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 options to choose from. However, there are certain shows we see companies are drawn to time and time again. We've … Continue reading Discover the Most-Performed Plays of 2022
Author: nickhernbooks
VAULT 2023: the best new work at London’s VAULT festival
VAULT Festival, London's biggest arts and entertainment festival, is now underway in Waterloo, where it runs until 19 March. With hundreds of events taking place throughout the eight weeks of the festival, including theatre, comedy, cabaret, immersive and VR experiences, family shows, late-night parties and more, there's something for everyone. And to celebrate the publication … Continue reading VAULT 2023: the best new work at London’s VAULT festival
‘Make sure you’re always ready to work’ – how to build your personal acting toolkit
Whatever situation you find yourself in as an actor – whether you're currently on a job, or juggling resting jobs whilst waiting to audition – there's always something you can be doing to ensure you're prepared when that life-changing opportunity comes your way. Here, in an extract from their book The Jobbing Actor, accredited … Continue reading ‘Make sure you’re always ready to work’ – how to build your personal acting toolkit
Ladies Unleashed: Playwright Amanda Whittington on her Ladies Trilogy
When Amanda Whittington's play Ladies' Day premiered at Hull Truck Theatre in 2005, it introduced the world to Pearl, Jan, Shelley and Linda – four likely lasses from the Hull fish docks on a day at the races. The play and its sequel, Ladies Down Under, have since been performed around the world, including thousands … Continue reading Ladies Unleashed: Playwright Amanda Whittington on her Ladies Trilogy
‘My happy place is where Art meets Activism’: Julie Hesmondhalgh on why she feels at home with political theatre
Julie Hesmondhalgh is one of those rare human beings: an actor who is instantly recognisable from her performances in popular TV dramas such as Broadchurch and Happy Valley, and as Hayley in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street; but at the same time, one who remains grounded in a politically engaged, compassionate, activist, grass-roots theatre … Continue reading ‘My happy place is where Art meets Activism’: Julie Hesmondhalgh on why she feels at home with political theatre
In dark times: Two Ukrainian playwrights on life in the midst of the conflict
It has been six months now since Russia invaded Ukraine, but as a double-bill of Ukrainian plays – published this week and currently showing at the Finborough Theatre in London – makes clear, the conflict really began much earlier than that, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014. For the two leading Ukrainian playwrights … Continue reading In dark times: Two Ukrainian playwrights on life in the midst of the conflict
‘Write with your heart as well as your head’: Jemma Kennedy on getting started as a playwright
For playwright and screenwriter Jemma Kennedy, plays are something of a paradox: carefully structured works of studied, practised craft, but also filled with unstudied, creative instinct. For a script to truly come to life, it must encapsulate both these qualities. In this extract from Jemma's book The Playwright's Journey, she reflects on her own path … Continue reading ‘Write with your heart as well as your head’: Jemma Kennedy on getting started as a playwright
‘He was a giant in the world of theatre’ – a tribute to Peter Brook
Peter Brook, who has sadly died at the age of 97, was one of the most influential and important figures in twentieth-century theatre – described by the Guardian as 'one of theatre’s most visionary and influential thinkers'. The New York Times called him 'a director of scale and humanity, who left an indelible mark'. Brook's … Continue reading ‘He was a giant in the world of theatre’ – a tribute to Peter Brook
Three plays, one cast, all at the same time: Chris Bush on her ambitious dramatic triptych Rock / Paper / Scissors
For the fiftieth anniversary of the Crucible, Sheffield Theatres commissioned playwright Chris Bush to write three plays that could be performed by the same cast, simultaneously, in all three of their spaces (the Crucible, the Lyceum, and the Studio). Nothing quite like it had ever been attempted before. As the resulting plays Rock / Paper … Continue reading Three plays, one cast, all at the same time: Chris Bush on her ambitious dramatic triptych Rock / Paper / Scissors
‘Theatre needs to be reoccupied by the theatremakers’: Russell Lucas on breaking through industry barriers
Russell Lucas doesn't exist. At least, not according to conventional theatre categories. He's a writer, deviser, producer, actor and director – often all at once. He's a lecturer too. And why not? In his new book, 300 Thoughts for Theatremakers, he offers inspiration and encouragement for theatremakers everywhere, and argues that the maverick, hybrid, jack-of-all-trades … Continue reading ‘Theatre needs to be reoccupied by the theatremakers’: Russell Lucas on breaking through industry barriers
The Prompt Book 