Search results for ""nick hern books""

In 1969 Loren McIntyre, a National Geographic photographer, found himself lost among the people of the remote Javari Valley in Brazil. It was an encounter that was to change his life, bringing the limits of human consciousness into startling focus. Inspired by the book Amazon Beaming by Petru Popescu, The Encounter traces McIntyre’s journey into the depths of the Amazon rainforest, incorporating innovative technology into a solo performance to build a shifting world of sound. The Encounter opened at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2015 performed by Simon McBurney, and received its London premiere at the Barbican in February 2016 before embarking on a world tour.

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An outrageously fun musical set in an all-girls school in the 60s, from the team behind Bad Girls: The Musical. It's 1963 and the Dame Dorothea Dosserdale School for Girls has a proud tradition of fostering free spirits from all walks of life. So it’s a crushing blow when the new headmistress turns out to be a tyrant with strict Victorian values – and top of her hit list are the two sixth-formers accused of ‘Unnatural Behaviour’ in the Art Room… Brimming with catchy tunes and witty lyrics, Crush is a hilarious pastiche of Girls’ School stories – a blend of Malory Towers and St Trinian’s – with added hockey sticks and ‘lashings of jolly good fun’ Coventry Telegraph. Crush was first performed on tour in the UK in 2015.

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A bold and exciting new approach to Bertolt Brecht, making his theories and ideas about theatre accessible to a new generation of actors, directors, students and theatre-makers, and showing how they can be put into practice. Theatre practitioner and academic David Zoob demystifies Brecht’s theories, and offers an approach to study and performance that can be applied to a wide range of texts and theatre styles. With close analysis of texts by writers including Shakespeare, Chekhov, Miller, Pinter, and of course Brecht himself, the author demonstrates how Brechtian techniques can provide practical pathways to exploring plays across the canon, as well as non-traditional forms of theatre. Also included are dozens of exercises to help turn theory into practice, and explore what Brecht’s ideas mean for actors and directors, both in training and rehearsal. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, an actor or a theatre-maker, this book will change the way you view and work with Brecht. `Zoob has engaged with Brecht’s many and varied principles for a politicised theatre and channelled them into a wide range of novel and innovative exercises that are applicable to a great many dramas and can equally interrogate devised material… Excellent ’ --David Barnett, Professor of Theatre, University of York, and author of Brecht in Practice

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In the overcrowded city, nature is getting out of control. The mice are scratching between walls, the pigeons are diseased and the foxes are beginning to rule the streets. The problem is growing. It's contagious. It has to be stopped, before it's too late. Stef Smith's play Human Animals premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in May 2016, in a production directed by Hamish Pirie.

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‘Look at all those couples. Which one will leave. Which one will run. Which one is cheating on the other. Which one will die first. Him. Him. Her. Him.’ What happens when two friends who were always meant to be together, get together – and stay together? No one told them life was going to be this way… A dark and uncompromising play about romance, expectation and mortality, James Fritz's Ross & Rachel takes an unflinching look at the myths of modern love. It was first produced by MOTOR at the Assembly George Square Theatre as part of the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It then played off-Broadway in 2016 before touring the UK.

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The fabulously wealthy Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg wagers his life's fortune that he can circumnavigate the globe in just eighty days. Along with his hapless valet Passepartout, he sets out on a dazzling escapade that takes him from the misty alleys of London to the exotic subcontinent and on to the Wild West as they race against the clock on a dizzying succession of trains, steamers, a wind-propelled sledge and an elephant. Laura Eason's celebrated adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel was seen at the New Vic Theatre, Stoke, and Manchester's Royal Exchange before receiving its London premiere at the St. James Theatre in 2015. Packing in more than fifty unforgettable characters, this imaginative version of Around the World in 80 Days was written for an ensemble cast of eight, but can be performed by a much larger cast – making it perfect for any theatre company or drama group looking for a high-spirited adventure.

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This collection features four urgent and explosive plays by award-winning playwright Evan Placey, each tackling issues facing young people today. They provide ideal material for teenagers to read, study and perform. Girls Like That explores the pressures caused by technology when a schoolgirl’s naked photograph goes viral. Commissioned in 2013 by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth and West Yorkshire Playhouse, it has subsequently been performed by school and youth-theatre groups across the UK, at the Unicorn Theatre, London, and in the Houses of Parliament. It won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play for Young Audiences. Banana Boys, published here for the first time, is about the challenges of being on the school football team – and secretly gay. It was commissioned and produced by Hampstead Theatre’s heat&light company in 2010. In Holloway Jones, Holloway dreams of being a world-class BMXer, but she is held back by the tough reality of a parent in prison. Also making its debut in print here, the play was commissioned by Synergy Theatre Project, toured schools and the Unicorn Theatre in 2011, and won the 2012 Brian Way Award for Best Play for Young People. Finally, Pronoun is a love story about two childhood sweethearts dealing with the fact that one of them, Isabella, has now become a boy. As one of the plays in the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival it proved enormously popular with youth theatres and college companies. 'Maybe change starts with plays like this' Lyn Gardner, Guardian, on Girls Like That

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'It had been a while. I was really nervous. I mean, it's not really like riding a bike. Sex. It's far more complicated.' Phil and Alice are in love – familiar, flawed, ordinary love. They are on a journey, but this journey doesn't have an A to Z. Jack Thorne's The Solid Life of Sugar Water is an intimate, tender play about loss, hurt and rediscovery. It previewed at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and premiered at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in a co-production between Graeae Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Plymouth.

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What is that, trailing your footsteps, breathing softly down your neck? Rediscover the magic and wonder of the original Grimm Tales, retold by master-storyteller Philip Pullman. In this stage version by Philip Wilson, you'll meet the familiar characters – Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel – and some unexpected ones too, such as Hans-My-Hedgehog, the Goose Girl at the Spring and the remarkable Thousandfurs. Full of deliciously dark twists and turns, the tales come to life in all their glittering, macabre brilliance – a delight for children and adults alike. These Grimm Tales, adapted for the stage by Philip Wilson from Philip Pullman's version of the original tales, were first performed as immersive storytelling experiences underneath Shoreditch Town Hall, London, in 2014, and Bargehouse on the South Bank in 2015. They also offer plentiful opportunities for youth theatres, schools and amateur companies looking for a vivid new version of the classic fairytales.

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A practical guide to creating and producing verbatim theatre, by an experienced theatre-maker and practitioner. Verbatim theatre is fashioned from words actually spoken by real people in real situations, and reproduced by actors in performance. An increasingly influential form of theatre, it has a unique ability to present stories from unfamiliar sources and bring unheard voices to the stage. Verbatim theatre is perhaps the most objective way of dramatising real life; its authenticity helps audiences to understand the world we live in, whether through testimony, eye-witness accounts or autobiography. Telling the Truth offers a step-by-step breakdown of the entire process of making your own verbatim-theatre production, covering everything you need to consider, including: Choosing your subject Preparing and conducting your interviews Refining your research into a single narrative strand Editing your material sensitively and ethically Providing your actors with exercises, techniques and advice to allow them to perform as `real' people Designing and staging your work for fully realised, physical performance In Telling the Truth, Robin Belfield draws on his own experiences of creating verbatim-theatre work, and interviews other major directors, writers and actors including Alecky Blythe, Patrick Sandford, Hilary Maclean and ACH Smith, providing tips and advice to help you make the most of every part of the verbatim-theatre process. An essential how-to guide for theatre-makers, artists, students and teachers who want to create their own verbatim-theatre production, Telling the Truth is also a fascinating read for those interested in the processes and inspirations that created the productions they love.

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

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A sumptuously illustrated survey of the remarkable flowering of radical, visionary and experimental design for performance in Russia in the twenty years between 1913 and 1933. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russian theatre produced an unprecedented period of creative radicalism and collaborative experimentation. Against the turbulent backdrop of the First World War and the Russian Revolution, the avant-garde movement transformed Russia’s cultural landscape as visionaries from several disciplines generated a vortex of innovative performance and design. The astounding body of work produced by Kazimir Malevich, Alexander Rodchenko, Vladimir Tatlin, Sergei Eisenstein and Liubov Popova, among others, overturned traditions in art, music, literature and theatre. This book explores the importance and influence of a seminal moment in twentieth-century culture – one that still resonates today. Published to accompany a major exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in association with the Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum in Moscow, this book includes essays by experts from Russia, Britain and America illustrated with over 150 images from leading artists and designers, many of which are previously unpublished. Edited by John E. Bowlt, Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Southern California, the result is an astonishing record of a period of creative innovation that redefined not only what was possible in theatre and the avant-garde, but in wider artistic practices too. It will be of interest both to theatregoers and art historians, as well as current and future designers seeking inspiration for their own work.

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World Scenography 1990-2005 is the second volume in a series of large-format, lavishly illustrated books documenting for posterity a collection of significant and influential theatrical set, costume, and lighting designs. This volume covers 1990-2005 and presents designs for 409 productions from 55 countries representing the work of hundreds of designers as researched by a group of more than 100 dedicated volunteers from around the globe. Like all performance-based art, stage design is ephemeral. If it is not recorded, it disappears. And if the designs are not contextualized through scholarship, their meanings will become obscure. World Scenography provides an outstanding visual and contextual record of the art of designing for the stage. The World Scenography series is an official project of OISTAT, the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians.

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A painfully funny play about motherhood (and fatherhood), about keeping control, and about letting go. Good friends should be there for one another – no matter what. But when Bea returns home after five years abroad, having made a bold choice about her life, old friends struggle to support her, or even to understand. One night in Brighton, things threaten to slide into chaos... Deborah Bruce's play The Distance was premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, in October 2014. It was a finalist for the 2012-13 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

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

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Kevin Elyot’s Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning comedy, My Night with Reg, defined a moment in the lives of gay men and became an instant classic on its premiere at the Royal Court and in the West End. At Guy’s London flat, friends old and new gather to party through the night. This is the summer of 1985, and for Guy and his circle the world is about to change forever. Deliciously funny and bittersweet, Kevin Elyot’s play captures the fragility of friendship, happiness and life itself. My Night With Reg first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1994, and went on to win the Evening Standard and Olivier Awards for Best Comedy. This new edition was published alongside the first major revival of the play at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2014, directed by Robert Hastie. It includes introductions by Hastie, Roger Michell, who directed the premiere, and the Booker Prize-winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst.

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

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Charles Pooter of Upper Holloway, a middle-class clerk with social aspirations far beyond his status, has decided the world deserves to hear his diary. He has one night, a troupe of actors and an empty stage to impart the woes of his humdrum existence to anyone who will listen. Adapted by Hugh Osborne from the Victorian comedy of manners, Diary of a Nobody features a small cast uproariously recreating the trials and tribulations of Pooter’s daily grind in Victorian London. Premiered at Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton, in March 2011, this highly energetic adaptation is also ideal for amateur theatre companies wanting to stage a freewheeling version of a classic novel.

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A compelling and lyrical tale of the desires and loyalties of women in an American wilderness. Fame fades. The gold in the hills runs out. For years, Francis Harmon has traded off her reputation as a star actress in the prospering American cities. Now, at the end of the nineteenth century, she and her companion May have washed up in a cabin on the Alaskan frontier, while May’s daughter prospects for gold. But the gold rush is almost exhausted, and when Francis is struck down by illness, they all must choose between facing up to a bleak future or giving in to the lure of the past. Winner of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild Best New Play Award, Karen Ardiff's play In Skagway received its UK premiere at the Arcola Theatre, London, in 2014.

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A searing thriller about paranoia, social divisions, and the creeping threat of the intruder, by the Bruntwood Prize-winning playwright. Alex has his flat. His home. He's building a life with Clare. Nothing can derail his happiness - he just wishes those kids would stop hanging round outside his house. But they're just kids, with nothing to do. They're not dangerous, right? Matt Hartley's play Microcosm was first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in May 2014.

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A touching, funny play about what happens when you hate your best friend.

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Two of the biggest musical-theatre stars working today answer questions submitted by the public on a wide range of theatrical topics. A message from Louise and Mark... This is the book for anyone who's seen a show and thought: 'That could be me...' That's what we used to think growing up, dreaming of working in musical theatre. Now, after years of hard work, we've been lucky enough to star in some amazing shows, including Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Ghost: The Musical, Evita and Cats. We've picked up lots of tips from other performers, and have developed our own strategies and solutions too. In this book, using this knowledge and our experiences, we want to draw back the curtain and shine a spotlight onto how you can follow in our footsteps. What makes our book really different (and useful) is that we asked our fans worldwide to submit questions – and thank you to the hundreds of you who did. Dozens of these questions are featured here, covering every aspect of the industry: 'What is it like training at drama school?' 'How can I improve my vocal range?' 'How do I prepare for an audition?' 'How should I find and select an agent?' 'How do I deal with rejection?' 'How can I progress from the ensemble to a leading role?' This is a tough and competitive business, but passion, determination, a clued-up approach – and this book – will help see you through. Read it to discover the secrets you need to know, and we hope that one day soon, up on stage, it will be you.

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A vivid telling of the chaotic story of the partition that shaped the modern world. London, 1947. Summoned by the Prime Minister from the court where he is presiding judge, Cyril Radcliffe is given an unlikely mission. He is to travel to India, a country he has never visited, and, with limited survey information, no expert support and no knowledge of cartography, he is to draw the border which will divide the Indian sub-continent into two new Sovereign Dominions. To make matters even more challenging, he has only six weeks to complete the task. Wholly unsuited to his role, Radcliffe is unprepared for the dangerous whirlpool of political intrigue and passion into which he is plunged – untold consequences may even result from the illicit liaison between the Leader of the Congress Party and the Viceroy's wife… As he begins to break under the pressure he comes to realise that he holds in his hands the fate of millions of people. Howard Brenton's play Drawing the Line was premiered at Hampstead Theatre, London, in December 2013.

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A sharp, hilarious behind-the-scenes glimpse of diplomacy in action, centering on England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. A footballer, a prince and a prime minister walk into a hotel room... David Beckham, Prince William and David Cameron are in Zurich the night before England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. Between them they thrash out a plan that will woo FIFA and bring the beautiful game home. But as precious minutes tick by things start to go disastrously and deliciously wrong. Whatever else is at stake, this is more, much more, than a question of sport... William Gaminara's play The Three Lions was first performed at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, in 2013. It was revived at the St James Theatre, London, in 2015.

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A smart and provocative thriller about spies, double agents, and the opaqueness of the human soul. A young woman is found dead. Her sister sets out to find out what happened - and stumbles into a world of secrets and subterfuge that makes her question who Justine really was. How well can you ever know someone who lies for a living? Dawn King's play Ciphers was premiered at the Exeter Northcott Theatre in October 2013, in a co-production by Out of Joint, the Bush Theatre and Exeter Northcott Theatre, directed by Blanche McIntyre, before embarking on a UK tour.

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West End Producer is the anonymous Twitter sensation whose hilarious and unfailingly accurate barbs satirising and celebrating the theatre industry have won him a devoted following. His identity is the subject of feverish speculation in the media, fuelled by his regular appearances at West End opening nights in costume, wig and latex mask. He has become a genuine theatre impresario, launching talent competitions Search for a Twitter Star and its successor, Search for a Twitter Composer. And now West End Producer is ready to share all he's learnt about how to get ahead in showbusiness, in the form of a handy paperback book. Full of the wit and mischievous indiscretion that has gained him such a cult following, packed with gossip and insider knowledge of the theatre business, and containing enough savvy advice on acting to kickstart a career, West End Producer's book offers tips (both practical and deliciously impractical) on: Getting into drama school (learning how to sit in a circle) Auditioning (perfecting the 'staring vacantly out front' pose) Rehearsals techniques (including how to act in a serious play) The different kinds of actor (from sex pest to company idiot) Combating boredom (and avoiding backstage naughtiness) How to behave at first-night parties (obeying the traffic-light colour code) And, most importantly, the correct way to bow at the curtain call Also included in the book are many of West End Producer’s most memorable tweets, miniature comic salvos despatched with all the shrewdness of a man who truly knows his Barrowmans from his Balls. 'Prepare to be shocked, rocked and mocked in this genuinely laugh-out-loud-funny, lovingly crafted, meticulously researched, spookily insightful and accurately spelled guide to all things thespian.' Michael Ball 'Don’t even consider putting your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington, until you’ve first consulted this wonderful book.' Paul O’Grady

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A darkly comic debut play about buried secrets and new beginnings. In three linked scenes, all set in the same terraced house, three ill-matched pairs search for a new beginning - but the past won't let any of them go without a struggle. Teenager Richard is plotting his escape to art college, just as lecturer Graham is settling in. Mum-to-be Laura has big plans for her forever home - if only Becci will sell it to her. And in the middle of the night, marine expert Mark has an unexpected visitor, a young woman with more than paddleworm samples on her mind... A story of buried secrets and new beginnings, Forever House is the debut play of West Country-born writer Glenn Waldron. It's a pitch-black comedy drama that asks the question: can you ever really start again? Forever House was first performed at the Drum Theatre, Plymouth, in March 2013.

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One bathroom. Two people. One day. A relationship witnessed in minute, devastating detail. A story of intimacy, fragility and the darker side of love, Jack Thorne's play Mydidae exposes the private and disturbing moments a couple share, and explores what becomes of a relationship when it is held together not only by love, but by fear, guilt and despair. Mydidae was commissioned by DryWrite theatre company and first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in December 2012, in a production featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Keir Charles.

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A practical guide to writing radio drama and getting it produced, by a leading radio dramatist and a hugely experienced radio drama producer who have both created award-winning dramas for the BBC. For writers, radio drama offers a remarkable degree of creative freedom, a unique relationship with an audience listening at home or on the move, and a wealth of opportunities to earn a living. But writing for radio is also a very particular craft, with its own distinctive conventions, techniques and pitfalls. And you need to know how the industry works to stand the best chance of getting your play commissioned. This book, written from the dual perspective of a writer and a radio drama producer, tells you all you need to know about: What works well on radio, and what doesn't How to hook listeners from the start, and how to keep them listening How to format your script How to research and contact the right producer for your play What to expect after you've received a commission What happens when you're in the recording studio Full of practical advice, tips and invaluable inside information about the industry, it also includes extracts from many outstanding radio dramas and a series of writing exercises to help put ideas into practice. So You Want To Write Radio Drama? is an essential guide for anybody who wants to write a radio play, whether you're a first-time writer or one currently working in a different medium. It will also be of help to those already involved in making radio drama, or who simply want an insight into how it is written and made.

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An essential guide for young people who want to work in the theatre - but aren't sure exactly what they want to do, or how to get to do it. Many young people are eager to experience the excitement and allure of working in theatre, but often this only goes as far as imagining themselves as actors, on stage in front of an audience every night. In reality, there are more jobs off the stage than on it. They can be every bit as rewarding as acting - and certainly more secure because there are invariably fewer people competing for each one. Using her expertise as Education and Training Editor for The Stage, Susan Elkin encourages aspiring theatre-makers and workers to look beyond acting to some of the other behind-the-scenes options available: playwriting, directing, producing, designing, stage management, administration, publicity, front-of-house, stage door... * She describes what each job entails and how you might achieve that role, including relevant courses and training opportunities offered in the UK. There are also numerous case studies of theatre professionals describing how they got where they are, and top tips for following in their footsteps. Written in a clear, no-nonsense style, this book is an ideal starting point for students considering a career in theatre, but also a useful tool for parents, teachers and career-advisers looking to learn more about the options open to interested young people. * And, for those of you who really must, the book does cover how to get into acting too.

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THE GOOD AUDITION GUIDES: Helping you select and perform the audition piece that is best suited to your performing skills Each Good Audition Guide contains a range of fresh monologues, all prefaced with a summary of the vital information you need to place the piece in context and to perform it to maximum effect in your own unique way. Each volume also carries a user-friendly introduction on the whole process of auditioning. Shakespeare Monologues for Young Men contains forty monologues drawn from across the whole of Shakespeare's canon. Each speech comes with a neat summary of the vital information (the who, where and when of the speech), plus descriptions of what is happening, what to think about when preparing it, and a glossary. There is also a user-friendly introduction to selecting your speech, tackling Shakespeare's language and approaching the audition itself. 'Sound practical advice for anyone attending an audition' Teaching Drama Magazine on the Good Audition Guides

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A treasure trove of advice, support and encouragement that no performer should be without. Honest, witty and direct, The Golden Rules of Acting is every actor's best friend – in handy paperback form. ‘When auditioning, rehearsing or in a performance, take a risk – the worst that can happen is that you get embarrassed. You won’t die.’ Easy to dip into, fully illustrated throughout, and designed to be both instructive and empowering, The Golden Rules of Acting won't tell you how to act – but it will tell you how to be an actor. ‘Always remember, the people auditioning you want you to be brilliant. They want you to solve their casting problem.' If you're a working actor, drama-school student, someone who wants to become an actor, or simply someone who has a dream and wants to make it a reality, this book is for you. ‘NEVER harmonise when singing ‘Happy Birthday’ – this has nothing to do with work, it’s just all actors do it & it’s bloody annoying.’ Andy Nyman learnt the golden rules of acting the hard way, through twenty-five years of working in theatre, film and television. On stage, he co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the West End hit Ghost Stories, and won an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment for co-writing and directing Something Wicked This Way Comes with his regular collaborator Derren Brown. His many film appearances include Severance and Frank Oz's Death at a Funeral. 'I absolutely devoured this book. Yes, it's witty but it's also sincere, informative, practical and humble in its truths' Toni Collette 'This little book is a must-read for every aspiring actor and actress, including all established performers – and I have recommended it to many since reading it. It confirms and reaffirms why we are in this profession. Not only does it impart hard-earned knowledge, it does so with a sense of fun, a little mischief, and always with dignity, which (let's face it) can take a daily beating. It's probably the most important book on acting and actors I've ever read; period! Keep it by your bedside at all times!' Liam Neeson OBE 'Christians have the Bible, now actors have this book. At last, everyone is happy' Simon Pegg 'Andy's distilled guidebook is smart, hilarious, and just might get you work!' Neil Patrick Harris 'Like having a friend in your pocket! Supremely practical, wise, reassuring, inspiring and funny – chockful of good humour and good sense' Keeley Hawes 'Honest, uplifting, expert advice from a genius of the craft' Riz Ahmed 'Like its author, this little book is packed full of wit, wisdom and good things' Matthew Macfadyen 'When I was starting out, wanting to read about how to unlock the mysteries of working in the theatre, I could only turn to Stanislavski. But now, you lucky young people (and indeed people of all ages), there is Nyman. One-tenth the length, a hundred times funnier and crammed with practical wisdom… read it and in every sense, you'll have a head start' Trevor Nunn 'A wonderful insight into the secrets of success that will help anyone achieve their dreams' Richard Wiseman (author, 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot)

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This volume of Conor McPherson's collected plays, covering a decade of writing, celebrates a fascination with the uncanny which has led him to be described as 'quite possibly the finest playwright of his generation' (New York Times). In Shining City, a man seeks help from a counsellor, claiming to have seen the ghost of his dead wife. The play, premiered at the Royal Court, London, is 'up there with The Weir, moving, compassionate, ingenious and absolutely gripping' (Daily Telegraph). The Seafarer, premiered at the National Theatre before going on to become a Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, tells the story of an extended Christmas Eve card game, but one played for the highest stakes possible. 'McPherson proves yet again he is both a born yarn-spinner and an acute analyst of the melancholy Irish manhood' (Guardian) Set in 'the big house' in 1820s rural Ireland, The Veil is McPherson's first period play. Seventeen-year-old Hannah is to be married off in order to settle the debts of the crumbling estate. But when Reverend Berkeley arrives, determined to orchestrate a séance, chaos is unleased. 'A cracking fireside tale of haunting and decay' (The Times) The Birds, hauntingly adapted from the short story by Daphne du Maurier, is 'deliciously chilling, claustrophobic, questioning, frightening; and with a twist' (Irish Independent). It is published here for the first time, as is The Dance of Death, a new version of Strindberg's classic, which premiered at the Trafalgar Studios in London. 'A spectacularly bleak yet curiously bracing drama that often makes you laugh out loud' (Daily Telegraph). Completing the volume is a Foreword by the author.

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Why does Shakespeare write in the way he does? And how can actors and directors get the most out of his incomparable plays? In Speaking the Speech, Giles Block – ‘Master of the Words’ at Shakespeare’s Globe – sets out to answer these two simple questions. The result is the most authoritative, most comprehensive book yet written on speaking Shakespeare’s words. Throughout the book, the author subjects Shakespeare’s language to rigorous examination, illuminating his extraordinary ability to bring his characters to life by a simple turn of phrase, a breath or even a pause. Block shows how we can only fully understand these characters, and the meaning of the plays, by speaking the words out loud. Drawing on characters from across all of Shakespeare’s plays – and looking in detail at Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing – Block covers everything the actor needs to know, including: the essential distinctions between prose, rhymed verse and unrhymed verse, and the different strategies to be used when speaking them; the difference between ‘you’ and ‘thou’; Shakespeare’s use of silence; and the vital importance of paying attention to Shakespeare’s ‘original’ punctuation. Speaking the Speech is a book for actors and directors who want to improve their understanding of Shakespeare’s language in order to speak it better. It is also a fascinating read for anyone who wants to deepen their appreciation of Shakespeare’s language and the way it comes to life when spoken aloud. ‘We call Giles our ‘Text Guru’ at the Globe, partly in jest, and partly out of respect for the depth of his knowledge, the gentleness of his teaching, and the sudden illuminations he can throw across a play. If this book can afford even a small part of the pleasure and insight Giles can provide in person, then it will be a great asset.’ Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director, Shakespeare’s Globe ‘Giles deepened my love for Shakespeare and for the way we all speak. I trust you will have a similar experience reading his book.’ Mark Rylance, from his Foreword

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A hectic and hilarious morality tale for the modern world. In Heaven, Big God's mind is crumbling, Mrs God has lost her looks, and their daughter, Clem, the Goddess of Love and Sex and Beauty, has been rejected by her lover and banished to Earth. Down in the streets of Soho, Clem searches for something new, and finds it in glamorous and self-loathing reality-TV star Natty, whose fetishistic love life with rock star Baz is about to hit the headlines. Sexy, feisty and real, it is a story about love at its dirtiest, maddest and most bittersweet. Chris Hannan's play The God of Soho was first performed at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in 2011.

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Moving from satiric comedy to poignant family drama, Little Platoons explores what the retreat of the state and the growth of people power really means for society and its youngest citizens. When Rachel's ex threatens to remove their son from London to sort out his education, she joins a local group of parents setting up a 'free school'. Her new friends, led by the charismatic Nick, want to create an education their children can enjoy not endure. But the vision of the Big Society they seek to create tears their lives apart. Steve Waters' play Little Platoons was first staged at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2011.

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An exhilarating coming-of-age drama for a solo performer. Scorching heat. A fight. A car chase. A siege. When her boyfriend is attacked on the street, feisty eighteen-year-old Katie is thrust on a white-knuckle ride through one extraordinary evening. Amidst the baying for blood and the longing for love, Katie is forced to decide her future. Jack Thorne's play Bunny was first performed at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in a production by nabokov and Escalator East to Edinburgh in association with Watford Palace Theatre and Mercury Theatre, Colchester. It was awarded a Fringe First, and subsequently toured the UK from June 2011 before a run at Soho Theatre, London, in October 2011.

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Six plays by some of the most exciting and distinctive female voices in British theatre, exploring the heartbreaking truth about the lives of women in the criminal justice system. The plays were commissioned and premiered by Clean Break, a theatre and education company working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. Included in this volume: Fatal Light by Chloë Moss, about a young mother's inability to cope with separation from her daughter. Taken by Winsome Pinnock, about a mother confronted by the child she had to give up. Dream Pill by Rebecca Prichard, about two children forced into prostitution. Doris Day by E V Crowe, about two police officers and their different expectations of the job. Dancing Bears by Sam Holcroft, about the twisted loyalties and violence in teenage gangs. That Almost Unnameable Lust by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, about a writer holding workshops with older women in a prison. The plays were first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in November 2010.

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The savage power of ancient myth collides with twentieth-century decadence in Oscar Wilde's astonishing tragedy. Salome, stepdaughter of King Herod, agrees to perform the mysterious and erotic Dance of the Seven Veils – but demands in return the head of the King's most infamous prisoner, Iokanaan (John the Baptist). To avoid censorship by the Lord Chamberlain, Wilde originally wrote Salome in French, and it premiered in Paris in 1896, while he was in prison. The play was finally seen in London in 1906, but has yet to gain the massive popularity of his comedies. This edition of Salome, published alongside a UK tour by Headlong in 2010, includes new introductions by the academic Trevor R. Griffiths and Ben Power of Headlong.

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A tense and provocative play offering a remarkably fresh and painful take on our perpetual guilt in the face of poverty and brutality in the developing world. Michael, a married man running a small business, accompanies a squabbling delegation of bishops to Africa as a lay volunteer. There, an unsettling encounter with a hotel porter leads to a series of agonising moral dilemmas that compromise his work, his marriage – and his faith. Drew Pautz's play Love the Sinner was first staged at the National Theatre, London, in 2010.

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Another Romeo and another Juliet in a strikingly different love story. Ben Power weaves the text of Romeo and Juliet into a provocative new tale of love and sacrifice. Re-imagining Shakespeare's story, A Tender Thing is an elegiac yet ultimately hopeful account of the human capacity for love. Shakespeare's timeless poetry provides the backdrop for this delicate and moving account of old age, memory and the demands we make of those we love. When a married couple discover that their lifetime together is drawing to a close, they realise they cannot contemplate being apart. A Tender Thing was first staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company at Northern Stage, Newcastle, in 2009.

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A smouldering play about escaping the past, seizing the present and owning the future. 2nd May 1997. An historic victory. The Tories, eighteen years in power, are defeated as New Labour sweeps into government. From the euphoria and despair, three deeply personal stories emerge. Tory MP Robert prepares to attend the count. With defeat looming large, he fears becoming a forgotten man, while his wife Marie counts the cost of her own sacrifice to politics. Lib Dem footsoldier Ian is no hero, but party-crasher Sarah is determined to make him one. Best mates Jake and Will wake up with a new world order to memorise before their A-level Politics class. Jake dreams of Number 10. Will dreams of Jake. Jack Thorne's play 2nd May 1997 was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in September 2009 in a co-production with nabokov theatre company, in association with Watford Palace Theatre and Mercury Theatre Colchester.

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Renowned poet and dramatist Liz Lochhead tells the story of Frankenstein's creation. Summer 1816. A house party on the shores of Lake Geneva. Eighteen-year-old Mary and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, along with Mary's half-sister Claire and the infamous Lord Byron, take part in a challenge to see who can write the most horrifying story. Mary's contribution is to become one of the most celebrated Gothic novels of all time. Using flashbacks and the rich poetic language for which she has become admired, Lochhead weaves a spider's web of connections between Mary's own tragic life and that of her literary monster. Liz Lochhead's play Blood and Ice was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 1982. It was later revived, in a revised version, by David McVicar at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1988, and subsequently toured by McVicar's company, Pen Name. It was again revived, in this published version, at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in October 2003. As Lochhead writes in the Introduction to this revised version of the play, the myth created by Mary Shelley 'remains potent for our nuclear age, our age of astonishment and unease at the fruits of perhaps-beyond-the-boundaries genetic experimentation'.

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Page to Stage series – highly accessible guides to the world's best-known plays, written by established theatre professionals to show how the plays come to life on the stage. 'Modern classic' was the fitting accolade bestowed on Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good soon after its premiere in 1988 at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The play tells how a company of convicts staged George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer in the early days of the Australian penal colony. Having directed the premiere, Max Stafford-Clark brings his own unrivalled insights to this in-depth study of how it actually works on stage. Sections include an introduction about the creation of the play, a discussion of its action moment by moment, the historical context, the characters and how the production was rehearsed and designed for its original production. The result is an invaluable and authoritative guide for anyone studying, teaching or performing the play.

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A riotous, satirical comedy based on the amazing true story of the first woman of colour to enter a beauty pageant in the UK. First performed at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in 2024.

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A taut and gripping adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's powerful drama, premiered at the Crucible, Sheffield Theatres, in 2024.

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A dystopian tale about the corrosive impact of state racism and the monster within. Premiered by Kali Theatre at New Diorama Theatre, London, in October 2024.

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An exhilarating, high-wire drama about the deep currents of family life, set over a family reunion on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Premiered at Galway International Arts Festival in 2024.

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