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
Playwriting
Geoffrey Beevers: ‘bringing Eliot alive’ – adapting Middlemarch
In addition to his highly successful career as an actor, Geoffrey Beevers is also a writer and director. He has a particular love for George Eliot's work, having adapted a number of her novels for the stage - most recently Middlemarch, which premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in 2013. Here, Geoffrey discusses why … Continue reading Geoffrey Beevers: ‘bringing Eliot alive’ – adapting Middlemarch
‘Every picture tells a story’ – a tribute to Kevin Elyot
The writer Kevin Elyot, best known for his Olivier Award-winning 1994 play My Night With Reg, died last weekend. Here, we pay tribute to Kevin's life and career, with a look back at Kevin's early years as a writer, a comment from publisher Nick Hern, and an extract from his most famous play. Kevin Elyot … Continue reading ‘Every picture tells a story’ – a tribute to Kevin Elyot
The Goodale Brothers: the road to Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense’
A huge success since opening in the West End last year, Jeeves & Wooster in 'Perfect Nonsense', the Goodale Brothers' ingenious play featuring P.G. Wodehouse's iconic double act, was recently named Best New Comedy at the 2014 Olivier Awards. Here, co-writer Robert Goodale explains how the idea to adapt Wodehouse's books came about, and the process by which … Continue reading The Goodale Brothers: the road to Jeeves and Wooster in ‘Perfect Nonsense’
Jez Butterworth: ‘who knows where plays come from?’
As his debut play Mojo receives its first major revival at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End, we've delved into our archives to bring you this interview with writer Jez Butterworth. Originally published in the anthology Jez Butterworth Plays: One, this extract of a conversation between Jez and NHB founder Nick Hern, dating … Continue reading Jez Butterworth: ‘who knows where plays come from?’
Jessica Swale: why the Blue Stockings were ‘the movers and shakers of their age’
Now premiering at Shakespeare's Globe, Jessica Swale's debut play Blue Stockings depicts the fight of female students at 1890s Cambridge University to be treated equally with their male counterparts. Here, the playwright gives an insight into the historical context of the piece, and the astonishing prejudices the 'Girton girls' had to endure. In the mid-1800s, girls in England … Continue reading Jessica Swale: why the Blue Stockings were ‘the movers and shakers of their age’
Conor McPherson: A flash, an image, a feeling – the mysterious art of playwriting
As his modern classic The Weir receives its first major UK revival at London's Donmar Warehouse, playwright Conor McPherson reflects on the creative process, and how hard it all seems to explain. The best plays come in a flash. An image, a feeling, and that’s it. You know these ideas because they are the undeniable … Continue reading Conor McPherson: A flash, an image, a feeling – the mysterious art of playwriting
The Prompt Book 