Search results for ""aurora metro publications""

Foreword by Sir Ken Robinson 50 Best Plays is for students and lovers of theatre, parents and politicians, teachers and actors, a guide to progress over 50 years in a field of theatre dedicated to children and young people. 50 Best Plays is based on Vicky Ireland's and Paul Harman's extensive working knowledge of playwriting and production in England and celebrates the wonderful work created all over the UK. At the book's heart is a detailed listing of 50 plays by English playwrights chosen by their contemporaries which have most influenced those working professionally to make theatre for young audiences in England today. It describes a journey during which many attitudes towards education and the arts have changed, much has been learned and maybe too much forgotten. Today, worldwide, practitioners in participatory or immersive theatre are working with children and young people, exploring their real world with them and helping them to express that experience through theatre. New generations of theatre-makers will find this book a useful signpost to sources of inspiration in their future work for young audiences. Celebrates the pioneers who helped establish and nurture the Theatre for Young Audiences sector in England over 50 years of original theatre Compiled by two leading practitioners, this one-stop resource is of interest to parents, teachers, theatre professionals and/or arts administrators, and others interested in professional theatre for young audiences. Launched at the 2016 World Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences, 'On the Edge', in Birmingham, UK. 2015 marked 50 years of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (known by its French acronym, ASSITEJ). From a handful of European countries, ASSITEJ has grown to be a presence in over 80 countries in every continent, promoting the right of every child to experience theatre. 1965 was also the year in which a remarkable and unique experiment combining drama, theatre and education, known as Theatre in Education, began in the UK, in Coventry.

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A powerful and disturbing novel that deals with eating disorders and the shadow of the past. “I did it so they'd stop me,” Emma said, when she was caught stealing biscuits from a supermarket. But Emma is hiding behind her tough words and her waif-like body... Emma is sixteen and anorexic. Why does she do it? Is it her parents' indifference, the long family silences, the lies they tell each other? Emma wants to know. She wants to understand. When she discovers an old notebook in her grand-parents' house, disturbing secrets emerge that demand an answer.

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Between Valentine’s day and first day of winter, three lads and an ancient and mischievous shapeshifter collide repeatedly. One lad carries an urn, literally unable to let go of their best friend’s ashes; the second is homeless because he came out as bi; the third has no recourse to public funds. As they dodge a system that engulfs and traumatises, can the mythical and ancient beira help them still the glitch in their broken minds? An epic story of life, death, and everything in between, mad(e) is a passionate, exhilarating and uniquely theatrical commentary on masculinity and young men’s mental health, co-created with boys and young men nationally. Ultimately, it is about healing, informed by the playwright’s own lived-experiences.

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August 1914: Germany declares war. The British military recruitment drive for World War I swings into action, and young women shame the young men who don't join up as cowards. Moving to the trenches, the play portrays the shock and tedium of those caught up in the terrible conflict, from the ordinary soldier, to volunteer nurses, to the officers faced with an impossible task of winning a few yards of territory on the battlefield. Getting home-leave to "Blighty" becomes an essential respite for war-weary young soldiers who long to escape from the trauma of their experiences.

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Bored by religious instruction and painting lessons, a group of friends at a convent school spend their days dreaming of romance, fashion and the latest gramophone records. One by one, they give up their visions of adventure and submit to provincial life, marrying for money and status, like their mothers before them. Plain, jaundiced Lucretia, becomes the envy of her friends when Paul, a glamorous dandy proposes, but she hides a shocking secret that will destroy their marriage and expose them to scandal. Only Adriana Dunea, the most beautiful and talented girl in the school seems destined for happiness with her childhood sweetheart, Gelu. But everything changes when, on a trip to Bucharest, she meets Cello Viorin, a famous composer...

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The Portuguese visual artist Paula Rego has inspired this trilogy of plays. Her paintings CrivellI's Garden, The Prey and Breaking China became the catalyst for writing by theatre maker Fiona Graham. Commissioned by Theatre Centre and Komedia, these three new plays were developed for specific audiences through a series of artist/audience residencies and collaborations. These works have toured Britain and been re-staged in Portugal and Singapore. Crivellis's Garden was created for a 16+ audience and explores rites of passage as two young women decide whether they should stay or leave their fishing village to go to university in Portugal. Between Friends is for 7 -11 year olds and examines the politics of friendship between three young people when they are shipwrecked and abandoned in a lighthouse. Breaking China is for 4-8 year olds and shows the importance of creative play and storytelling when making sense of change and adversity.

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It's New Zealand, 1914, and the biggest war the world has known has just broken out in Europe. William eagerly enlists for the army but his younger brother, Edmund, is a conscientious objector and refuses to fight. While William trains to be a soldier, Edmund is arrested. Both brothers will end up on the bloody battlefields of France, but their journeys there are very different. And what they experience at the front line will challenge the beliefs that led them there.

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Follow Inigo (Ignatius of Loyola) from ambitious, hot-headed, street-fighting sensualist to his co-founding, (with a radical group of young friends), the Society of Jesus in the sixteenth century. In Moore's bold, visceral, funny and poetic play, he asserts Loyola's position as counter-cultural radical. But it is not only for those interested in Ignatius Loyola and the Jesuits. It is also a political allegory about those who fight for change against an implacable Establishment. With the current Pope a Jesuit, this is a timely exploration of one of history's major spiritual leaders and reformers: a story of a spiritual journey from sinner to saint. Published in conjunction with the play's run at the Pleasance Theatre, London in May 2015, the play explores the life and times of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Of special interest to Catholic schools and Colleges, in particular with the current pope a Jesuit. The play has now been translated into Spanish.

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* Launched in conjunction with the Tara Theatre's production in London prior to national tour. * From acclaimed playwright Sean Burn Time Out Play of the Year 2004, Peggy Ramsay Foundation Award 2006, Dadafest. * Shortlisted Artist 2009, BBC's Alfred Bradley Bursary Award. * This hard-hitting play celebrates the diversity of our society in which one in four experience mental ill-health. * Ideal for use in schools, colleges, youth theatres, amateur and community groups

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• A wide-ranging collection of plays by women dealing with contemporary subjects such as child abuse, recession, war, poverty and the complexity of modern women's lives. • Many roles for women and girls; suitable for study for performance or as part of courses in Women's Studies or Feminist Theatre Studies. • All the plays have been produced and performed in the UK to acclaim.

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In this thorough exploration of the history and spread of Americana Music around the world, Ralph Brookfield goes beyond the headlines to uncover what drives singer songwriters to go to Nashville, play in small clubs and create their music against the increasingly difficult backdrop of Covid-19, dwindling recording revenues and fragmentation of the music industry. With so many music venues closed and incomes reduced, musicians speak of their hopes and fears for the future of the industry in challenging times. Based on numerous interviews with leading musicians and music industry professionals, this book explores the illusive genre and movement that is Americana. From its historical roots in Country, Folk and other rebel music, the story of Americana music is told by those who are taking it in new directions today. Extracts from interviews with: Emily Barker, Yola, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Dave Cobb, Paul Kelly, Lindi Ortega, Wildwood Kin and many more. --Publisher "Publisher website"

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With an overview of the history of women in sport, by Sport Historian Professor Jean Williams, this book celebrates our female sports pioneers and legends as well as featuring insightful interviews with over 25 women in sport today. Full colour illustrated hardback.

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NEW EDITION IN PAPERBACK to coincide with a new project to unveil a statue of the author in Richmond on Thames in 2022 "I ought to be grateful to Richmond & Hogarth, and indeed, whether it's my invincible optimism or not, I am grateful." - Virginia Woolf Although more commonly associated with Bloomsbury, Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf lived in Richmond-upon-Thames for ten years from the time of the First World War (1914-1924). Refuting the common misconception that she disliked the town, this book explores her daily habits as well as her intimate thoughts while living at the pretty house she came to love - Hogarth House. Drawing on information from her many letters and diaries, as well as Leonard's autobiography, the editor reveals how Richmond's relaxed way of life came to influence the writer, from her experimentation as a novelist to her work with her husband and the Hogarth Press, from her relationships with her servants to her many famous visitors.

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A unique anthology of short stories and poetry by feminist contemporaries of Virginia Woolf, who were writing about work, discrimination, war, relationships and love in the early part of the 20th Century. Includes works by English and American writers Zelda Fitzgerald, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, Radclyffe Hall, Katherine Mansfield, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf, alongside their recently rediscovered 'sisters' from around the world. This book offers a diverse and international array of over 20 literary gems from women writers living in Bulgaria, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Italy, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.

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Princess, poet, pacifist ... and World War II spy. The enigmatic, indefinable Noor Inayat Khan was an unlikely recruit to the SOE as an undercover wireless operator. How did she face off fascism with such courage and resilience and evade capture longer than any of her counterparts? Noor's moving and inspirational story takes us across borders and time into a shadowy world of espionage, as British officer Vera Atkins and Gestapo Major Hans Kieffer trade secrets to uncover the woman behind the code names. From her Sufi mysticism to her astonishing creativity, Noor's individuality was ultimately her greatest strength. Reviews of previous work: "... an incredible new voice; witty and wise." - Adele Parks "...some of the best, cutting edge Asian theatre." - The Herald, Scotland

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1995: Brightlingsea, a small port in rural Essex. Two women, Alice and Linda, wake up to find lorries thundering through their town, carrying live animals in horrendous conditions for export. Although from very different worlds, the pair unite to try to stop the lorries. They become unlikely friends, facing arrest and police brutality amidst the protests, while also dealing with the pressures of motherhood. When one of their group dies, things start to unravel, as they are forced to face the differences between them. Timely and lyrical, Humane is a play about activism, friendship and motherhood and the values that unite and divide us.

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At the end of the war, Nell is released from an internment camp in Indonesia. While searching for her father in the chaos, she meets and becomes close to Tim, who is looking for his family too. Nell's journey takes her first to Singapore then to a new life and new friends in Australia. Finally, she has a ticket to visit her father in the Netherlands. But will Nell really be able to settle there - and will she ever see Tim again? Based on a true story, this is an exciting tale of courage and friendship, hope and determination, about the search for love and a place to finally call home.

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In 1988, 14-year-old Michael comes out as gay. Later he returns as a teacher. In the background: the notorious Section 28 of Thatcher’s Local Government Act, which prohibited schools from “promoting homosexuality” . The narrative of the play spans from 1988 to 2003.

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• New 'totally captivating' stage version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. • Two original stage plays about World War I and transportation to the colonies. • Suitable for professional productions to family audiences, or for students, amateur groups and youth theatres to perform.

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A Girl with a Book and Other Plays brings together four plays for young people by acclaimed playwright Nick Wood. Topical and wide-ranging, they concern refugees, friendship, loss and courage.

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Imagine swapping places with a monster for day... A funny and thrilling play for children (aged 6+) about friendship and facing up to your fears. Ben has a BIG problemo. His best friend Vince has stolen his precious binoculars, his Dad is far, far away... oh, and there's a monster under his bed. But when Ben swaps places with the underbed monster, Ben's life - and his school - is turned inside out, and upside down. First presented as a staged reading in April 2008, at the John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C, USA, as part of New Visions/New Voices. First produced at Polka Theatre, 6 June 2009. North American premiere at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Toronto, March 2010. Resources for teachers and parents: Polka Theatre's free Monster Under the Bed Activity Pack download contains activities for you to do with your children after you have seen and/or read the play. Most of these exercises are drama based and are good for developing speaking and listening skills. All of the exercises are suitable for both KS1 and KS2 pupils. Watch Allen MacInnis, Artistic Director of Young People's Theatre (Toronto), talk about the play https://youtu.be/sYyqA6rR7F8.

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Ang Lee came to the forein the 1990s as one of the 'second wave' of Taiwanese directors. After studying at NewYork University, Lee returned to Taiwan where he directed Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman. Austen's Sense And Sensibility was a tremendous critical and commercial success. But it was his triumphant return to the East with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which has transformed him into an internationally successful director.

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An exciting adventure story and children's allegory about the realities of death, power and allegiance. Somewhere beyond the rain, the wind and the stars, and as far from the Earth as it's possible to be, there was a town so old that no one can remember how or when it began. It was a town where everyone stayed exactly the same, a town where no one grew older, a town surrounded by a million miles of yellow corn, which was so strange that if you went in, you disappeared immediately. And perhaps Thistown would have always stayed the same if they hadn't found The Sleeping Man. He changed everything...Forever.

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Shortlisted for the Saga Award for Wit A darkly satirical vision of a society in which a political party conspires to stay in power at all costs . Grace Fry, bold and beautiful Minister for Women, discovers a plot to suppress the truth by means of spin, murder and manipulation. With her own life in danger, will she dare to speak out or be seduced by the promise of a post at the top table?

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Time Out Critics' Choice. Featured on BBC TV, Choice FM and local radio. Randoulph is in hospital, a convicted murderer. His doctor unravels the incidents leading to the murder and his mental collapse. The play raises questions about the way black people are perceived and treated in the mental health system.

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Award-winning playwright Jonathan Moore has been described as a "singular voice for his generation: furious, nihilistic, poetic..." (Time Out). This anthology brings together three of his critically acclaimed plays, including: This Other Eden, Fall From Light, and Treatment.

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Celebrating 10 years of the London New Play Festival, featuring six plays: Wild Turkey by Joe Penhall: Two small businessmen struggle to keep their flagging burger bar afloat, in the face of increasingly savage and bizarre forces. Everlasting Rose by Judy Upton: Terrified of ageing, a caravan Casanova changes wives every decade, until a woman of the 90's challenges his routine. Strindberg Knew My Father by Mark Jenkins: Life becomes farce as Strindberg loses control over his characters while writing 'Miss Julie'. In the Fields of Aceldama by Naomi Wallace: When their only child dies in an accident, Mattie and Henry draw on her spirited past to find the strength to go on. Two Horsemen by Biyi Bandele: Baja and Langbaja trade stories about life, sex and god in a run-down shack. Will their stories sustain them, or trap them forever? Maison Splendide by Laura Bridgetman: House-sitting for gangsters, Honey and Moon enact a 'let's pretend' lesbian white wedding, parodying suburban customs.

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DARK TALES IN WINTER adapted for the stage by Matt Beames & Hannah Torrance A mysterious door that will not close... A haunted railwayman at his lonely post... A chilling presence haunts a quiet household... A black cat reveals a grim secret... A collection of four classic ghost stories by masters of the genre, each newly adapted for the stage. Each tale can be enacted by a single performer and together they make for a chilling evening of ghostly tales. Features: The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens The Shadow by E. Nesbit The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe

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Original by Charles Dickens Adapted for the stage by Charles Way Dominated by Gradgrind and Bounderby, Coketown's prosperity is built on the cotton mills where thousands of men and women slave away for long hours and little pay. Gradgrind's obsession with material progress damages his children Louisa and Tom, leading to scandal and disaster. Hard Times celebrates the importance of the human heart in an age obsessed with materialism. Circus, music, and dark comedy all go into the rich mix of this truly Dickensian theatrical tale.

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Giorgio Gomelsky was at the centre of the counterculture in 60s' London and 70s' Paris before running a studio for avant-garde musicians in New York. He was the original manager of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds in London, then managed the French supergroup Magma and developed the career of Gong. Dumaurier recounts his friend Gomelsky's love of life, his dynamism, and the creativity that made him "push the envelope". With a keen eye for talent, Gomelsky's ideas helped shape the rock music we know and love today - acting as a catalyst for change and innovation. With recollections from colleagues, friends and musicians: Larry Birnbaum, Madeleine Carr, Raul Gonzalez, Brian Gooding, Bob Gruen, Roman Iwasiwka, Amy Madden, Jesse Malin and Bradley Rim.

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Lena is on a mission to veganise her Tinder dates. Multiple conquests later, Lena finds herself looking for her next victim - but what happens when her life starts to rapidly crumble around her? Meat Cute explores the trials and tribulations of activism and what it means to care in an indifferent world.

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I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court... Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe. Holloway prison, 1925. Dr Kathryn Darkling, branded The Westminster Vampire by the press, has two weeks until she is hanged for a series of brutal murders. Facing death, she knows that time is running out to complete her mission. Will she find a way to escape her fate? Will she be able to perform the special bone rites that will save her brother? Winner of The Virginia Prize for Fiction, Bone Rites is a dark, literary tale of love, loss and one woman's obsessive fight for justice and redemption within a ruthless world.

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"It's not about whether or not the stories are being told, because they are. Every day, all around you, stories are told. It's not about that. It's about whether or not you choose to listen." Investigating a dusty museum after dark, the discovery of a shining sword thrust into an ancient stone resurrects a figure from Arthurian legend - Merlin! As the wizard weaves his words and magic, a group of friends are transported on an incredible journey - into the past and the future - to shadowy caves in dark forests and rocketing beyond the stars. The Tales of Merlin proves that the world is made up of stories and we all have a part to play in telling them ...

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• Stage adaptation of Mick Jackson's celebrated novel (1997), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and winner of the Royal Society of Authors' First Novel Award. • Adapted by Nick Wood, critically acclaimed playwright and bestselling author of A Girl With A Book and Other Plays; his works are performed extensively in the UK, USA and Europe. • Co-produced by Nottingham Playhouse (co-producer of the critically acclaimed stage version of 1984) and Nick Wood's AJTC (A Girl with a Book).

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An epic love story told across four centuries by Sunderland-born Tanya Sealt, a woman who cannot age until she has cried. Collector of Tears is a play about about history, oppression and loss. Taking both male and female lovers, Tanya is an outcast. She carries with her an amazing collection of glass tear bottles which she tenderly unpacks before telling their stories. On the day of Margaret Thatcher's resignation on 22 November 1990, Tanya finally stands her ground and fights those who have hunted her and her lovers, male and female, down through time; finally learning how to cry. Best North East new play of 2014 by the British Theatre Guide.

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A beautifully written and absorbing story of exile and redemption set against the stark Patagonian wilderness at the start of the modern age. Matthieu Macanan has fled his home in France, to work as a doctor in a remote region of South America where his past is unknown. There he tends to the locacl tribes and tries to avoid contact with European settlers. When Silke Kahn and her husband Theo fly into his world with plans to run an airmail service in the area, his reclusive life is irrevocably altered. While Matthieu struggles to resist his attraction to Silke, hostilities created by the coming war escalate, drawing the local people into their orbit and forcing the doctor to decide which side he is on. But what is he hiding from? Can he really help the local tribes to survive the disease and trouble the Europeans unleash? In offering refuge to Silke Kahn, has Matthieu finally committed a fatal move?

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Charles Dickens’ timeless story is brought to life in this vibrant new version by the award-winning playwright Neil Duffield. Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Well, it is for everyone except the miserable Scrooge. He prefers to spend Christmas all alone in his large house, instead of celebrating with mistletoe and merriment. Bah, humbug! But one cold, dark Christmas Eve Scrooge is surprised by the ghost of Marley, his former business partner. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be called upon by three spirits - each will take him on a mysterious and magical journey to show him the error of his ways... Can Scrooge discover the true wonder and meaning of Christmas before it’s too late?

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Naked Yoga expert Doria Gani recounts her own transformational journey to help you challenge your hang ups, combat shame and develop new body positive attitudes. In this inspirational story, discover how Doria overcame critical illness, learned to deal with unexpected consequences for her life as a woman, and set out on a new path to reconnect with her soul. Enjoy the benefits and freedom that practising Naked Yoga can bring and discover your true self - with no barriers, limitations or social constraints. With Naked Yoga, you really can learn to love your body and heal your mind. Includes photographs and instructions for practising Naked Yoga either at home or in a group. Naked Yoga expert Doria Gani recounts her own transformational journey to help you challenge your hang ups, combat shame and develop new body positive attitudes. In this inspirational story, discover how Doria overcame critical illness, learned to deal with unexpected consequences for her life as a woman, and set out on a new path to reconnect with her soul. Enjoy the benefits and freedom that practising Naked Yoga can bring and discover your true self - with no barriers, limitations or social constraints. With Naked Yoga, you really can learn to love your body and heal your mind. Includes photographs and easy instructions for practising Naked Yoga either at home or in a group.

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Celebrating Rock's 60th Birthday, from the formation of the Rolling Stones and the heyday of the British Invasion to the spawning of the Reading Festival, this book explores the music history of the London clubs that were the engine rooms for British rock n roll. The Rolling Stones, the Who, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, The Faces, David Bowie and The Yardbirds are amongst the many acts who performed on the London club circuit at venues such as The Ealing Club, The Crawdaddy Club, The Bull's Head, The Half Moon, The Ricky Tick, The Marquee, The 100 Club, and the infamous Eel Pie Island Hotel. We revisit the days when Eric Clapton was God and Rock ruled the world. Play it Loud! Why is 2022 'Rock's Diamond Year'? On March 17th 1962, Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies started the EALING BLUES CLUB. The first UK gig devoted to 'electric blues music'. Musicologists agree that this event was the catalyst that would define British Rock music. The Ealing Blues Club sparked a musical revolution that grew further at Twickenham's Eel Pie Island and Richmond's Crawdaddy Club, 3 venues that were vital in the careers of: The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds / Eric Clapton, The Who, Cream and many more. Elsewhere in 1962 there were rumblings of a cultural shift with The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, The Animals, Marshall Amplification and many others setting the tone for what became the UK's most significant cultural export... Rock & Pop Music. 60 years on from 1962 and 'ROCK'S DIAMOND YEAR' will celebrate the UK's unique contribution to what has become a global music form. The initiative is led by The Ealing Club Community Interest Company' set up to champion West London music heritage while inspiring new music opportunity for the future. www.rocksdiamondyear.com WRITERS Introduction by Ralph Brookfield The Ealing Club by Alistair Young The Eel Pie Island Club/Eel Pie Club, Twickenham by Gina Way The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond by David Sinclair The Ricky Tick Club, Windsor by Pete Clack The Half Moon Club, Putney by Nina Jackson The Marquee Club, Soho by Charlotte Banks The 100 Club by Richard Luck

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A wide-ranging collection of essays from new and established voices writing about nature, environment, conservation, biodiversity and the challenges that London faces to protect green spaces from urban development as well as the drive towards rewilding. The first of four books about London's wildlife, this edition focuses on the green spaces of Richmond Deer Park, Barnes Wetlands, Kew Gardens, Gunnersbury Triangle, Crane Park, Chiswick House, Bushy Park and many others.

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Do you love your natural hair? Some of the world's most inspiring black women tell us about their attitudes to, and struggles with, their crowning glory. Kinky, wavy, straight or curly, this book will help you celebrate your natural beauty, however you choose to style your hair. With an overview of the politics and history of black hair, the book explores how black hairstyles have played a part in the fight for social justice and the promotion of black culture while inspiring us to challenge outdated notions of beauty, gender and sexuality for young women and girls everywhere. The power is in our hair. And we've come to tell the world what ours can do! Interviewees include: Annika Allen, co-founder Black Magic Awards and podcaster, UK; Samantha Allen, arts activist, Singapore/UK; Doreene Blackstock, actor, UK; Sienna Brown, writer and filmmaker, Australia; Dawn Butler, Member of Parliament, UK; Sokari Douglas Camp, artist, Nigeria/UK; Deitra Farr, blues, soul and gospel singer-songwriter, from Chicago, USA; Ruthie Foster, is an American blues singer-songwriter from Texas, USA; Jamelia, singer-songwriter, broadcaster and author, UK; Judith Jacob, actor, radio presenter and fitness instructor, UK; Angie LeMar, comedian, presenter, producer, UK; Lynette Linton, artistic director theatre, UK; Nnenna Okore, artist, Australia; Anita Okunde, climate activist, Ireland; Chi Onwurah, Member of Parliament, UK; Olusola Oyeleye, writer, director and producer, UK; Djamila Ribeiro, feminist philosopher, Brazil; Vivienne Rochester, actor, UK; Kadija George Sesay, writer and curator, UK; Cleo Sylvestre, actor, singer, writer, UK; Carryl Thomas, actor, UK; Nellie Travis, blues singer, USA; Rianna Raymond-Williams, sexual health advisor and social entrepreneur, UK. Photos and illustrations throughout

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Since 1660 when actresses first began performing on the English stage, women have forged bright careers in theatre, while men called the shots. Four hundred years of women playwrights, from Aphra Behn to Caryl Churchill, yet plays by women make up less than a quarter of staged productions in the UK, leading to a scarcity of roles for women. With women buying most of the tickets, theatre productions risk losing their relevance to modern culture if they fail to represent the many and varied lives of women. With an overview of post-war theatre and 25 exclusive interviews with leading women theatre-makers, this book inspires us to create a truly equal and inclusive theatre today. Including interviews with: Nina Lee Aquino Sudha Buchar Moira Buffini Paule Constable Denise Gough Jill Greenhalgh Vicky Ireland Jude Kelly Bryony Lavery Rachel Maza Kumiko Mendl Katie Mitchell Marsha Norman Lynn Nottage Kate O'Donnell Winsome Pinnock Emma Rice Daryl Roth Jenny Sealey Saviana Stanescu Michelle Terry Kate Waters and more...

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When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, a straightforward crime of passion soon turns into a baffling mystery. Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion - and the body count - rises, he's forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent. Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

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• To coincide with a national tour by Black Theatre Live productions • Rarely heard story of a South London Black teen carer With grime music and Guyanese folk stories, Joseph Barnes-Phillip's semi-autobiographical story is a comic, tragic and honest portrayal of becoming a man. The story follows Rayleigh as he negotiates the tensions of growing up and taking responsibility − to his pregnant girlfriend, to his sick mother, to his church, to the multi-cultural community he grew up in and somewhere in the mix to himself. When the euphoric highs of teenage life in south London collide with his mum's terminal illness, all Rayleigh wants to do it watch anime in his pants and eat indomie. Love, life and masculinity meet head-on as Rayleigh tries to find his feet, torn between the new girl in his life and being there for his mum, while trying not to make the same mistakes as his dad. The show has been created by HighRise Theatre to be the sixth touring production for consortium Black Theatre Live. Performed by the author Joseph Barnes-Phillips. • Can be performed as a monologue in schools, colleges, etc.

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Shortlisted for the Virginia Prize for Fiction “Quirky and warm-hearted, with darker undertones that keep you gripped. Kate Dunn is a fine storyteller.” Ben Elton When Colin goes to Paris to help his son clear his name of a terrible crime, he trails his beloved little boat The Dragonfly across the Channel so he will have a place to stay. Thrown together with Delphine, his grandchild, for the summer holidays, he takes her on an adventure along the picturesque French canals in a bid to cheer her up. Delphine soon proves to be as challenging to her grandfather as the winding waterways and hazardous locks, but as they travel south through Burgundy ‘until the butter melts’, they land big fish, cultivate new loves and slowly the ice in each of them begins to thaw. But what of Colin’s son languishing in a French jail? How will this unlikely pair ever get him off the hook?

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Inspired by true stories, this critically acclaimed modern play explores the everyday abuse and exploitation of Asian women and their struggles to obtain freedom. The play has been performed internationally to sell-out audiences on three continents including theatres in New York, Melbourne, Bangkok and Singapore. An opera heroine. Two interracial marriages. An abused daughter-in-law. An under-aged prostitute. A prime minister's wife. Seven women of diverse Asian backgrounds perform a series of vignettes about the various predicaments of women from Asia. Presented through a highly theatrical mixture of dance, comedy and tragedy, the play questions the myths and stereotypes which underpin the continuing oppression of women in the region. Presented through a highly theatrical mixture of dance, comedy and tragedy, the play questions the myths and stereotypes which underpin the continuing oppression of women in the region.

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