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’
Nick Hern
Mike Alfreds: ‘The play is not the thing’ – actors and storytelling in theatre
A legendary theatre director with over 200 productions to his name, over his long career Mike Alfreds has garnered a reputation as a true performance pioneer. As his new book Then What Happens? is published, the revered Shared Experience founder reflects on how stories are told on stage, and how actors, not plays, lie at the … Continue reading Mike Alfreds: ‘The play is not the thing’ – actors and storytelling in theatre
Giles Block: ‘I see a voice’ – the clues in Shakespeare’s words
In his role as 'Master of the Words' at Shakespeare's Globe, it is Giles Block's job to help both actors and audiences fully understand and enjoy Shakespeare's words. As his new book Speaking the Speech is published, Giles reflects on how he came to work with the language, and how 'trusting the detail' can enable … Continue reading Giles Block: ‘I see a voice’ – the clues in Shakespeare’s words
Steve Waters: Stepping back from the end-game – the story of Ignorance/Jahiliyyah
As the Middle East seemingly teeters once more on the precipice of war and the excitement of the Arab Spring gives way to a new, uncertain reality, playwright Steve Waters explains the process behind Ignorance/Jahiliyyah, his timely new drama for Hampstead Theatre which delves into the life and legacy of the influential author, thinker and … Continue reading Steve Waters: Stepping back from the end-game – the story of Ignorance/Jahiliyyah
Sandi Toksvig: Why I Wrote Bully Boy
As her play, Bully Boy, opens at the all-new St. James Theatre in London, Sandi Toksvig explains how her own sense of rage led her to write about the impact of a contemporary military occupation on the mental health of serving soldiers... For someone who thinks of themselves as a pacifist I have written a … Continue reading Sandi Toksvig: Why I Wrote Bully Boy
PART 2: Bruntwood Playwriting Competition 2011
BEN MUSGRAVE...on winning the inaugural Bruntwood Prize in 2007 for his play Pretend You Have Big Buildings How has winning the first Bruntwood Prize affected your career as a writer? A week before the prize announcement, I had given up my job to concentrate on writing full-time. Winning the prize felt like a miraculous validation … Continue reading PART 2: Bruntwood Playwriting Competition 2011
2011 Bruntwood Playwriting Competition
Today marks the launch of the third Bruntwood Playwriting Competition – the UK’s biggest (and most lucrative) award for playwrights. It doesn’t matter where you come from in the UK, whether you’ve never written before (or you’ve written a hundred plays), or what you want to write about. You’ve got until 3rd June 2011 to … Continue reading 2011 Bruntwood Playwriting Competition
Why Publish Plays?
Do plays need to be published in the first place? Publisher Nick Hern looks at the how and the why, and what lies ahead in the age of ebooks. Publishing plays is an odd activity – and at Nick Hern Books we publish a lot of plays: there are about 900 in print, and we … Continue reading Why Publish Plays?
The Prompt Book 