Joyce McMillan, lead drama critic at The Scotsman, is an unrivalled authority on modern Scottish theatre and a leading thinker and writer about Scotland. Her new book, Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams, is a collection of more than three decades of her writings about theatre, selected by theatre director Philip Howard. Here, in … Continue reading ‘A Field of Dreams’: Joyce McMillan on Theatre in Scotland
Plays
‘Wonder tales’: Philip Pullman and Philip Wilson on staging the Grimm Tales
For Philip Pullman, working on a new version of the Grimm Tales was a 'dream job'. Here, he explains why they work so well on the stage, while below, theatre director Philip Wilson describes how he adapted and staged the Tales, and what to consider when staging them yourself... Philip Pullman: When Penguin Classics asked … Continue reading ‘Wonder tales’: Philip Pullman and Philip Wilson on staging the Grimm Tales
‘We see only what we want to see’: Simon McBurney on Complicite’s The Encounter
When actor and theatre-maker Simon McBurney first read Amazon Beaming – Petru Popescu's book about a National Geographic photographer, Loren McIntyre, who went into the rainforest to take photos of the rarely seen Mayoruna tribe, only to lose his way back – he knew he would one day attempt to stage it. But how? Twenty … Continue reading ‘We see only what we want to see’: Simon McBurney on Complicite’s The Encounter
Out of the vault: highlights from VAULT Festival 2016
VAULT Festival is fast becoming one of the most exciting events on London's cultural calendar. Taking place each year in the vaults beneath Waterloo, this year's festival (running until 6 March) is host to over 100 events, from hard-hitting drama to comedy, dance, cabaret, installation, and of course late-night parties. This year Nick Hern Books … Continue reading Out of the vault: highlights from VAULT Festival 2016
‘The people loved her because she was one of them’: Jessica Swale on her play Nell Gwynn
Nell Gwynn rose from poverty to become the most celebrated actress of her day and a mistress of King Charles II. And now she is returning to the West End as the subject of Jessica Swale’s acclaimed play Nell Gwynn, first seen at Shakespeare's Globe in 2015 and to be revived at the Apollo Theatre … Continue reading ‘The people loved her because she was one of them’: Jessica Swale on her play Nell Gwynn
Drama Online: the Netflix of Theatre
This week saw the launch of the Nick Hern Books Collection on Drama Online, a groundbreaking new educational resource for reading and studying drama. Here, NHB's Digital Editor Tim Digby-Bell explains how it works, and how it sheds new light on familiar plays. Finally, it's launch week. We've been working hard preparing a selection of … Continue reading Drama Online: the Netflix of Theatre
‘The pain of celebrity’: Ian Kelly on Mr Foote’s Other Leg
Ian Kelly wrote an award-winning biography of the once-notorious eighteenth-century comedian, Samuel Foote. Now he's acting in his own stage version of the story alongside Simon Russell Beale in a sold-out production directed by Richard Eyre. Here he explains why his one-legged protagonist, who rose to fame and celebrity only to be toppled in a … Continue reading ‘The pain of celebrity’: Ian Kelly on Mr Foote’s Other Leg
Edinburgh Fringe Report 2015 Part I: cutting it at the fringe
Taking a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe can be daunting, exhausting, and about as financially sound as betting on the Chinese stock market. But it can also be a hugely rewarding experience for cast and crew, and even for audiences. Plus, if you're really on top of your game, there's a chance it might … Continue reading Edinburgh Fringe Report 2015 Part I: cutting it at the fringe
Dymphna Callery: we need a more playful approach to staging plays
Dymphna Callery's Through the Body: A practical guide to physical theatre is beloved of a generation of drama students. But have we ghetto-ised 'physical theatre' in an unhelpful way? In her new book published today, The Active Text, she looks at how physical theatre techniques can be used to unlock scripted plays, and inject new … Continue reading Dymphna Callery: we need a more playful approach to staging plays
‘A dark twisting of nostalgia’: Enda Walsh on his recent plays, from The Walworth Farce to Ballyturk
As a new collection of his plays is published alongside the UK premiere of his latest play Ballyturk at the National Theatre, the London-based Irish playwright reflects on new directions in his work... When we moved from Cork to London – about ten years ago now – we rented a house off the Old Kent … Continue reading ‘A dark twisting of nostalgia’: Enda Walsh on his recent plays, from The Walworth Farce to Ballyturk
The Prompt Book 