Internationally acclaimed theatre director Declan Donnellan co-founded Cheek by Jowl with designer Nick Ormerod. A focus on the actor's art has always been central to the company's work. Encapsulating this bold way of thinking about performance, his new book The Actor and the Space tackles the fundamental questions that face any actor, developing and extending … Continue reading ‘Acting is an essential part of being human’: Declan Donnellan on how to bring performances to life
Five top tips for running effective drama workshops
Linden Walcott-Burton has over fifteen years' experience of running drama workshops – including for the National Theatre, The Old Vic, Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre and National Youth Theatre. Now he's written The Drama Workshop Leader, a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide that contains everything you need to plan and deliver effective drama sessions yourself. To get you … Continue reading Five top tips for running effective drama workshops
Discover the Most-Performed Plays of 2023
Every year, we license thousands of amateur performances of NHB-published plays, helping amateur groups, schools, youth theatres and others create their own brilliant productions. With over 1,500 titles on our list, there's no shortage of exciting options! However, there are certain shows we see companies are drawn to time and time again – so we're … Continue reading Discover the Most-Performed Plays of 2023
‘Why write a book about women theatre directors? Because it didn’t exist’ – Rosemary Waugh on Running the Room
When arts journalist and critic Rosemary Waugh first had the idea of creating a collection of interviews with women theatre directors, she sought out existing books on the topic – only to find there were none. This gap in the literature spurred Rosemary to write her new book, Running the Room: Conversations with Women Theatre … Continue reading ‘Why write a book about women theatre directors? Because it didn’t exist’ – Rosemary Waugh on Running the Room
The primacy of the actor: renowned theatre director Mike Alfreds on the nature of theatre and what actors do
Mike Alfreds founded Shared Experience theatre company in 1975, and has since directed plays for the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and also extensively abroad. He is hugely respected within the profession, and his books Different Every Night and Then What Happens? are essential reading for actors and directors. His new book, … Continue reading The primacy of the actor: renowned theatre director Mike Alfreds on the nature of theatre and what actors do
Celebrating five brilliant Black women playwrights
October marks Black History Month in the UK. This year’s theme, ‘Saluting our Sisters’, pays homage to the exceptional achievements of pioneering Black women, and their remarkable contributions to every part of British life. Here, we’re celebrating five fantastic Black women playwrights – four from the UK, plus one from the USA – who rank … Continue reading Celebrating five brilliant Black women playwrights
Ten Years of Fleabag: inside the Edinburgh Fringe hit that went global
Ten years ago, in August 2013, the eyes of the theatre world turned – as they do at this time every year – to Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe. In amongst that year's programme of almost 2,900 different shows was a new, one-woman play by actor and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, called Fleabag. That premiere run … Continue reading Ten Years of Fleabag: inside the Edinburgh Fringe hit that went global
10 top tips to make your solo show memorable
Solo shows are increasingly prevalent as a theatrical form – but what makes them tick, and why and how do some have a particularly lasting impact on audiences? Here, in an extract from their book Making Your Solo Show: The Compact Guide, Lisa Carroll and Milly Thomas – who are both experienced writers of solo … Continue reading 10 top tips to make your solo show memorable
‘The joy of connectedness’: Company Three on creating youth theatre in tumultuous times
After the huge success of Brainstorm, their youth-theatre play about the workings of the adolescent brain, pioneering theatre group Company Three are back with another brilliant play for young people: When This Is Over, a celebration of hope and imagination in a time of chaos. Conceived by the company between COVID lockdowns, and originally performed … Continue reading ‘The joy of connectedness’: Company Three on creating youth theatre in tumultuous times
‘Our bodies know even more than our conscious imagination’: Mel Churcher on our elemental drives and how we can harness them in the acting process
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Quintessence. We are all a complex mixture of the five elemental energies identified by many different cultures throughout history. Here, international acting coach MEL CHURCHER shows how an elemental approach to acting can help you bring your role more fully into life – plus a sample exercise from her new book … Continue reading ‘Our bodies know even more than our conscious imagination’: Mel Churcher on our elemental drives and how we can harness them in the acting process
The Play Ground 