Whatever stage an actor is at in their career, few relationships will be so vital as the one with their agent. And yet despite this, there's still a certain amount of mystery around exactly how agents operate, what their role is, and how to attract and work with them successfully. Here, JBR – who has seen … Continue reading ‘For agents to do their job well, you have to play your part too’ – JBR on making the most of the actor-agent relationship
Author: nickhernbooks
‘Anyone can improve their memory’ – Mark Channon on how to learn your lines more quickly, easily and confidently
Whether it's a script for a play, scenes for next day's shooting, or sides sent over shortly in advance of an audition, every actor will be familiar with the process of trying to get their lines off the page and into their brain. The pressures of line-learning can cause anxiety, and the fear of forgetting … Continue reading ‘Anyone can improve their memory’ – Mark Channon on how to learn your lines more quickly, easily and confidently
‘You can really recreate the thrill of making theatre’ – Ian Higham on directing The Weir online
When the COVID-19 pandemic first forced theatres to close their doors back in March 2020, it wasn't just professional venues that were affected; many hundreds of amateur groups and organisations were suddenly thrown into darkness, too. And as the lockdown stretched out longer than any of us first thought it would, these passionate, dedicated, community-based … Continue reading ‘You can really recreate the thrill of making theatre’ – Ian Higham on directing The Weir online
‘We hold on to hope for a better future’ – Matt Applewhite looks back on 2020
Unprecedented, extraordinary, difficult, relentless, seemingly unending... however you choose to describe it, one thing's for sure: thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 has been one hell of a year. For a theatre publisher like Nick Hern Books, nine months with a shuttered arts industry has been a challenge that's forced us to adapt and find … Continue reading ‘We hold on to hope for a better future’ – Matt Applewhite looks back on 2020
‘I’ve vowed to keep on telling my story’ – Nathaniel Hall on First Time and tackling HIV stigma
In Nathaniel Hall's hilarious and heartbreaking solo show First Time – a hit at Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and on its UK tour, and now available in print – the theatre-maker and activist draws on his own life story to smash through the stigma and shame of HIV, and present an uplifting and inspirational guide to staying … Continue reading ‘I’ve vowed to keep on telling my story’ – Nathaniel Hall on First Time and tackling HIV stigma
‘Sometimes we all need to colour outside of the lines’: Paul Kalburgi on The Writer’s Toolkit
Whilst it can be hugely freeing, empowering and rewarding, every writer knows that writing can also sometimes be a tough and frustrating process. Whether you're trying to crack a problem on a script, come up with a new idea or find the inspiration to start anything at all, sometimes writers need something to kickstart their … Continue reading ‘Sometimes we all need to colour outside of the lines’: Paul Kalburgi on The Writer’s Toolkit
All the way from America – great new drama to discover and enjoy
For over thirty years, we've been proud to partner with Theatre Communications Group, North America’s largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature, to distribute their books throughout the UK and Europe. To celebrate the arrival of another batch of fantastic American drama – all now available to order – we're taking this opportunity to introduce … Continue reading All the way from America – great new drama to discover and enjoy
‘The training must go on!’ – Glyn Trefor-Jones on teaching drama socially distanced
Teachers and students returning to school this month are having to get to grips with a 'new normal' of bubbles, masks, and social distancing. The constraints caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic make teaching any subject trickier – but perhaps none more so than drama. That's why director, writer and teacher Glyn Trefor-Jones has created … Continue reading ‘The training must go on!’ – Glyn Trefor-Jones on teaching drama socially distanced
‘The show we needed to make’ – The Wardrobe Ensemble on The Last of the Pelican Daughters
Formed in a rehearsal room at the Bristol Old Vic in 2011, The Wardrobe Ensemble are, in their own words, 'a group of theatre artists working together to make new plays that dissect the twenty-first century experience'. In the near-decade since their founding, they've earned success and critical acclaim – performing around the UK, winning awards and … Continue reading ‘The show we needed to make’ – The Wardrobe Ensemble on The Last of the Pelican Daughters
‘Dear Class of 2020…’: A message to new drama graduates – Part Two
Graduating from a course or degree is always a momentous moment of change – but with the world in grips of a pandemic and the theatre industry almost entirely shut down, the Class of 2020 face additional challenges. Here, in Part Two of a special two-part blog post, we asked some celebrated theatre-makers (and NHB … Continue reading ‘Dear Class of 2020…’: A message to new drama graduates – Part Two
The Prompt Book 