these plays are always remembered.Table of ContentsCONTENTS CLASSICAL MONOLOGUES EPHRAIM Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (Errol John) CRAGGE Skyvers (Barry Reckord) RINGO Smile Orange (Trevor Rhone) MAN Nice (Mustapha Matura) TONY Sweet Talk (Michael Abbensetts) GEORGE 11 Josephine House (Alfred Fagon) JACKSON Pantomime (Derek Walcott) CONTEMPORARY MONOLOGUES GERRY A Jamaican Airman Foresees his Death (Fred D'Aguiar) AJ Two Step (Rhashan Stone) LEMN SISSAY Something Dark (Lemn Sissay) DONOVAN Boy With Beer (Paul Boakye) BROWN Blackta (Nathaniel Martello-White) PURPLE Brother to Brother (Michael McMillan) ANDRE The Westbridge (Rachel De-lahay) JUNIOR Statement of Regret (Kwame Kwei-Armah) KEHINDE Little Baby Jesus (Arinze Kene) CHUKS Fixer (Lydia Adetunji) KKK Bashment (Rikki Beadle-Blair) BANZA Two Horsemen ('Biyi Bandele-Thomas) PRIN OSUN Pandora's Box (Ade Solanke) UNNAMED Black T-Shirt Collection (Inua Ellams) BEN B is for Black (Courttia Newland) YINKA The Estate (Oladipo Agboluaje) JOE Joe Guy (Roy Williams) SIMON Pure Gold (Michael Bhim)

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Book SynopsisA young man lives alone with his mother and his beloved dog in a house in a small village overlooking the fjord. The dog has run off and gone missing. This has never happened before... In The Dead Dogs, lives are shockingly disrupted by an event that changes the direction of their future. Fosse’s drama explores life lived in unexpected ways, with a sense of otherness pervading the present and colouring the characters’ relationships.

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Book SynopsisThe Future Show is a piece that tells the story of Deborah’s future, starting from the end of the performance and going until the end of her life, that is consistently re-written to be both site and time specific. It is a Sisyphean task of a show, examining the mundane, the uncertain, and the fragility of our futures. The Future Show toured internationally for two years, with a new script written for every iteration. It has been performed in the USA, Canada, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Ireland and throughout the UK. With an Introduction by Tim Etchells, Founder of Forced Entertainment The Future Show was developed with a grant from Arts Council England and with support-in-kind from BAC, Amhurst Republic and MAKE in Ireland.Trade ReviewA testament to Pearson's astonishing skill as a writer. -- Andrew Haydon * What's on Stage *

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

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Book Synopsis"I’m not going to tell you her hair colour. Her skin colour. Her name. All you need to know, right now, is that she is a person.” An explosive new piece of guerilla-gig-theatre from Julia Taudevin (‘one of the most exciting forces in Scottish theatre’ Scotsman) and Kim Moore with Susan Bear and Julie Eisenstein from Glasgow's hottest indie-pop duo Tuff Love. This fierce and playful feminist work explores the psychology of extremism with haunting melodies and progressive punk riffs.

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Book SynopsisThis volume brings together performance texts from nine productions by the experimental theatre company Lightwork and one playtext from Lightwork’s precursor company Academy Productions, presented between 1997 and 2011. Lightwork specialized in collaboratively created and multimedia performance. The company also experimented with several performance forms that emerged at the turn of the twenty-first century, including verbatim and site-specific approaches. Because of this, the texts cover a range of forms and formats – scripted plays such as Here’s What I Did With My Body One Day by Dan Rebellato and Blavatsky by Clare Bayley; multimedia adaptations of classical myths such as Back At You (based on the story of Echo and Narcissus) and Once I was Dead (based on the story of Daedalus and Icarus); site-specific experiments such as The Good Actor, which took place in various spaces across Hoxton Hall, a Victorian theatre in London’s East End; and the use of verbatim witness testimony from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, War Crimes section in Sarajevo Story. The defining aspect of the Lightwork aesthetic is that multimedia and scenographic experimentation does not come at the expense of the mainstays of dramatic theatre: character, story and emotional resonance. What lies at the heart of the Lightwork shows you will encounter here are human-scale stories: relationships between lovers or family members, confrontations with the past (both as personal and as cultural history) and, in many cases, matters of life or death that entail wrestling with causality, consequence and fate. The twelve-year span covered by this work reflects a period in British performance practice when the interrelation of page and stage, process and production, text and ‘non-text’, were being radically rethought. In the collaborative and processual theatre making that Lightwork exemplifies, the text may be one element among many and is more likely to be the outcome of the process than its precursor. How do such playtexts (or performance texts) differ from those that are conceived and scripted by a single desk-based playwright in advance of the rehearsal? What gaps are left when the work of many hands is channelled through the pen (or keyboard) of one among them? The texts featured in this volume represent a number of answers to these questions about the nature of writing for the stage. The performance texts are each preceded (and sometime followed) by short essays written by some of the many people who have been involved in productions by Lightwork, including established academics and theatre practitioners: David Annen, Clare Bayley, Gregg Fisher, Sarah Gorman, Andy Lavender, Aneta Mancewicz, Bella Merlin, Alex Mermikides, Jo Parker, Dan Rebellato, and Ayse Tashkiran. Their contributions reflect the collaborative nature of the company and the respect that it accorded the various disciplinary perspectives that make up a theatre company. There are sections on scenography, sound design and technical operation, as well as on those crafts that might more usually draw attention: directing, writing and acting. These contributions offer an insight into the collaborative, multi-layered and sometimes messy business of their creation from an individual maker’s or spectator’s point of view. This book will be invaluable for those who are making, studying or researching performance in the twenty-first century, and an essential resource for the rehearsal room. Primary readership will include researchers, educators, students and practitioners interested in creative practice, theatre-making, integrated design and performance, and contemporary theatre. It will be an important resource for those on theatre and performance courses at all levels, as well as acting, theatre and performance design, dramaturgy and direction courses, creative writing courses and media arts programmes. It will have appeal for general readers interested in new texts and processes in theatre and performance, and individual texts are likely to be of interest to specialist researchers working in related fields – for example performance and the occult (Blavatsky), performance and conflict (Sarajevo Story).Table of ContentsStarting points On Lightwork and twenty-first-century theatre Alex Mermikides On texts and collaborations Andy Lavender Blavatsky On writing live Clare Bayley TEXT: Blavatsky (1999) London/My Lover On technical operation Alex Mermikides TEXT: London/My Lover schematic (2002) On documentation Sarah Gorman Here’s What I Did With My Body One Day On writing and not writing plays Dan Rebellato TEXT: Here’s What I Did With My Body One Day (2004/2006) On experimenting David Annen You Kill Me TEXT: Once I was Dead (2006) TEXT: Back at You (2007) Sarajevo Story On sound Gregg Fisher TEXT: Sarajevo Story (2008) On scenography Jo Parker MyLife On movement direction Ayse Tashkiran TEXT: MyLife running orders (2008) The Tempest On intermediality Aneta Mancewicz TEXT: The Tempest (edited version 2009) The Good Actor On acting Bella Merlin TEXT: The Good Actor various (2010/2011) The Shift On process Clare Bayley TEXT: The Shift (1997) Contributors Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA meticulously researched book that collects twelve playscripts written by European Jews imprisoned in the Terezín ghetto during the Holocaust. The concentration camp and Jewish ghetto at Terezín, or Theresienstadt, in what is now the Czech Republic, was a site of enormous suffering, fear, and death. But amid this horrific period, there was also a thriving and desperately vibrant cultural life. While the children’s drawings and musical pieces created in the ghetto have become justly famous, the prisoners’ theatrical works, though a lesser-known aspect of their artistic endeavors, deserves serious attention as well. Performing Captivity, Performing Escape collects twelve theatrical texts—cabaret songs and sketches, historical and verse dramas, puppet plays, and a Purim play—written by Czech and Austrian Jews. Together these works reveal the wide range of ways in which the prisoners engaged with and escaped from life in the ghetto through performance. The anthology opens with an insightful prologue by novelist Ivan Klíma, who was interned in the ghetto as a child and contains a detailed introduction by editor Lisa Peschel about the pre-war theatrical influences and wartime conditions that inspired the theater of the ghetto. The array of theatrical forms collected in this anthology speaks of the prisoners’ persistence of hope in a harrowing time and will be a moving read for students and scholars of the Holocaust. Trade Review“Performing Captivity, Performing Escape is a fascinating, heartbreaking, frequently witty collection that has been translated with love and care, and that brings to light art that has heretofore been hidden. When you add the essays, thorough biographical notes, and beautiful, evocative artwork, you end up with a powerful portrait of a tragic era in Central European history and of the power of art to ameliorate suffering.”—Austrian Studies Newsmagazine “Performing Captivity, Performing Escape is a fascinating, heartbreaking, frequently witty collection that has been translated with love and care, and that brings to light art that has heretofore been hidden. When you add the essays, thorough biographical notes, and beautiful, evocative artwork, you end up with a powerful portrait of a tragic era in Central European history and of the power of art to ameliorate suffering.” * Austrian Studies Newsmagazine *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsPronunciation GuideEdition Notes and ConventionsIntroductionPrologue:?Terezín Theater by Ivan KlimaPart 1:?Czech-Language Texts1.Radio Show2.Looking for a Specter3.Songs from the Revue Prince Bettliegend4.The Smoke of Home 5.Laugh with Us6.The Second Czech CabaretPart 2:?German-Language Texts1.From the Strauss Cabarets2.The Treasure3.A Puppet Play in Ten Acts4.Purimspiel5.The Death of Orpheus6.The Insult—But Unintended; 7.or, The Man with the Defective Memory 8.A Theresienstadt Courtroom Scene9.From the Hofer Cabarets10.Epilogue: New Year’s Eve in the Oederan Slave-Labor CampGlossaryBibliography

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Book SynopsisA reissue of a comic and tragic play that asks just how much of our life we could—or would—change if we got another chance. In this play by Swiss playwright and novelist Max Frisch, a middle-aged behavioral researcher Kürmann is given the opportunity to start his life over at any point he chooses and change his decisions and actions in matters both serious and mundane—He could save his marriage, become politically active, take better care of his health, or even change the color of his living room furniture. Despite his intention to apply the wisdom he has acquired with age, Kürmann finds himself inexorably trapped in the same decisions. Ultimately proving fatal, Kürmann’s life game interrogates how much of our own path is shaped by seemingly random factors and how much is in fact predetermined by our own limited, conditioned selves. The play’s central idea—that our lives are nothing but a self-conscious play with imaginary identities—is brilliantly captured in Biography’s dramaturgical form, setting up a theatre rehearsal as the metaphor for the endless possibilities and variables of the game of life. Frisch’s own revised, dramatically heightened version of his play celebrates not only the theatre as a form of self-expression but also the human condition in all its potential and limitations as it showcases both comic and tragic outcomes that define all our lives. Table of ContentsDramatis Personae:Hannes KürmannAntoinette SteinDirectorFemale AssistantMale Assistant

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Book Synopsis1999. Lucy is in labour. She's just been handed a document to sign and her sense of self is beginning to deteriorate. 2024. Claire is an art student. Her latest panic attack means her art course could be over. Oh, and she can't stop contemplating her own mortality. Claire and Lucy have OCD. But they don't know that yet. Misdiagnosis, mistreatment and misinformation around OCD were rife in 1999 And still are now.

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Book SynopsisA dinner party during the Second World War unites celebrated writers Agatha Christie, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas – with a mysterious guest. With copious booze flowing, acid-tongued barbs flying, and the threat of global conflict looming, the guests – and the world around them – are close to boiling point. Everyone has a confession. Someone has a secret. Set in the French Alps in 1940, Steven Carl McCasland’s Little Wars is an enthralling, entertaining and ultimately moving portrait of seven exceptional women – and a thrilling fiction based on truth. It was workshopped Off-Off-Broadway, first performed in 2015, and received an acclaimed digital premiere in 2020, featuring Linda Bassett, Sarah Solemani, Juliet Stevenson and Sophie Thompson. It provides glorious opportunities for an all-female cast to play some of the greatest literary figures of the twentieth century.Trade Review'A high concept play with a lightness of touch... the discussions about collective responsibility, individual action or inaction in the face of moral wrongdoing, and the question of whether to stay silent or speak out, are deeply resonant * Guardian *'The script is smart and witty... admirably bold and asks big questions' * The Stage *'Extraordinary and vibrant... a pertinent play about refuge, safety, hiding, women, survival and love' * BritishTheatre.com *

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Book Synopsis'We are here to make sense of it all.' From the everyday to the astonishing, and the ordinary to the miraculous, the Roman poet Ovid's stories of epic impossibilities explore the power of transformation, the resilience of humans, and the wonder of life. The myths of Metamorphoses have inspired generations of writers, including Shakespeare. Over two thousand years later, they are reimagined for our world by three leading British playwrights, and feature anarchy, shape-shifting and a burning chariot of fire. This entertaining and provocative new play, by Sami Ibrahim, Laura Lomas and Sabrina Mahfouz, was written for the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London. It was first performed by four actors in 2021, and directed by Globe Associate Artistic Director, Sean Holmes and Associate Artistic Director of Headlong, Holly Race Roughan.Trade Review'Gloriously fun... delves into the depths of the Greek gods' cruelties and the unfortunate humans who happened to get in their way... a gallivanting piece of storytelling... Many of the stories will be familiar, but no prior knowledge is required to enjoy it... these are eternal stories, beautifully and accessibly told' * Guardian *'Both a subversive and educational whistlestop tour of these canonical tales... storytelling in its purest form' * Whatsonstage *'Tales that predate #MeToo by millennia, but they are still potent and they are served up delightfully' * British Theatre Guide *'A real treat... fresh and sparky... it's brilliant: haunting, surprising, stirring, shared – and a lot of fun' * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisWhen Rob was twelve, they attempted a full-blown Disney parade in their house for their Grandma. As Rob donned wigs and played Mary Poppins, Ariel, Mickey Mouse and Belle, their Dad doubled as Stage Manager, Sound Technician and Goofy. Unfortunately, Dad missed all his cues and pushed all the floats in the wrong direction. Mum mistook Aladdin for Ursula. The costumes went awry. And Ariel's bubble gun didn't work properly. Grandma had a nice time, though. My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is the joyous, chaotic, autobiographical story of actor, writer and social-media sensation Rob Madge as they set out to recreate that parade – and this time, nobody, no, nobody is gonna rain on it. It was first performed at London's Turbine Theatre in June 2021, directed by Luke Sheppard, with music by Pippa Cleary – and starring Rob Madge as Rob Madge. It was a critical and commercial hit at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and later that year transferred to the Garrick Theatre in London, to make the West End that little bit more queer. The play won Best Off-West End Production at the 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards, the Theatre Award at the 2023 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards and was nominated for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play at the 2023 Olivier Awards. Rob Madge was joint winner of Best Creative West End Debut at the 2023 Stage Debut Awards. This revised edition features the complete text of the play as performed in Edinburgh and the West End, including links to and transcriptions of the video footage, colour photographs and extra bonus content from the RDM* Productions Archive. It concludes with an afterword by Mum and Dad about the joys to be found in championing the creativity of children – and why playing Tinker Bell, with a smile, might be the best thing you can do for your kids, and for yourselves. * Robert Dennis MadgeTrade Review'A gorgeous celebration of what it's like to grow up queer with a supportive family... It will have you laugh, shed a tear and make you remember the magic that once took place in your childhood living room' * Whatsonstage *'Richly comical and very moving... My Son's a Queer offers something for everyone. A coming-of-age gay narrative... A pop culture love-in for fairytale fanboy/girls and everyone in between... And, most compellingly of all, a cri de coeur for parenting that, rather than splicing children into preordained pinks and blues, embraces them in their infinite expressive variety' * Guardian *'An affectionate, uplifting story with a strong, surprisingly universal message about pride, self-esteem and acceptance... a hilarious and deeply moving love-letter to the parents who embraced [Madge's] choices from an early age and encouraged them to soar' * The Stage *'Magical... will leave even the dourest Disney-phobic pessimist having a Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah sort of day' * Reviews Hub *'A blast of daft joy... carnivalesque, fantastical, theatrical, over-the-top and down the other side with a splash' * TheatreCat *'Equal parts joyful and profound... a five-star production packed with heart' * Broadway World *

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Book SynopsisJohann Sebastian Bach, irascible and turbulent, writes music of sensuous delight and deep religious fervour. He's touchy, he's fabulously rude, he has impossibly high standards (he stabs a bassoonist for playing badly), and he's constantly in trouble with his patrons. Music is the family business – but the burden of their father's genius weighs heavily on his sons. Wilhelm is brilliant but self-destructive. Tense, industrious Carl is more successful than his father, but knows he is less talented. As the years pass, their rivalry provokes furious arguments about love, God and above all music. What is it for – to give pleasure, like a cup of coffee in the sun, or to reveal the divine order that gives life its meaning? Beautiful, profound and funny, Nina Raine's play Bach & Sons is a gripping family drama and an anthem to the art that draws us together and sings of our common humanity. It premiered at the Bridge Theatre, London, in June 2021, directed by Nicholas Hytner, with Simon Russell Beale playing J. S. Bach.Trade Review'Fascinating... volcanic stuff as sweary, sensual Bach is brought to life' * The Times *'[Bach is a] magnificent monster... a family drama filled with envy, greed, rage and lust' * Evening Standard *'Nina Raine's new play is typically sly, in the know and phenomenally eloquent' * Independent *'A bold play of ideas, but also an invitation to tears... stirring and unmissable' * Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'On the way over I saw three vipers copulating… I know what you're thinking… monogamy is under threat.' 1943. Four months into the Nazi occupation of Tunisia. You're imprisoned in a labour camp. You're buried up to your neck in earth. You're dying of thirst, you miss your wife, and your best friend just pissed on your face. How could things possibly get any worse? Josh Azouz's Once Upon A Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia is a brutally comic play about home and identity, marriage and survival, blood and feathers. It was first produced at the Almeida Theatre, London, in August 2021, directed by Eleanor Rhode.Trade Review'A brave, hilarious and singular play... something pretty special' * Time Out *'A lesser known side of Nazi history, delivered with nuance... the play keeps both its strains of humour and horror running side by side until the end' * Guardian *'A slow-burning absurdist thriller [with] precisely applied doses of bleak black humour' * The Stage *'Funny, dark, and entirely original... you never quite know which way [Azouz's] bold imagination is going to lead him' * Whatsonstage *

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Book SynopsisMeet Aurora and Orion: Sister and Brother. Constellations in time. More than blood. More than just fam. They look after each other in their small London flat, filled with the memories of their parents' Black Love. When that love is threatened, they must confront their own worst fears as they find their way back to each other and to what it means to love whilst Black. Black Love by Chinonyerem Odimba, with music by Ben and Max Ringham, is an explosion of form-busting storytelling, combining real-life stories, imagined worlds, and new songs inspired by an R&B heritage. It was premiered in July 2021 in Paines Plough's the Roundabout as a co-production between Paines Plough and Belgrade Theatre in association with tiata fahodzi, co-directed by Odimba and Katie Posner, as part of Coventry City of Culture 2021, before touring the UK. Black Love won Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting at the 2022 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards.Trade Review'A refreshingly original piece of theatre, provocative but suffused with affection. It's a celebration and a cry of pain, and it's not like anything else currently on any London stage' * WhatsOnStage *'A lesson in the complexities of family relationships... manages to find humour even in the most uncomfortable of problematic comments... a powerful reminder of everyday Black existence... a beautiful ode to Black society and home' * Guardian *'A jubilant celebration of black culture and family ties that oozes wit and warmth... upfront and intimate: a gorgeous paean to black love... the show is a thing of beauty, playful and poetic, gliding between the spiritual and the raw, street-level daily reality... intensely moving and fiercely lovable' * iNews *'A powerful and very raw expression of the struggle to identify and understand what it means to be a Black family, and to share Black love together' * Musical Theatre Review *'A jubilant celebration of black affection and identity' * Evening Standard *'A true celebration of life and love' * Broadway World *

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Book Synopsis'I am the slave ship. Wrecked. Empty. I am a shark, livid with the desire for blood. I am the sea, boiling with fury.' On the set of a new film about Victorian artist J.M.W. Turner, young actress Lou is haunted by an unresolved history. Meanwhile, in 1840, Londoners Lucy and Thomas try to come to terms with the meaning of freedom. Moving between London past and present, Winsome Pinnock's astonishing play retells British history through the prism of the slave trade. Fusing fact with fiction, and the powerfully personal with the fiercely political, Rockets and Blue Lights asks who owns our past – and who has the right to tell its stories? Winner of the 2018 Alfred Fagon Award, the play opened at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2020, directed by Miranda Cromwell. It transferred to the National Theatre, London, in 2021. 'Rockets and Blue Lights places at its center one of the nineteenth century's most famous paintings: J. M. W. Turner's "The Slave Ship". Moving between several sets of characters and ranging from the 1800s to the present, this intricately plotted drama compels us to confront the horrors of our shared past. It does so with compassion and wit, never once compromising Pinnock's vision of theater as the communal creation of new, stranger, and perhaps truer histories' Windham-Campbell Prize committee, on awarding Winsome Pinnock a Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama in 2022Trade Review'A swirling journey through the light and shade of black history' * Guardian *'A deep dive into the murky waters of the legacy of Britain's role in the slave trade... The rich depth of Pinnock's writing... It is an ugly truth, but, somehow, Winsome Pinnock has made it beautiful' * The Stage *'Ambitious and complex... beautifully held together by the poetry and quality of Pinnock's writing... an astonishingly beautiful and emotional coup de theatre... conjures the ghosts of the past and makes them powerful and engrossing in a theatre, here and now' * Whatsonstage *'Powerful, hard-hitting... urgent and important... also startlingly funny in parts' * Evening Standard *'Inspirationally ambitious and all-encompassingly humane... Bravo' * Independent *

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Book Synopsis'There is a war coming... A war that will last for a hundred years... I think it is already here. I think we've been fighting it a long time.' A young Jewish physicist and an activist poet meet at a party and fall in love. As society splinters around them, the couple's struggle to survive erupts into violence. Cordelia Lynn's play Love and Other Acts of Violence is a subversive and intimate love story about inheritance and the cycles of politics and history. It premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in October 2021, directed by Elayce Ismail.Trade Review'Audaciously jagged... mesmerising moments' * Guardian *'Gripping' * Evening Standard *'Cordelia Lynn is a young playwright with a distinctive voice. She's serious, and poetic and comes at problems and ideas from unusual angles' * Whatsonstage *'A stunning piece of theatre... feels chillingly prescient' * British Theatre Guide *'Superbly written... a very powerful piece of drama' * London Theatre 1 *

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Book Synopsis'There were fish, And then there weren't fish, Simple as that' Nobody knows where the fish went, and nobody knows why the fish went – but ever since they did, things just haven't been the same. In a committee room on Capitol Hill, three senators have a job to do: they must question a man on charges of trading rare marine commodities, and they must find out what he knows. Politics and the planet collide in a fiercely original play about the limits of science, the power of myths, and the things we can't control. Marek Horn's Yellowfin was premiered at Southwark Playhouse, London, in October 2021, directed by Ed Madden.Trade Review'Horn's satirical take on the crisis in our seas is a reminder that we have little time to waste before the damage is irreversible. You'll never look at a tin of tuna in the same way again' * The Stage *'Shocking testimony from a world with empty oceans... With the same whip-smart dialogue as Horn's brilliant debut, Wild Swimming' * Guardian *'Sharp new satire... manages to find the balance of being both urgent and genuinely entertaining... the climactic moments are superbly well constructed, leading to a delicious denouement' * Whatsonstage *'Horn's language dips and soars... this is a playwright to watch' * Broadway World *'Darkly believable... the play wraps up to perfection' * Reviews Hub *

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Book Synopsis'A working-class woman inside the walls of Westminster? If that is not espionage, I do not know what is.' Forever on the right side of history, but on the wrong side of life, Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson is caught between revolutionary and parliamentary politics as she fights for a better world. Battling to save Jewish refugees in Nazi Germany; campaigning for Britain to aid the fight against Franco's Fascists in Spain; leading two hundred workers in the Jarrow Crusade against unemployment and poverty... she pursues each cause with a passionate, reckless conviction. And yet – despite a life spent running into the likes of Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway, serving in Churchill's cabinet, having affairs with communist spies and government ministers – she still finds herself, somehow, on the outside looking in. Caroline Bird's play Red Ellen is the remarkable true story of an inspiring and brilliant woman. It was first produced by Northern Stage, Nottingham Playhouse and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2022.Trade Review'An inspiring and remarkable new play... deeply compelling, often humorous and very moving... It will blow you away' * WhatsOnStage *'Not just a tribute to a pioneering woman, independent and sexually liberated, but also an analysis of the left's fraught struggle for equality. Red Ellen crackles with modern day resonances' * Guardian *'Often moving and not afraid to tackle big subjects, with humour and playfulness' * The Stage *'You'd go a long way to beat Caroline Bird's new play about the legendary North East politician and heroine of the Jarrow March, Ellen Wilkinson... It brings to life the flesh and blood of the woman, her strengths and foibles, her personal triumphs and disasters' * British Theatre Guide *'A three-dimensional portrait that is as believable as it is compelling... Funny, fiery and compassionate' * Reviews Hub *

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Book Synopsis'The world is stacked against women like me. But things are different now.' 1912. In an isolated house on the Sussex salt marshes, Connie Gifford lives with her father. Robbed of her childhood memories by a mysterious accident, she is haunted by fitful glimpses of her past – whilst her father has become a broken man, taking refuge in the bottle, since the closure of his once-legendary Museum of Avian Taxidermy. A strange woman has been seen in the graveyard – and a few miles away, two patients have, inexplicably, disappeared from the local asylum. As a major storm hits the coastline, old wounds are about to be opened as one woman, intent on revenge, attempts to liberate another from the horrifying crimes of the past. The Taxidermist's Daughter is a thrilling Gothic story of violence, retribution and justice, adapted for the stage by Kate Mosse from her own internationally best-selling novel, and first performed at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, directed by Róisín McBrinn. 'A superb, atmospheric thriller, its Gothic overtones commanding attention' Daily Mail on Kate Mosse's novel Trade Review'Mosse's adaptation of her blood-soaked novel delivers on chills' * Guardian *'Atmospheric and riveting... There are surprises and shocks at every turn' * British Theatre Guide *'Dark but thrilling' * Everything Theatre *

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Book Synopsis'They say Pericles caught democracy from you in bed.' Today, Socrates is revered as the founding father of Western philosophy. But in 399 BC Athens, he was a pain in the neck. The plague is over, democracy is (just about) restored, and everyone would like to get back to normal. How hard is it for one ageing firebrand to stop asking questions? It's time to shut him up... Based on eyewitness accounts, Howard Brenton's Cancelling Socrates is a provocative and witty play about an uncompromising voice in dangerous times. It was premiered at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in June 2022, directed by the venue's Artistic Director Tom Littler.Trade Review'A fascinating chamber play, an inspired combination of ancient and modern, high-flown rhetoric and gutter speech' * The Times *'A sly, smartly written new play that explores the limits of free speech and moral absolutism' * The Stage *'A cerebrally comedic look at the cryptic personality of Socrates and his ironic, deftly challenging approach to the law and life itself... a gripping and surprisingly funny play' * Broadway World *'A rich play of ideas... Brenton's script combines the ancient and modern so well that everyday profanities sit next to talk of slaves (ever so subtly ironised) and big philosophical ideas to create sparky, bathetic moments... [there are] clear, clever parallels to today... arresting and fiercely intelligent' * Guardian *'Howard Brenton's [play] looks delightfully like Up Pompeii! and has plenty of smart things to say... a buzzy hive of intellectual activity, swarming with witty repartee... asking big questions about faith and existence, the individual and the state, with the lightest of touches... a resonant warning from antiquity' * Telegraph *'Smart and sparkily topical... a sharp interrogation of the dangers of easy certainties' * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis'I think of my body sometimes like it's stubborn. We're not good friends. Like it's a spooky hotel, and I'm a ghost haunting it. 'Cause you don't live in a hotel, you just pass through.' When Daphne is diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency at the age of nineteen, her sister Christine steps in to help in the only way she knows how: by donating her eggs. For a while, the world seems corrected. But as the years go by – and Daphne sets out on the long road of IVF – the sisters' relationship begins to twist. Pennyroyal is a heartrending new play by Lucy Roslyn about sisterhood and motherhood, enduring love, and regrets many years in the making. Inspired by Edith Wharton's 1922 novella The Old Maid, it was premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2022, directed by Josh Roche.Trade Review'A small, but almost perfectly-formed, triumph... an astute study of the complexities of a sibling relationship... a very insightful piece of writing; the dialogue is natural, sharply humorous and engages the audience fully... beautiful, moving and thoughtful' * Broadway World *'Tender and intimate... Roslyn's writing is assured, and her play is a bittersweet delight' * Reviews Hub *'Beautifully written... very funny, poignant and surprisingly moving... a wonderful new play' * LondonTheatre1 *

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Book SynopsisIt’s club night and the tracks are spinning. Set against a backdrop of precarious lives in urban London, two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex, and losing their creative spark. Bangers follows the highs and lows of two strangers as they struggle with their own pasts, while hurtling towards each other’s futures. All the while, the DJ continues to play, dropping samples and words of wisdom. In the end, it’s not the last track that counts, but the one coming up next... Featuring original music inspired by early noughties and present-day R&B and Garage, Danusia Samal’s exhilarating play was first co-produced by Cardboard Citizens and Soho Theatre. It toured community venues across London, before a run at Soho Theatre, London, in 2022.Trade Review'A joyous party of a play... Galvanising and effortless, this is a must-see for music heads and non-music heads alike' * Guardian *'Samal is nothing short of a genius. Her writing is poetic, funny, lyrical and sharp. She cuts to the core of the most painful and exciting human experiences, dealing with love, sex, death, and all that comes with the struggle of being alive, with a deep kindness to the people whose stories she tells. Her writing is uplifting – it bubbles and fizzes, and the feeling she pours into it is infectious. You come away with a love of humanity and a grin on your face, humming the songs as you go.. a true masterpiece' * WhatsOnStage *'A fantastic night of lyrical and energetic storytelling' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisFive insomniacs try to make it through the night. From dusk to dawn, they struggle with a crisis in their lives which they must resolve by morning. Increasingly conscious of their shortening futures and lengthening pasts, they fill their nights with distracting activities, desperate sleep techniques, evaluations of their lives, delusions, fears, panics and utter foolishness as they prepare to face the day. Five Characters in Search of a Good Night's Sleep was conceived in response to the current public-health crisis of insomnia, with 30% of the UK population suffering from some form of sleep disturbance. It was created through a series of workshops, and first produced by ViSiBLE Theatre Ensemble at Southwark Playhouse, London, in 2022, directed by acclaimed director Mike Alfreds. ViSiBLE is dedicated to creating performance work that throws fresh perspectives on later life and living longer. Their work is created collaboratively, drawing on the creativity and talent of Britain's huge wealth of experienced older actors. The play is a fascinating insight into a condition that is widely experienced but little understood, and will provide valuable material for other actors – especially older ones – to perform.Trade Review'A masterclass in monologue… an interesting piece of theatre that encourages you to consider the torment of insomnia' * Upper Circle *'The writing is beautifully candid… it's refreshing to see older characters portrayed in a multi-faceted way that explores existentialism and humanity rather than stereotyping and defining them by their age' * North West End UK *'A great example of storytelling, with five sound monologues' * London Theatre Reviews *

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

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Book SynopsisTwo powerful plays about the shattering impact of war, and the astonishing resilience of those living through it, written by two of Ukraine's leading playwrights. 'They've mobilised all the living now, the fifth call took the last of the living. But the war keeps on. So high command asked us.' Sasha, a Colonel in the Ukrainian Army, has died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving his relatives Katia and Oksana to mourn for him. But a year later, as war intensifies, the army has resorted to recruiting the dead. Sasha is anxious to be resurrected so he can rejoin the fight, but can his family bear to lose him all over again? Take the Rubbish Out, Sasha by Natal'ya Vorozhbit blends reality and the supernatural in a startling exploration of the effects of war and conflict. 'I want to report a robbery... I was robbed. What was stolen from me? Almost everything... Home, land, car, work, friends, city, faith in goodness...' Donbas, 2014. A nameless woman stands in the street, trying to sell a basket of kittens. She has lost everything else she holds dear. Her only remaining hope is to find a home for the kittens, since she cannot offer them one herself. Pussycat in Memory of Darkness by Neda Nezhdana is an unflinching examination of Russia's war on Ukraine through the brutalised eyes of one woman. The two plays were translated by Sasha Dugdale and John Farndon, respectively, and performed in English at the Finborough Theatre, London, as part of their #VoicesFromUkraine season in 2022. 10% of the proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation, a Ukrainian charity providing urgently needed psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by the war in Ukraine.Trade Review'An extraordinary double bill of Ukrainian plays, which remind us of what is at stake in the conflict... Take the Rubbish Out, Sasha blends initially recognisable feelings of gut-wrenching grief, with the surreal sensation of what it must feel like to be at war. This is in part achieved through a beguiling magical-realist quality to Natal'ya Vorozhbit's writing. More than anything, though, this is a story of family and community, brought together by unbearable events... Pussycat in Memory of Darkness offers a potted recent history of Ukraine through the life of one nameless woman... extraordinary... a complex knot of emotion, moving from love and patriotism to pain and cynicism and, finally, overwhelmingly, to hate for her oppressors' * The Stage *'A masterful framing of a nation's tragedy... Take the Rubbish Out, Sasha is almost unbearably emotive... Vorozhbit's mix of naturalism and the supernatural, comedy and tragedy, works well... Neda Nezhdana's Pussycat in Memory of Darkness is an hour-long howl against the betrayals of Ukraine by Russia and Nato... A double bill that, for those unable to see it, also makes a revealing and affecting read in the paperback play-text' * Guardian *'Timely, enterprising, emotionally shattering, politically shaming' * TheatreCat *

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Book Synopsis'If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also.' A series of random nocturnal assaults in the back streets and alleyways of Victorian London are spreading fear and panic. Meanwhile, the friends of a highly respected doctor are beginning to wonder why he goes missing on exactly the same nights… Neil Bartlett's inventive, brilliantly theatrical adaptation cuts right to the heart of Robert Louis Stevenson's darkly fascinating tale of male violence, guilt and privilege. It premiered at Derby Theatre in 2022, directed by Artistic Director Sarah Brigham, before transferring to Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. Written for an ensemble and with several key roles for women, this adaptation will appeal to any theatre or company looking to thrill their audiences with a bold new take on this classic tale of murder and mayhem.Trade Review'Satisfyingly creepy... Neil Bartlett's adaptation is a bold one, emphasising themes of male power and privilege... it's eerily engaging' * The Stage *'Lays bare the rot at the heart of a beastly boys' club... this is a Jekyll and Hyde with all the Victorian creepiness you'd expect, but it is also a bitter commentary on the "slow cancer of disgrace" that eats away at a closed male society' * Guardian *'A clever interpretation... eerily sinister... retains some of Stevenson's classic lines and speaks to a contemporary audience... admirably succeeds on a number of levels' * British Theatre Guide *

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

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

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

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Book Synopsis'If you can cook, if you know flavour and taste and texture, people will pay you to do it. People always need to eat. Always.' They don't seem an obvious match. Joanne is spiky, defensive, a survivor; Paul is quiet, considered – and hiding profound grief for his father. But the pleasure he takes in cooking – and the astonishing food he prepares – creates a bond between them. When the hotel where they both work closes and they start to spiral into poverty, it throws everything up in the air – first their plans for a cookbook and a restaurant, and, eventually, even their dreams of a future together... Gareth Farr's play Biscuits for Breakfast is a tender, heartfelt drama about families – the ones we inherit and the ones we create – and the struggle to survive when times get tough. It opened at Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2023, directed by Tessa Walker.Trade Review'Sparks fly in a foodie love story... Gareth Farr's two-hander has energy and passion and fire' * The Times *'Powerful... a stirring two-hander about love of food and lack of food' * The Stage *'Compassionate and heartbreaking' * WhatsOnStage *'A deeply touching, yet defiantly unromantic relationship drama... paints a picture of a society in which ambitions are thwarted and ordinary working people are driven into poverty... Everything about Farr's play rings true and it should serve as a wake up call to anyone who is prone to taking comfortable lifestyles for granted' * Reviews Hub *'Stunning... an indelible experience that drips with raw emotion' * The Upcoming *'Very powerful... a vibrant, caustic explosive two-hander that takes no prisoners... a thoroughly entertaining and deeply moving show' * LondonTheatre1 *

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Book Synopsis'I am strength I am power I am courage I am revolution I am Amber Rai' Amber is trapped – by her family's rules and expectations, and by her own fears. But on the running track she feels free. As her body speeds up, the world slows down. And the tangled, mixed-up words in her head start to make sense... It's time to start a revolution: for her mother, for her sister, for herself. Run, Amber. Run. Manjeet Mann's multi-award-winning verse novel, Run, Rebel, about a young woman beginning to take control of her life, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2021 and won the CILIP Carnegie Shadowers Choice Award, a UKLA Book Award, a Diverse Book Award and the Sheffield Children's Book Award. This fast-paced, mesmerising stage version, adapted by the author, was first produced in 2023 by Pilot Theatre, with Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Derby Theatre and York Theatre Royal. This edition also contains a range of teaching materials and resources designed to help educators bring the play to life for their students. 'Mann's brilliant, coruscating verse novel lays out the anatomy of Amber's revolution, and the tentative first flowerings of hope and change' Guardian Trade Review'An empowering show for teenagers with a touch of Bend It Like Beckham... vividly captures the restlessness of being a teenager' * The Stage *'Strong storytelling... thought-provoking, involving and exciting' * BritishTheatre.com *'A superb adaptation... joyful, vibrant and full of life, with a genuine feel-good ending' * Reviews Hub *'A compelling, fast-paced play... there are a lot of opportunities for a cast of young performers to use their creativity in interpreting the text and deciding how it could be performed... a fresh, challenging and original text that is inspiring to read' * Drama & Theatre Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'I didn't expect it so soon, that's all. It made it seem so final, all our lives, those decisions all irreversible, immortalised in a slideshow to a Coldplay track.' Helen is forty when she loses her husband. Her daughter Becca is fifteen when her dad dies. Now it's just the two of them... what do they do next? Unfolding through snapshots of a relationship over forty years, Helen explores the threads which bind mother and daughter together, how they damage each other, and how they come to each other's rescue. A play for two actors – about love, grief, and getting ashes stuck to your trouser leg – Helen by Maureen Lennon was shortlisted for the 2020 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. It was first produced at Theatre503, London, in 2023, in a co-production with Terrain, a company dedicated to promoting Northern artists and the stories they tell. Trade Review'Powerful... wrenchingly sad... successfully captures that dislocating out-of-body feeling that can accompany profound grief, and there are some truthful moments of humour and tenderness, too' * The Stage *'Feels real... the dialogue is strong and natural... poignant with touches of humour' * Reviews Hub *'Brisk, intense and with a strong emotional hit' * London Pub Theatres *'A deeply poignant and profound look at how grief can impact a life... beautifully written... hugely recommended' * There Ought To Be Clowns *

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Book Synopsis'It was a tower block, but it was home.' The early hours of Wednesday 14 June 2017. The north-west corner of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. A twenty-four-storey residential tower. The scene of a national tragedy. This powerful verbatim play is drawn from the testimony of residents – a group of survivors and bereaved – at the heart of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It reveals the impact of the multiple failures that led to the most devastating residential fire in the UK since the Second World War, and asks: how do we stop this ever happening again? Startling, urgent and deeply moving, Grenfell: in the words of survivors explores the courage and resilience of an ill-treated community and their continued campaign for justice. Created from interviews by Gillian Slovo, the play was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in July 2023, co-directed by Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike. 10% of the net proceeds from sales of this book will be donated by the publisher to the Grenfell Foundation, who support the bereaved and survivors in the aftermath of the fire, as well as help them ensure Grenfell is remembered long into the future.Trade Review'Moving, heartfelt and important... a powerful piece of verbatim theatre that demands empathy, not sympathy' * Evening Standard *'An engulfing experience... harrowing but not sensational... Slovo's play is new and important. It is not only that she uses the words of survivors; it's that they are her collaborators. The result is an inquiry of the best sort – the most humane kind – on stage' * Observer *'A tour de force... deeply humane... infinitely more meaningful than dispassionate news footage... a tremendous piece of theatre' * Time Out *'Gripping... shocking... piles up devastating detail... an ensemble masterpiece' * Guardian *'Powerful' * Telegraph *'A visceral insight into a human tragedy' * The Times *'A powerful and necessary polemic... The details clutch at the throat and the heart... an urgent call to arms' * The Stage *'Powerful and harrowing... But alongside the anger, there is love' * WhatsOnStage *'Devastating' * iNews *'Terrifying' * Broadway World *'A masterpiece... verbatim theatre delivered to wrenching effect... The details are indelible' * Arts Desk *

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Book Synopsis'We are all the authors of our own love story.' Casey's new boyfriend Brett is handsome, romantic and devoted – a dream come true. He writes poetry! He makes quiche! For once in her life, Casey is in a relationship with a man who attends to her every whim and desire. But when her suspicious sister Cynthia starts digging into Brett's past, she threatens to take away the one good thing that's ever happened to Casey… Nancy Harris's play Somewhere Out There You is a romantic comedy with a twist, playfully unravelling the love stories we weave for ourselves and inviting us to question what compels us to tell them in the first place. It was first performed in 2023 at the Abbey Theatre, as part of Dublin Theatre Festival, directed by Wayne Jordan.Trade Review'Delightful... insightfully skewers the delusions and hypocrisies that are at the heart of most romantic relationships' * The Stage *'Bold and enjoyable' * Irish Times *'Sparkily original' * Irish Independent *'A refreshingly lighthearted comedy with some very funny lines and a Charlie Kaufmanesque twist... a warm and upbeat piece that makes you question the nature of love and its importance in our lives' * No More Workhorse *'Hilariously entertaining, with just a dash of romance, Somewhere Out There You is a laugh out loud delight. A perfect first date for hopeless romantics and the romantically hopeless' * Arts Review *

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Book SynopsisOn the surface, Michael and Cheryl have it all: a posh new home in suburban Belfast, good jobs, 2.4 pets. But things take a sinister turn when, living opposite a bonfire site, they unwittingly become the targets of a hate campaign involving missing animals, graffiti and explosions… Gary Mitchell's play Burnt Out is a blackly comic psychological thriller exposing the darker side of suburban life. It was first performed in 2023 at the Lyric Theatre Belfast, as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival. Gary Mitchell is a British playwright based in Northern Ireland. His plays, many of them political thrillers about contemporary life in Belfast, have been widely performed, and he has been called 'Northern Ireland's greatest playwright' (Guardian). 'His writing has the blazing conviction of lived experience combined with an unfashionable relish for strong plots. His best work has a stomach-churning intensity' Daily TelegraphTrade Review'A domestic psychodrama laced with menace and sardonic humour, informed by Mitchell's own experiences... genuinely shocking, with an explosive, surreal climax' * The Stage *'A potent portrait of a community marginalising itself' * British Theatre Guide *'An edgy black comedy that delves into the shadows of Belfast's suburban life... about the inexorable descent into nightmare and the vice-like grip that paramilitaries have on communities... a compelling watch that masterfully blends dark comedy with psychological horror' * Love Belfast *'Brilliant... a powerful, darkly comic and excellent play' * Belfast Media *'Will have you on the edge of your seat' * Belfast Live *'An incredible piece of theatre... a darkly humorous piece... The savagery always hits home... genuinely scary * Irish News *

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Book Synopsis'I like having things. I like having lots of things. It reminds me that I'm... Y'know? A person.' Alice is done with fast fashion. Ben can't stop buying trainers. And Charlie just wants to sell out… one organ at a time. Billie Collins's play Peak Stuff is a fast-paced, funny, fearless deep-dive into consumer culture. In an age of retail therapy, climate crisis and click and collect - how does our 'stuff' define us? And have we reached peak stuff? The play was commissioned by ThickSkin and Lawrence Batley Theatre, was a winner of the New Play Commission Scheme, and was first presented on tour of the UK in 2024.

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Book SynopsisA thrillingly adventurous adaptation of the beloved and radical story about the magic of nature and the nature of magic, premiered at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2024.

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