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
Nick Hern
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
Michael Palin: Monty Python as it happened
The inspiring Monty Python at Work is Michael Palin's intimate, behind-the-scenes account of the conception and making of the legendary group's shows, films, books and albums, drawn from his published diaries. Here, the author explains what writer-performers can learn from the book - and read further for extracts from the beginning of the Python journey. … Continue reading Michael Palin: Monty Python as it happened
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’
Sexting in Parliament: insights from the writer and director of Girls Like That
Back in January, members of West Yorkshire Playhouse's Youth Theatre travelled to Westminster to perform an extract from the play Girls Like That in Parliament as part of the launch of YoungMinds Vs, a new children's mental health campaign. An urgent and explosive play that explores the pressures on young people today in the wake of advancing … Continue reading Sexting in Parliament: insights from the writer and director of Girls Like That
Max Stafford-Clark in Conversation at the Royal Court
On Friday 17 January, renowned theatre director and founder of Out of Joint Max Stafford-Clark appeared at the Royal Court Theatre, London, for a talk and Q&A to launch his new book, Journal of the Plague Year, a personal exploration of the state of arts funding in the UK today. Appearing on the main stage … Continue reading Max Stafford-Clark in Conversation at the Royal Court
West End Producer: ‘The secret to first-night presents’
In this second extract from his new book Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Acting, theatre impresario and Twitter phenomenon West End Producer lifts the lid on the thing that can make or break any actor's career: the first-night present. Many people in the industry get their priorities all wrong. As soon as they get offered a … Continue reading West End Producer: ‘The secret to first-night presents’
West End Producer: ‘Auditioning from my side of the table’
With his striking good looks, sharp wit and genuine love of the industry, theatrical impresario and anonymous Twitter phenomenon West End Producer has taken the theatre world by storm, amassing a devoted following. As his book Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Acting is published, here's an extract to whet your appetite, dears. The … Continue reading West End Producer: ‘Auditioning from my side of the table’
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’
The Prompt Book 