Search results for ""nick hern books""

'You're a wonder. You're a window into a wide world.' Scotland, 1504, seen fresh through the eyes of new arrivals Ellen and Anne, two Moorish women who were expected to take their place at a royal court… but not this one. Both women now have to fight to find and keep a place in the dazzling, dangerous world of the Scottish court of James IV. It's a world where war is never far away, words of love and promises of peace are not what they seem, and where poets might turn out to be more dangerous than any assassin. Rona Munro continues her journey through an uncharted period of Scottish history with James IV: Queen of the Fight, which was first presented in 2022 by Raw Material and Capital Theatres in association with National Theatre of Scotland, and directed by Laurie Sansom. It follows the spectacular success of Munro's plays about James I, II and III, which were first performed by National Theatre of Scotland, transferred to the National Theatre, London, and were named Best New Play at the Evening Standard Awards.

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'She made some very poor decisions. You tried to warn her. You love her yet, and that's a credit to you, but you need to think about what's best for Scotland...' It's 1567. James Melville is an intelligent, charismatic and skilled diplomat – and also one of the most loyal servants of Mary Stuart, the troubled Queen of Scots. It's a time of political turmoil, and the shocking crimes he has witnessed have shaken him. Now he needs to decide who's guilty, who's innocent, and who is too dangerous to accuse. Change is coming, but at what price? Mary is an explosive political thriller, and part of Rona Munro's breathtaking theatrical exploration of Scottish history. It is the sixth instalment of The James Plays Cycle which began with James I, II and III, performed by National Theatre of Scotland, including a run at the National Theatre in London, and which won the Evening Standard and Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2014, and James IV, co-produced by Raw Material and Capital Theatres in association with National Theatre of Scotland, in 2022. Mary received its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre, London, also in 2022, directed by Roxana Silbert.

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'There's somethin' about this house. Somethin' here. Somethin' in the walls. Its bones. Like DNA.' A family packs into a small house with a tangled history. Matt is here, yearning to reach someone he's lost. His cousin Jess is here, too; she just wants to feel something. Anything. And Aunt Monica and Jeff are still here, just about. Together, ferocious and funny, they laugh, they scrap, they remember. Tonight these four people, inextricably bound yet so far apart, will finally confront the old decisions that haunt them. How does a family make a future, when everything that holds it together lies in the past? Clive Judd's play Here is a tender, funny and utterly truthful story about family and feeling. It was premiered by Papatango at Southwark Playhouse, London, in November 2022 after winning the Papatango New Writing Prize, whose previous discoveries have gone on to win Olivier, Critics' Circle and OffWestEnd Awards and be performed worldwide.

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A small asteroid has hit the capital city. Thousands have been displaced. And in a town far away, a young man called Vin is finding it hard to talk. The only person who seems to notice is Rach, who resolves to find out what's troubling him and help him find his voice again. But when Rach's family take in an articulate and charismatic survivor of the asteroid incident, Vin's silence is no longer her first priority. How does it feel when the suffering of others seems more legitimate than our own? James Fritz's Lava is a timely play about grief and the power of expression, rocking with raw emotion and sharp humour. It premiered at Nottingham Playhouse in 2018, in a co-production with Fifth Word who commissioned the play. It was revived on tour in 2022, including a run at Soho Theatre, London.

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Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica. Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer. Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots. Three intimately connected stories, tracing the tangled history of Jamaica and Britain. Andrea Levy's epic novel, adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson, journeys from Jamaica to Britain in 1948 – the year that HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury. Small Island was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in 2019, in an acclaimed production directed by Rufus Norris. This revised edition of the play was published alongside the revival of the production in 2022.

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When 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 Madge

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If you could spend eternity with just one precious memory, what would it be? A group of strangers grapple with this impossible question as they find themselves in a bureaucratic waiting room between life and death. Encouraged by enigmatic officials, they must sift through their past lives to choose their forever. Adapted from Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning film, After Life is a surreal and powerfully human look at the way we view our lives, and a haunting meditation on what it is to live – and to die. Written by Jack Thorne from a concept by Bunny Christie, Jeremy Herrin and Thorne, After Life was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in June 2021. It was directed by Herrin, in a co-production with Headlong, by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.

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'Bein you means not bein me, see, a deficit already - before you even started we running at a loss.' Elayne doesn't want company but company won't leave her alone. Everyone's got an opinion but no one's listening and things are starting to slip. debbie tucker green's play nut is a drama about a woman who wants to withdraw from the world. It premiered at The Shed at the National Theatre in October 2013, directed by the author.

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The Nick Hern Books RSC Classics - a series of rarely performed plays from the 16th and 17th centuries, published alongside their resurrection by the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon and the West End. Resonating with echoes of Measure for Measure and Hamlet, John Marston's tragicomedy The Malcontent is a fabulous study of courtly intrigue, betrayal and jealousy. The true Duke of Genoa has lost his throne to the usurper, Pietro. The Duke returns to court in disguise to expose the corruption and regain his rightful office. This edition of the play is edited with an introduction by Peter Thomson and preface by Gregory Doran. The plays in the RSC Classics series reflect the diversity of styles, themes and subjects of the Elizabethan and Jacobean stage, and include a 'new' addition to the Shakespeare canon.

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Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Molière's most-admired comedy of manners, about a man whose quickness to criticise the flaws in others, and in himself, leads him into deep trouble. Alceste, the 'misanthrope', hates all mankind, and despairs of its hypocrisy and falseness. He believes that the world could be perfected if people were more honest with each other. But when his honesty starts to make him enemies, and the target of malicious gossips, it is his world and his life which suffer. The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover (Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux) was first performed in 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris. This English version, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is translated and introduced by Stephen Mulrine.

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Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Molière's story of a covetous old miser, obsessively protecting his hoard of gold and neglecting his long-suffering children. Harpagon is obsessed with the wealth he has amassed and always ready to save expenses. Now a widower, he has a son, Cléante, and a daughter, Élise. Although he is over sixty, he is attempting to marry his son's own sweetheart, Mariane. But it seems that Harpagon's pinchpenny paranoia is finally catching up with him – his gold is missing, and this time it might really have disappeared for good... The Miser was first performed in 1668, at the theatre of the Palais-Royal, Paris. This English version, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classic series, is translated and introduced by Martin Sorrell.

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Terence Rattigan's first play, published for the first time in this edition to mark the centenary of his birth. Written with his fellow student, Philip Heimann, while they were both at Oxford, First Episode shows an infatuated undergraduate, Tony, falling for Margot, an actress ten years his senior. And vice versa. Completing a triangle of rival affections is Tony's best friend, David. Originally staged at a small experimental theatre in Kew in 1933, First Episode transferred to the West End and then to New York. Rattigan was twenty-two years old. Though not revived since then, it is a candidate – with its cast of eight – for rediscovery, much as was the now-feted After the Dance. This edition in the Nick Hern Books Rattigan Collection includes an authoritative introduction by Rattigan scholar Dan Rebellato.

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Drama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta is a drama of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set on the island of Malta and taking place against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. The payments made by Malta to the Turks have fallen in arrears, and the Governor decrees that the entire sum should be paid by the Jews, or they will be forced to accept Christianity. When Barabas objects to this, his goods are seized and his house converted into a nunnery. Barabas embarks on an elaborate plan of revenge, but events do not go entirely his way... This edition of The Jew of Malta, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is edited and introduced by Peter J. Smith.

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A white-knuckle ride through a nightmare Dublin, where enemies and allies are interchangeable. First we meet Howie. He tells us how, one night, he gets caught up in a gang intent on beating up Rookie. He's supposed to be baby-sitting his five-year-old brother, but he goes just the same. They beat up Rookie. Howie returns to discover a horrible accident has happened to the little boy. Then we hear the story from Rookie's point of view... Mark O'Rowe's play Howie the Rookie was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in February 1999. It won the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

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A brilliant and painfully truthful portrait of Stanley Spencer, the wayward genius of modern British painting. Coming from humble origins, Stanley Spencer never lost his 'rough edges', despite being taken up by the smart set. His stubborn championing of ordinary people and local places as suitable subjects for religious painting was revolutionary. His appetite for life was hugely attractive, though his attitude to women in general and his long-suffering wife in particular was deeply selfish: 'Why can't I have two wives if that's what I need?' Pam Gems' play Stanley was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in February 1996, directed by John Caird and featuring Antony Sher as Stanley. The play won Best Play at the 1996 Evening Standard Awards, and Best New Play at the 1997 Olivier Awards.

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A play about joy and heartbreak, quarries and transmat beams. When Oli arrives at now-forgotten sci-fi icon Marianne's door, he's looking for an autograph – and maybe a friend. Marianne's hoping for the phone to ring, for her best friend to see her differently, for her turn at something more substantial than a half-remembered role on a cult TV show. As they start to explore each other's worlds, they begin to discover what every good relationship needs: time and space. Exploring the complexities of connection, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, and the contrast in lived experiences across generations, Dark Sublime is a love-letter to British sci-fi television – those that make it and those that adore it. Michael Dennis's debut play premiered at Trafalgar Studios in London's West End in 2019, directed by Andrew Keates and starring Marina Sirtis, best known for appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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A moving, bittersweet play from the writer of the classic comedy My Night with Reg. Set over a series of summer evenings in the 1960s and the present day, Twilight Song traces one family's hidden liaisons over half a century. A mysterious stranger turns up in their past and present – could he be the missing piece of the jigsaw they've been yearning for? Hilarious and heartbreaking, Kevin Elyot's evocative final play proves how powerful our past can be in the present. Twilight Song premiered at Park Theatre, London, in 2017.

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It's 1979, rubbish is on the streets of Bristol, and it's tricky being Fiz. She's thirteen, she's got no money, her sister's pregnant and her mum thinks she's a waste of space... Rick remembers what it's like to be a teenager. So he thinks it won't take much to get a bunch of kids to help him build a playground out of junk. He's wrong. It takes everything he's got. But when it's finished, it's going to be something. It's going to be everything... Jack Thorne's honest and witty Junkyard, with music by Stephen Warbeck, premiered in 2017 in a co-production between Headlong, Bristol Old Vic, Rose Theatre Kingston and Theatr Clwyd, and directed by Jeremy Herrin.

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‘Spiders are scary. Terrorists are scary. Cancer is really scary. But… monogamy?’ A comic play about sex and commitment in the 21st century. Rafe and Pete have hit a rut. After seven-and-a-half blissfully happy years, their lack of sexual experience is driving them apart. So when they proposition mutual friend Michael to help out with their problems – knowing full well that Michael has his own partner Andrew – what seems like a simple solution quickly spirals out of control. Jake Brunger's Four Play premiered at Theatre503, London, in February 2016.

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Philip Massinger's 1632 play reworks Shakespeare's Measure for Measure as a waspish city comedy intended to attack the vices of hypocrisy, greed, self-indulgence and social pretension.

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A fast-paced and astute satire exposing just how far people go for the highest-risk jobs in the City. Pressure is mounting on the bond traders' floor. Millions stand to be lost or won. Jess is playing FTSE with the clients, PJ's practising his poker face for bonus day, and superstar trader Donny's in danger of losing his crown to the new boy. Could they be headed for more than a financial crisis? Steve Thompson's play Roaring Trade was first staged by Paines Plough and Soho Theatre at Soho Theatre, London, in 2009.

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Helen, along with sixty-seven million other people, is in lockdown. Unfortunately, Helen's neighbour, Mrs Delgado, is not. Mike Bartlett's funny and poignant play for one actor tells a story of desire, control, raised blinds and lowered boundaries. Mrs Delgado was first performed by Ellen Robertson and directed by Clare Lizzimore in December 2021 at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, where Bartlett's play Snowflake premiered to critical acclaim. This edition also includes the monologue Phoenix, a powerful story of fire and destruction, self-deceit and the corrosion of trust. Phoenix was first performed in 2020 by Bertie Carvel as an audio drama, part of English Touring Theatre and Headlong's Signal Fires storytelling project.

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In Stacy, the sole protagonist finds life confusing in a world of unwritten rules. If there’s no one around to tell him right from wrong, he just has to guess. But he’s never been very lucky, and sometimes he gets his guesses very wrong. Fanny and Faggot presents two distinct moments in the life of Mary Bell.

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Rudyard Kipling's classic jungle tales, in an acclaimed stage adaptation by Stuart Paterson, 'a master of children's theatre' (Scotsman). Saved from the jaws of Shere Khan the tiger, Mowgli must learn the Laws of the Jungle from Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther to survive. A brave little man cub grows into a confident and care-free young boy, but danger is never far away and Shere Khan is hungry for revenge. As Mowgli faces each peril and pitfall, he must decide whether he belongs in the world of men or with the animal kingdom. Stuart Paterson reimagines Kipling's much-loved stories for a new generation in a vibrant, colourful family adventure that's full of surprises. This adaptation was first staged by Birmingham Stage Company in 2004.

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An exuberant comedy about four likely lasses from the Hull fish docks on a day trip to the races, from the author of Be My Baby. Work, love and life are just one long, hard slog for the fish-filleting foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda. But their fortunes are set to change when Linda finds tickets to Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot the year it relocated to York. Out go the hairnets, overalls and wellies as the four ditch work, do themselves up to the nines and head off to the races for a drink, a flirt and a flutter. If their luck holds, they could hit the jackpot - and more besides... Amanda Whittington's play Ladies’ Day premiered at Hull Truck Theatre in 2005 and has been revived many times since, including at the Royal Court in Liverpool and the Oldham Coliseum. Ladies' Day is the first in Amanda Whittington's Ladies Trilogy, and is followed by Ladies Down Under (Hull Truck, 2007) and Ladies Unleashed (Hull Truck, 2022), all featuring the same four principal characters, Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda.

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The Shakespeare Folios series - offering the absolute authenticity of the First Folio in a totally accessible form. 'A quite wonderful idea... So blindingly obvious, I can't understand why nobody had thought of it before. I will certainly use the texts myself' - Peter Hall This edition accurately reproduces the text of the Shakespeare First Folio (1623), but in modern type. At a stroke the dust of ages is blown away and what Shakespeare actually intended is revealed to modern readers. Now Shakespeareans everywhere - students, actors, directors - can see for themselves what the Folio really says. As a further aid to understanding, on each opposing page the same text appears in a fully modernised version - a useful safety net whenever the Folio becomes problematic. Each volume also contains: - an introduction to the particular play - textual notes - an appendix giving variant versions from the Quarto where appropriate - a facsimile page from the First Folio

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A treasure trove of drama games and exercises, House of Games has proved itself an immensely valuable resource for teachers, theatre directors and drama workshop leaders. Following on from Keith Johnstone's famous Impro and Augusto Boal's Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Chris Johnston's book provides ideas and guidance for drama groups of all kinds.

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A poignant drama about attitudes to teenage pregnancy in 1960s Britain. Mary Adams, aged 19, is unmarried and seven months pregnant. Forcibly sent to a Mother-and-Baby Home in the north of England by a mother intent on keeping up appearances, Mary – along with the other girls in the home – has to cope with both the shame and the dawning realisation that she will have to give the baby up for adoption whether she likes it or not. Despite this – and an overbearing matron – the girls' youthful effervescence keeps breaking through as they sing along to the girl-group songs of the period. Amanda Whittington's hugely touching play Be My Baby was first performed by Soho Theatre Company at the Pleasance Theatre, London, in 1998. This edition of Be My Baby includes new scenes added for several successful revivals of the play.

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An epic and provocative play about multi-racial Britain, from the UK's leading political playwright. When the District Council of Wyverdale fails to satisfy a government audit, New Labour high-flyer Alex Clifton is despatched from the capital to formulate a robust recovery plan. But racial tensions soar and good intentions have fatal consequences, as what begins as a comedy of misunderstanding soon becomes a chilling drama about multicultural Britain. David Edgar's play Playing With Fire was first staged at the National Theatre, London, in 2005. This edition includes an Afterword by the author.

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‘One no more owes one’s beauty to a lover, than one’s wit to an echo.’ With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the republican ban on organised theatre was lifted – and plays exploded back onto the public stage with newfound relish. The arrival of actresses for the first time encouraged a great sense of release, which expressed itself in the form of sophisticated comedies exploring the sexual behaviour and moralities of society. This volume features three of the most popular Restoration Comedies: The Country Wife by William Wycherley - a supremely bawdy comedy in which the aptly named Horner pretends to be a eunuch in order to seduce women under the noses of their husbands. The Way of the World by William Congreve - a brilliant comedy of manners, complete with dashing suitor, rich heiress and vengeful aunt. The Rover by Aphra Behn - the classic Restoration comedy by one of the earliest and most celebrated female playwrights. There is also a full introduction about the plays, playwrights and the period, and a glossary of unfamiliar words. The Drama Classic Collections bring together the most popular plays from a single author or a particular period. They offer students, actors and theatregoers a series of uncluttered, accessible editions, accompanied by comprehensive introductions.

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A brilliant, haunting play from the multi-award winning author of The Weir. Ian has left the priesthood to become a therapist. John is one of his first clients. John's wife has been killed in a car accident, and he keeps receiving visits from her ghost. John, with Ian's help, starts to recover. But what begins as an unusual encounter becomes a desperate struggle between the living and the dead – a struggle which will shape and define both of them for the rest of their lives. Conor McPherson's play Shining City was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in June 2004.

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A tough but vulnerable play about our crumbling social fabric - and the people who have to pick up the pieces. Protection is a behind-the-scenes look at a team of social workers and their 'clients' in Britain's most misunderstood public service. Angela breaks the rules to get things done - her way. Shirley misses the old days, when protection came without a price. Their manager, Gordon, is screwing Angela whilst busy claiming on expenses. And for newcomer Grace, it's a struggle simply not to piss anyone off. Fin Kennedy's play was first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in 2003.

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An enthralling drama about the man who killed Hendrik Verwoerd, President of South Africa and the architect of South African apartheid. Written by the acclaimed actor and author of Year of the King. I.D. tells the true story of how Demetrios Tsafendas came to assassinate Verwoerd. Of mixed parentage, but classified as "White", Tsafendas is unable to marry the woman he loves because she is classified as "Coloured". Sickened by this injustice and goaded by his monstrous alter ego, Tsafendas stabs Verwoerd on the floor of the House in full view of his wife, his bodyguard and a chamber full of MPs. Antony Sher's play I.D. was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in September 2003 with Sher in the role of Tsafendas. The play was inspired by the book A Mouthful of Glass by Henk van Woerden.

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A gripping play about the nature of violence. 15-year-old Kerry and her mum have moved to a council estate. Kerry hates it. She hates her mum's new man too. But when she meets a boy in the playground and asks him to do something about it, she finds herself adrift in a landscape of physical brutality, drugs - and, eventually, love. Robert Holman's play Holes in the Skin was first performed at the Chichester Festival Theatre in June 2003.

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The hit show from Shared Experience Theatre Company based on the tortured and passionate life of Jean Rhys and her most famous book, Wide Sargasso Sea, the prequel to Jane Eyre. In Wide Sargasso Sea – 'one of the works of genius of the 20th century' The Times – Jean Rhys first gave voice to Bertha Mason, Mr Rochester’s first wife in Jane Eyre. Polly Teale's play is a dramatisation of Rhys’ life, placing Bertha on stage throughout as Jean’s alter ego, and giving full vent to her obsession with the 'mad woman in the attic'. After Mrs Rochester was first staged at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in July 2003 by Shared Experience Theatre Company.

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The highly regarded actor training manual by top movement teacher Anne Dennis. This inspirational and instructive book shows how actors can use their body to be as expressive and 'articulate' as they are with words. It attempts to rethink and analyse the actor's physical needs, offering a graded series of exercises aimed at realising those needs and making the body fully articulate as a medium of expression. The book will also be of use to teachers, directors, movement directors and choreographers.

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A fascinating investigation into the wellsprings of improvisation in theatre, dance and music, from the author of the influential House of Games. Packed with exercises and practical techniques, The Improvisation Game explores how improvisation can be used both to create performance and as an end in itself. It reveals the techniques, structures and methods used by key practitioners in the field of improvised drama, music and dance – amongst them Keith Johnstone (author of Impro), Max Stafford-Clark (Out of Joint), Phelim McDermott (Improbable Theatre), Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment), John Wright (Trestle, Told by an Idiot) and Robert Lepage. The book also looks at many famous traditions, events and performances with improvisation at their core, ranging from the Living Theatre to the Scratch Orchestra, from John Cage to Lenny Bruce, and seeks to draw out their significance in the always evolving world of improvisation.

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The Shakespeare Folios series - offering the absolute authenticity of the First Folio in a totally accessible form. 'A quite wonderful idea... So blindingly obvious, I can't understand why nobody had thought of it before. I will certainly use the texts myself' - Peter Hall This edition accurately reproduces the text of the Shakespeare First Folio (1623), but in modern type. At a stroke the dust of ages is blown away and what Shakespeare actually intended is revealed to modern readers. Now Shakespeareans everywhere - students, actors, directors - can see for themselves what the Folio really says. As a further aid to understanding, on each opposing page the same text appears in a fully modernised version - a useful safety net whenever the Folio becomes problematic. Each volume also contains: - an introduction to the particular play - textual notes - an appendix giving variant versions from the Quarto where appropriate - a facsimile page from the First Folio

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Two early plays from the acclaimed Irish writer Enda Walsh. bedbound is a ferocious two-hander about a father-daughter relationship gone horribly and terrifyingly wrong. bedbound was first performed at The New Theatre, Dublin, as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival 2000. It received its UK premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was revived at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, in January 2002. misterman is a strange and haunting monologue about a missionary who'll stop at nothing. misterman was first performed by Enda Walsh in a Corcadorca Theatre Company production at the Granary Theatre in Cork in April 1999, directed by Pat Kiernan. A later version was produced by Landmark Productions and Galway Arts Festival, and performed at the Black Box Theatre, Galway, as part of the Galway Arts Festival, in July 2011.

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A timely, provocative and witty look at the campaign to redefine Britishness for a multicultural society. Who is head of the Church of England? How many members are there in the Welsh Assembly? What is the main function of the Council of Europe? Emma is a dedicated ESOL teacher (English for Speakers of Other Languages), teaching British citizenship to people from Somalia, Serbia, the Congo, India and Egypt. At the same time, Tetyana, Mahmood and Chong have their own, very different reasons for wanting to pass the citizenship test. As the Home Office worries away at the questions in the test, Emma faces a challenge to her deepest-held beliefs. David Edgar's play Testing the Echo was first staged by Out of Joint on a UK tour in 2008.

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A dark fable of the emotionally stultifying effects of small-town life, from the author of Disco Pigs and The Walworth Farce. Three sisters in a remote fishing village, trapped in the years that have passed since their halcyon days at The New Electric Ballroom, are still obsessed by darker memories of something resembling romance. Enda Walsh's play The New Electric Ballroom was first staged by Druid Theatre Company at the Galway Arts Festival in July 2008 and later at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The production won an Edinburgh Fringe First Award and was revived on tour in 2009.

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A deliciously wicked comedy that proves that the female of the species is not only deadlier, but funnier than the male. From the author of the West End-hit, Honour. Thirty years ago Margot Mason, pioneer of the 1970's Women's Liberation movement and fearless academic, wrote her groundbreaking work, The Cerebral Vagina. Numerous best-sellers and international adulation followed, but now she has writer's block. As she sits in her country house struggling with a deadline, in walks Molly Rivers, student, idealist and daughter of one of Margot's most dedicated followers. Initially flattered, Margot is less pleased when Molly handcuffs her to the desk and pulls a gun... Joanna Murray-Smith's play The Female of the Species was premiered in Melbourne, Australia, in 2006. This revised version was premiered at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End in 2008.

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Nicholas Wright's version of Wedekind's celebrated erotic masterpiece is the first to be based on the author's original text, restoring the clarity, the daring and the sexual explicitness of a modern masterpiece written a hundred years before its time. Lulu is the story of the decline and fall of a young woman possessed of a fatal combination of sexuality and innocence. She passes from German and Parisian high society to the streets of Jack the Ripper's London – destroying, and ultimately destroyed by, her lovers. Wedekind originally wrote his extraordinary 'monster tragedy' a full twenty years before the First World War. Finding no-one prepared to stage it on account of its sexual candour, he toned it down and rewrote it as two full-length dramas, which is how The Lulu Plays were published and produced throughout most of the twentieth century. Nicholas Wright's version, based on Wedekind's original text, reveals the author's original conception for the play. It was premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2001.

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A comedy drama set in the seedily glamorous world of 17th-century London theatre. John Shank is an actor, talent-scout and trainer of boy players in the 1630s, when women's roles are still played by precocious boys. Up to his eyes in debt, Shank's only hope of escaping destitution is an unpromising 14-year-old would-be, Stephen Hammerton. Can he train up Stephen to be the new star of the London stage? Nicholas Wright's play Cressida was first performed at the Albery Theatre, London, in 2000, in a production by the Almeida Theatre.

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A re-invention of George Eliot's classic story of loss, tragedy and the relentless nature of fate. Outgrowing - but still hopelessly devoted to - her family, Maggie befriends the disfigured Phillip Wakem, son of a local lawyer. But their fathers become embroiled in a bitter legal dispute that only the prosperous Wakem can win, and the Tullivers find fate dealing them the first harsh hand of many. With their father dead, the family must face up to their cold future together. Helen Edmundson's stage adaptation of George Eliot's novel The Mill on the Floss was first performed by Shared Experience Theatre Company in 1994.

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Part Two of the two-part Angels in America, Tony Kushner's epic drama set during the Reagan years in America - now recognised as one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century. Perestroika picks up the stories of Prior and Cohn from Part One: Millennium Approaches. Prior, overwhelmed by the responsibilties of 'prophet' placed on him by the angels, wishes that they would leave him alone. Cohn, now dying from the virus, continues to manipulate the system from his hospital bed. But who is left to look after them now? And does anyone still care? With a climax as bittersweet as it is beautiful, we are left wondering who the real angels are in a disparate world. Perestroika was premiered in November 1992 in a production by the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, directed by Oskar Eustis and Tony Taccone. In November 1993 it received its London debut in a National Theatre production on the Cottesloe stage, in repertory with a revival of Millennium Approaches, again directed by Declan Donnellan. Perestroika won the 1994 Tony Award for Best Play.

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