Nick Hern Books: 842 books

An unflinching play from exciting new writer and performer, Izzy Tennyson. Solo show Brute tells the true story of a rather twisted schoolgirl. Poppy’s just started at an all-girls state school in a provincial English town, where there are rules with no logic, sadistic jokes that aren’t...

A revolutionary musical, based on the 2006 Ipswich murders, with a book by acclaimed verbatim playwright Alecky Blythe. Named Best Musical at the 2011 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. In late 2006 the everyday life of the quiet rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies...

A magnificent two-play epic, adapted from Tolstoy's novel and first staged by Shared Experience. One of the longest novels in Western literature, Tolstoy's War and Peace intertwines its epic account of Napoleon's invasion of Russia with the tale of three aristocratic families. Painted...

Parents-to-be Kurt and Martha just want the best for their baby. They’re not afraid of hard work – the latest buggy doesn’t come cheap. But when Kurt’s boss offers him a chance to make some easy money with a mysterious side job, his rashness catches up with him. A fable about the moral...

The NHB Drama Classics series presents the world's greatest plays in affordable, highly readable editions for students, actors and theatregoers. The hallmarks of the series are accessible introductions (focussing on the play's theatrical and historical background, together with an author biography,...

A modern classic about the bitter rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and her cousin and fellow ruler, Elizabeth I of England - retold by Scotland's most popular playwright. 'Once upon a time, there were twa queens on the wan green island, and the wan green island was split inty twa kingdoms....

A story of domestic servitude and abuse of power, as authoritarian Kat, her ageing mother, Ma, and their teenaged slave, Maudie, jostle for power – and affection – in their dilapidated London home. The Strongbox by Stephanie Jacob was first performed as part of the 2018 VAULT Festival, London. Also available in the collection Plays from VAULT 3.

Two police officers clash over different expectations of the job. This play was originally published in the volume Charged, a collection of plays about the lives of women in the criminal justice system, and was commissioned and premiered by Clean Break, a theatre and education company working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system.

A hard-hitting and original family drama. Winner of the 2004 Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer 'the bits don't make the bulk and the bulk don't mek the whole and the all a your bits together don't make your versions true.' A blood-related black family. A Dad, a Mum, a...

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...

A thoughtful and deeply personal book by master theatre-maker Peter Brook, described by the Independent as 'our greatest living theatre director'. In Tip of the Tongue, Peter Brook takes a charming, playful and wise look at topics such as the subtle, telling differences between French and English,...

A unique collection of everything that Chekhov wrote about the theatre. Chekhov started writing about theatre in newspaper articles and in his own letters even before he began writing plays. Later, he wrote in detail about his own plays to his lifelong friend and mentor Alexei Suvorin, his...

A viciously funny play about a couple trapped in a destructive cycle of love and lust. Winner of the 2013 Verity Bargate Award. Harry and Jo are up all night drawing the battle lines of a relationship based on desire, dependency and dirty games. The One premiered at the Soho Theatre, London in February 2014.

From the bestselling Drama Games series, this dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book offers dozens of games to serve as a rich source of ideas and inspiration for all actors – and those teaching or directing them. This must-have companion is divided into three sections, each focusing...