Nick Hern Books

Great Plays for Festivals

A selection of our plays available for performance, specially chosen for their suitability for performance at festivals. Most of these plays have a shorter running time, generally 30-60 mins, or can be performed in a shorter version by prior arrangement. For more specific requirements, please contact our Performing Rights Department. Please note that inclusion here does not indicate that rights are available - it is important that you enquire about rights availability before making any commitment.

Showing 121-144 of 190 items.
Notes on Falling Leaves

Notes on Falling Leaves

By Ayub Khan Din

A poignant, elegiac short play from the author of East is East.

  • Paperback£6.99 £5.59
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£6.99 £5.59
    Add to basket
An Old Song, Half Forgotten

An Old Song, Half Forgotten

By Deirdre Kinahan

A short play about the life and soul of an older actor living in care with Alzheimer's disease.

Original Death Rabbit

Original Death Rabbit

By Rose Heiney

A painfully funny play, shining a light on one woman's struggle with the dark side of the internet

The Outrun

The Outrun (stage version)

By Stef Smith Original author Amy Liptrot

The bestselling memoir brought to life in a stage adaptation premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2024.

Overspill

Overspill

By Ali Taylor

A poetic, explosive thriller about three young men on a night out that ends in violence.

The Panel

The Panel

By Zinnie Harris

A short play about the power politics underlying the selection of any candidate.

Parliament Square

Parliament Square

By James Fritz

A searingly powerful play about what one individual can do to effect change. Winner of the Judges’ Award in the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.

Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her)

Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her)

By Martha Watson Allpress

A powerful play for one actor about a woman recovering from an abusive relationship.

Peak Stuff

Peak Stuff

By Billie Collins

A fast-paced, funny play offering a deep-dive into consumer culture: in an age of retail therapy, climate crisis and click and collect - how does our 'stuff' define us?

Peanut Butter & Blueberries

Peanut Butter & Blueberries

By Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan

A tender and bittersweet love story that explores how to love when the weight of the world is on your shoulders. First performed at Kiln Theatre, London, in 2024.

Peep

Peep

By Jodi Gray

A darkly comic, claustrophobic tale of voyeurism and sexual politics.

Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales

Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales (stage version)

Adapted by Philip Wilson Original author Philip Pullman

A deliciously dark version of the Grimm Tales, from master storyteller Philip Pullman.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Picnic at Hanging Rock (stage version)

By Joan Lindsay Adapted by Tom Wright

A chilling adaptation of Joan Lindsay's classic novel about the disappearance of three Australian schoolgirls in the summer of 1900.

The Playhouse Apprentice

The Playhouse Apprentice

By Jessica Swale

An exhilarating and hilarious historical drama set in Elizabethan London, about theatre, bravery and how a little voice can make a big difference. Part of the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by young people.

Playing the Game

Playing the Game

By Bola Agbaje

A short play about the election of a new President of a Students' Association.

Prima Facie

Prima Facie

By Suzie Miller

A brilliant, powerful play for a solo actor, about a young, successful barrister forced to confront the patriarchal power of the law. Winner of Best New Play at the Olivier Awards and WhatsOnStage Awards in 2023.

Prima Facie: Special Edition

Prima Facie: Special Edition

By Suzie Miller

A special edition of the international hit play, featuring the definitive version of the award-winning script, together with colour photos and exclusive additional content.

Pronoun

Pronoun

By Evan Placey

A love story about transition, testosterone, and James Dean - commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival and premiered by youth theatres across the UK.

The Proposal

The Proposal

By Anton Chekhov Translated by Stephen Mulrine

A brilliantly funny one-act play about a hypochondriac attempting to propose to an argumentative young woman.

Published in volume Chekhov: Shorts
    Queers: Eight Monologues

    Queers: Eight Monologues

    By Various Created by Mark Gatiss

    Queers celebrates a century of evolving social attitudes and political milestones in British gay history, as seen through the eyes of eight individuals.

    Quelques Fleurs

    Quelques Fleurs

    By Liz Lochhead

    A short play from the leading Scottish poet and playwright.

    random

    random

    By debbie tucker green

    An urgent play about the senseless killing of a black schoolboy, from one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary British playwriting.

    Red

    Red

    By Somalia Seaton

    An unflinching and bold exploration of the internal lives of young women. Part of Platform, an initiative aimed at addressing gender imbalance in theatre.

    Remote

    Remote

    By Stef Smith

    A play about protest, power and protecting yourself. Part of the 2015 National Theatre Connections Festival.