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!

We know that proven, popular hits can serve as important inspiration when planning a season – so to help provide more ideas, we’re rounding up the plays which we licensed most frequently for amateur performance in 2024. Can you guess which made the list? Here are the top ten, in reverse order…  

10. Wendy & Peter Pan by Ella Hickson

Cast: 4f 17m doubling (up to 6f 22m); version for smaller cast also available

First seen at the Royal Shakespeare Company, this delightful version of J.M. Barrie’s much-loved story puts the character of Wendy firmly centre stage, in an adaptation that is refreshingly modern but never loses the charm of the original.

With large and smaller cast versions available, it’s perfect for any theatre company or youth group looking to stage a classic tale, full of magic, adventure and strong female roles.

Loved this play? Take a look at: The Secret Garden, adapted by Holly Robinson and Anna Himali Howard from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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9. The Hound of the Baskervilles, adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson from the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle

Cast: 3m or f (playing various roles)

Packed full of verbal and visual ingenuity, this gloriously funny makeover of the most celebrated Sherlock Holmes story is a mainstay amongst our most popular shows for amateur performance.

It’s easy to see why: with three actors playing multiple roles, and offering abundant opportunities for silly comedy and slapstick, this perennially popular show is a guaranteed good time for groups and audiences alike. And we’re excited to share that a revised, definitive version of the script will also be released for performance soon!

Loved this play? Take a look at: King Arthur by Le Navet Bete and John Nicholson

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8. The Railway Children, adapted for the stage by Mike Kenny from the novel by E. Nesbit

Cast: 5f 6m, doubling (6f 9m possible)

A well-to-do Edwardian family find themselves far from the home they know and facing unexpected adventures in this imaginative stage version of the much-loved classic novel, which has also been adapted multiple times for screen.

With a variety of plum roles for both younger and older performers, and able to be simply staged (the steam train is optional!), this is a wonderful and uplifting crowd-pleaser for any time of year.

Loved this play? Take a look at: Swallows and Amazons, adapted by Helen Edmundson and Neil Hannon from the novel by Arthur Ransome

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7. Bleak Expectations by Mark Evans

Cast: 3-5f 6-9m plus optional extras

Based on the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, this is the story Charles Dickens might have written after drinking too much gin. Follow half-orphan Pip’s extraordinary exploits with sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit as they navigate dastardly villains, preposterous names, pulse-quickening romances, heart-rending death scenes, and definitely, probably, hopefully a happy ending.

A hit in London’s West End in 2023, Bleak Expectations has leapt straight into our Top Ten – and this gloriously daft Dickensian romp looks set to remain a popular amateur-theatre choice for a long time to come!

Loved this play? Take a look at: Around the World in 80 Days, adapted by Laura Eason from the novel by Jules Verne

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6. Things I Know To Be True by Andrew Bovell

Cast: 3f 3m (wide age range)

A complex and intense portrait of the mechanics of a family – and a marriage – through the eyes of four siblings struggling to define themselves beyond their parents’ love and expectations.

Also a set text for GCSE Drama, Things I Know To Be True has been a firm favourite with amateur groups since its professional UK premiere in 2016. It offers strong performance opportunities for the whole cast, as well as an affecting and highly theatrical story which will leave audiences spellbound.

Loved this play? Take a look at: The Herd by Rory Kinnear

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5. Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale

Cast: 5-7f 7m

London, 1660. King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, extravagant and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatregoers. This exhilarating play charts the rise of an unlikely heroine, from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain’s most celebrated actress, and her hard-won place in the heart of the King.

Nell Gwynn was first seen at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, and later transferred to London’s West End, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.

Loved this play? Take a look at: Fanny by Calum Finlay

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4. It’s a Wonderful Life by Mary Elliott Nelson, based on the critically acclaimed classic film

Cast: 4 actors, doubling (either 1f 3m or 2f 2m); larger cast possible (13 characters plus extras)

Christmas Eve, 1946, Bedford Falls. Down-on-his-luck banker George Bailey feels life has passed him by, and he’s at the end of his rope. But when George’s guardian angel pays him a visit, he’s amazed to discover what life in his beloved town would be like without him. Maybe it’s a wonderful life, after all?

Based on the critically acclaimed Frank Capra movie, this joyful story of love, hope and community was only released for amateur performance at the start of 2024 – and has immediately soared to near the top of our Most-Performed list, with productions happening across the UK this winter.

Loved this play? Take a look at: A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story, adapted by Mark Gatiss from the novella by Charles Dickens

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3. Ladies’ Day by Amanda Whittington

Cast: 4f 1m (doubling, or up to 6m)

This exuberant comedy, about four likely lasses from the Hull fish docks on a day trip to the races, has been a permanent fixture on the amateur-theatre scene ever since it premiered at Hull Truck Theatre exactly twenty years ago.

Audiences and groups have long loved following the exploits of fish-filleting foursome Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda – whose stories continue in the sequels Ladies Down Under and Ladies Unleashed, both of which also feature in our full list of Top 40 Most Performed Plays!

Loved this play? Take a look at: Di and Viv and Rose by Amelia Bullmore

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2. The Ballad of Maria Marten by Beth Flintoff

Cast: 10f 2m (can be performed by 6f doubling)

Summer, 1827. In a red barn in Suffolk, Maria Marten awaits her lover. A year later, hidden in a grain sack under the floor of the barn, Maria’s body is found, barely identifiable – and the manhunt begins. The crime sent shockwaves throughout the country, but in the process, Maria’s own place in the narrative was lost. This glorious historical drama rediscovers her story, bringing it back to vivid, urgent life.

With its flexible casting and rich opportunities for female performers, this thrilling play has proven a big hit for amateur performance, both for educational institutions and community-theatre groups.

Loved this play? Take a look at: The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood

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1. Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale

Cast: 8-10f 8-14m (plus 2 extras)

This hugely popular comedy-drama, first seen at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, in 2013, claims the top spot on our Most-Performed list for the second year running.

Set in 1890s Cambridge, Blue Stockings is a moving, comical and eye-opening story of young women fighting for education and self-determination against the larger backdrop of women’s suffrage. The play follows the course of one tumultuous academic year as Tess and her fellow first years at Girton College battle for the right to graduate – and overcome the hurdles in their way.

Accompanying music by Laura Forrest-Hay is also available for companies to license.

Loved this play? Take a look at: Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

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A word from NHB’s Performing Rights Manager, Tamara von Werthern…

I always look forward to the annual announcement of our Most Performed Plays, as it’s a chance to confirm my impressions of which titles seem to crop up in my inbox again and again throughout the year!

We licensed more productions than ever before in 2024, and it’s heartening to see that there are plenty of newcomers alongside returning favourites. Blue Stockings continues its reign in the top spot, particular mention must go to the rapid rise of The Ballad of Maria Marten – an amateur hit in both the UK and USA – and It’s a Wonderful Life, which seems to already be establishing itself as a go-to option for groups’ all-important festive slot.

I’m also once again struck by the variety on display, across both this Top 10 countdown and our full Top 40 list. There’s everything here, including laugh-out-loud comedies, extravagant period pieces, historical crime, poignant and emotionally intense dramas, and interrogations of the current state of our world. And the casts also come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from intimate three-handers to sprawling character lists of dozens.

Times remain tough for both the amateur and professional sectors, and we’re inspired and humbled by amateur groups’ resilience and creativity in finding ways to keep going and creating amazing, ambitious theatre. By mounting an amateur production, you’re not just creating a meaningful and memorable experience for your cast, creatives and audience. You’re also playing an important role in protecting the future of theatre – both by supporting playwrights (who receive the majority of any licence fees paid) to keep going and create more brilliant new plays, and also providing much-needed development opportunities for everyone involved in making the show happen (at a time when training routes are more threatened than ever). So on behalf of all of our playwrights, thank you.

And on a personal note, it’s always so lovely to be able to work with so many amateur companies throughout the year, and be part of making your productions happen. Thank you to everyone who licensed a show from us last year, and we look forward to working with you again in 2025.

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To see the full, extended list of our Most Performed Plays of last year – featuring lots more well-known names, plus some exciting new voices – head to our website.

Thanks so much to all of the ambitious, passionate amateur companies whom we helped create fantastic productions in 2024. We’re always inspired to see your incredible work, and can’t wait to help you stage more brilliant shows this year, too.