In this selection, we've rounded up a range of essential books for anyone in drama education – including collections of drama games, guides to help you learn and teach skills, explorations of key practitioners, inspiring audition materials and career guides for any student keen to work in theatre in any role, and more – all available at 40% off in our Sale.
Plus, £1 from every book sold in our Sale will go to the Theatre Artists Fund, which continues to provide emergency support for theatre-workers and freelancers across the UK affected by the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the theatre sector.
Remember, everything included in the Sale has been handpicked from the shelves at NHB HQ, and stock is strictly limited. So if you see something you want, move fast to avoid missing out – because once it's gone, it's gone!
Take a look at what's on offer below, and head back to our main Sale page to browse the whole range of playscripts and books currently available at a very special 40% discount, for a limited time only.
Looking for fantastic plays for your students to read, study and perform? Check out our Plays for Young People selection.
100 Great Plays for Women
An inspiring guide to a hundred plays that put female performers centre stage, dispelling the myth that 'There just aren't any good plays for women'. With a foreword by Kate Mosse.
Acting Through Song
Techniques and Exercises for Musical-Theatre Actors
By Paul HarvardAn impassioned and invaluable guide for actors and students of musical theatre.
Actioning - and How to Do It
By Nick MoseleyA step-by-step guide to 'actioning', one of the most widely used rehearsal techniques for actors. An indispensable companion to a vital component in every actor's toolkit.
The Active Text
Unlocking Plays Through Physical Theatre
Dymphna Callery, author of Through the Body: A practical guide to physical theatre, shows how exercises and rehearsal techniques associated with physical and devised theatre can be applied to scripted plays.
Brecht: A Practical Handbook
By David ZoobA bold and exciting new approach to Bertolt Brecht, making his theories and ideas about theatre accessible to a new generation of actors, directors, students and theatre-makers, and showing how they can be put into practice.
The Complete Brecht Toolkit
A practical, hands-on guide - for actors, directors, teachers and students - to Brecht's theory and practice of theatre, with a full set of exercises to help put theory into practice.
The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit
By Bella MerlinA revised and updated edition of Bella Merlin's essential guide to Stanislavsky's terms and ideas.
Contemporary Duologues: Two Women
Edited by Trilby JamesA selection of the best contemporary scenes for two female actors. In the Good Audition Guides series.
Contemporary Monologues for Men
Edited by Trilby JamesFifty fantastic speeches for men, all written since the year 2000, by some of our most exciting dramatic voices. Each speech is prefaced with a thorough introduction including the vital information you need to perform the scene to its maximum effect. The result is the most comprehensive and useful contemporary monologue book now available.
Contemporary Monologues for Teenagers: Female
Edited by Trilby JamesForty fantastic female speeches for teenagers, all written since the year 2000, by some of the most exciting and acclaimed writers working today.
Contemporary Monologues for Teenagers: Male
Edited by Trilby JamesForty fantastic male speeches for teenagers, all written since the year 2000, by some of the most exciting and acclaimed writers working today.
Creating Worlds
How to Make Immersive Theatre
By Jason WarrenA practical guide to creating successful immersive theatre productions, by an experienced theatre-maker and practitioner.
Diane Samuels' Kindertransport
The author's guide to the play
The author's guide to Kindertransport, an invaluable and uniquely authoritative resource for anyone studying, teaching or performing the play.
Drama Games for Actors
Exploring Self, Character and Text
From the bestselling Drama Games series, this dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book offers dozens of games to serve as a rich source of ideas and inspiration for all actors – and those teaching or directing them.
Drama Games for Classrooms and Workshops
101 great drama games for use in any classroom or workshop setting. Part of the Nick Hern Books Drama Games series.
Drama Games for Devising
As part of the ever-growing, increasingly popular Drama Games series, Jessica Swale returns with another dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, packed with dozens of drama games that can be used in the process of devising theatre.
Drama Games for Rehearsals
A dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book in the bestselling Drama Games series offering dozens of ideas and exercises to energise and inspire a bold, creative rehearsal process for any play, of any period or genre.
Drama Games for Those Who Like to Say No
A dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book for teachers and workshop leaders working with difficult or reluctant students, youth groups, young offenders, and all those who seem intent on saying 'no' to whatever is offered them.
Drama Games for Young Children
From the bestselling Drama Games series, this dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book – packed with over 200 individual games – is perfect for teachers, playgroup leaders and drama facilitators who want to inspire and entertain children, aged 3 and up, with vibrant and engaging drama experiences.
Drama Menu
Theatre Games in Three Courses
Packed full of tried-and-tested theatre games, exercises and improvisation ideas, Drama Menu is a unique new resource for drama teachers and workshop leaders.
The Excellent Audition Guide
By Andy JohnsonAn engaging, upbeat guide for any student thinking of applying to drama school.
Jessica Swale's Blue Stockings
A guide for studying and staging the play
By Jessica Swale and Lois JearyThe indispensible guide for anyone studying, teaching or performing Jessica Swale's hit play, Blue Stockings.
Making Theatre
The Frazzled Drama Teacher's Guide to Devising
An inspiring, practical handbook for anyone working with young people to make devised theatre.
National Youth Theatre Monologues
75 Speeches for Auditions
Edited by Michael BryherAn exciting and invaluable collection of audition speeches, all chosen from plays produced by the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, spanning more than sixty years as one of the world’s leading companies for young performers.
Shakespeare Monologues for Men
By Luke DixonFifty monologues for men drawn from across the Shakespeare canon, all prefaced with a summary of the vital information you need to place the piece in context and to perform it to maximum effect in your own unique way.
Shakespeare Monologues for Women
By Luke DixonFifty monologues for women drawn from across the Shakespeare canon, all prefaced with a summary of the vital information you need to place the piece in context and to perform it to maximum effect in your own unique way.
Shakespeare Monologues for Young Men
By Luke DixonForty monologues for young men drawn from across the whole of Shakespeare's canon, complete with summaries, ideas for consideration and a glossary. Part of the Nick Hern Books Good Audition Guides series.
Shakespeare Monologues for Young Women
By Luke DixonForty monologues for young women, drawn from across the whole of Shakespeare's canon, complete with summaries, ideas for consideration and a glossary. Part of the Nick Hern Books Good Audition Guides series.
So You Want To Be A Theatre Designer?
The definitive guide to designing for theatre – by an award-winning designer with over 160 productions to his name.
So You Want To Be A Theatre Producer?
A comprehensive guide to every aspect of producing a show, from raising the money to creating a hit. Revised and updated.
Newsletter Sign UpSign up to our newsletter for the latest titles, competitions and special offers...