Nick Hern Books

Plays for One Performer

Discover fringe-theatre shows turned award-winning TV series, memoir-monologues, writer-actor collaborations and so many more excellent examples of solo shows in our collection below.

If you're a theatre-maker interested in creating your own solo show, there's no better place to start than with Making Your Solo Show: The Compact Guide, by Lisa Carroll and Milly Thomas – both experienced solo-show writers, who teach popular workshops on getting to grips with the form.

Discover 10 top tips to make your solo show memorable, an extract from Lisa and Milly's book over on our blog.

Showing 73-96 of 147 items.
Limbo

Limbo

By Declan Feenan

A monologue play in which a 17-year-old girl tells us the story of her relationship with an older man and what it led to.

Published in volume St Petersburg and other plays
    LORENZO

    LORENZO

    By Ben Targét

    A life-affirming story about the messiness of ageing and dying. Winner of a Fringe First award at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe.

    The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret

    The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret

    By Catherine Johnson

    The alternating stories of two women (played by the same actress), both of whom 'lose' their sons - one murdered, the other a runaway.

    Published in volume Singular Female Voices
      Madame Ovary

      Madame Ovary

      By Rosa Hesmondhalgh

      The heartbreaking and hilarious true story of the author's own experience of ovarian cancer.

      Maisie Says She Loves Me

      Maisie Says She Loves Me

      By Jimmy Osborne

      A one-man play about love, inheritance and not letting your feelings show.

      Misterman

      Misterman

      By Enda Walsh

      A virtuosic study of one man's descent into religious mania in small-town Ireland. This edition was published alongside the 2012 production at the National Theatre starring Cillian Murphy.

      misterman (2001 edition)

      misterman (2001 edition)

      By Enda Walsh

      A strange and haunting monologue from the acclaimed Irish playwright.

      Published in volume bedbound & misterman: two plays
        Misty

        Misty

        By Arinzé Kene

        An inventive blend of gig theatre, spoken word, live art and direct address, exploring the pulsating heart and underground soul of inner-city London.

        Mojo Mickybo: Three Plays

        Mojo Mickybo: Three Plays

        By Owen McCafferty

        Three astute, savvy early plays from Belfast writer Owen McCafferty.

        • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
          There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
        Mongoose

        Mongoose

        By Peter Harness

        A strange and beguiling monologue about a loner obsessed with a malign companion called Mongoose.

        Published in volume Singular Male Voices
          The Motherhood Project

          The Motherhood Project

          Monologues and Reflections on Motherhood

          By Various

          A collection of dramatic monologues and real-life reflections by some of the UK's leading writers, artists and thinkers, and explores all the guilt, joy and absurdity, the regrets, pressures and taboos surrounding motherhood.

          Mr Incredible

          Mr Incredible

          By Camilla Whitehill

          A brutal one-man play about modern love and old-fashioned entitlement.

          • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
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          • Ebook£10.99 £8.79
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          Mr Incredible (VAULT version)

          Mr Incredible (VAULT version)

          By Camilla Whitehill

          A monologue about love and entitlement by Camilla Whitehill, author of Where Do Little Birds Go?, who was described by The Times as 'a writer of huge promise'.

          Published in volume Plays from VAULT
            Mrs Delgado

            Mrs Delgado

            By Mike Bartlett

            A funny and poignant play for one actor that tells a story of desire, control, raised blinds and lowered boundaries. This edition also includes the monologue Phoenix.

            • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
              There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
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            My Name is Rachel Corrie

            My Name is Rachel Corrie

            By Rachel Corrie Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner

            The moving account of the life and early death of a young female activist, adapted from her own writings.

            My Name is Rachel Corrie

            My Name is Rachel Corrie (2017 edition)

            By Rachel Corrie Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner

            The moving account of the life and early death of a young female activist, adapted from her own writings.

            My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)

            My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?)

            By Rob Madge

            A joyous, chaotic, autobiographical play telling the story of actor, writer and social-media sensation Rob Madge as they set out to recreate a Disney parade they performed as a twelve-year-old for their Grandma.

            The Naked Eye

            The Naked Eye

            By Jez Butterworth

            A short monologue play from the author of Jerusalem.

            Published in volume Jez Butterworth Plays: One
              A Night in November

              A Night in November

              By Marie Jones

              The multi-award-winning playwright explores the subjects of football and sectarianism, set during the 1994 World Cup.

              Published in volume Stones in His Pockets & A Night in November: Two Plays
                Nightwatchman

                Nightwatchman

                By Prasanna Puwanarajah

                A British Sri Lankan cricketer prepares for the innings of her life for England against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

                Notes for First Time Astronauts

                Notes for First Time Astronauts

                By Tom Wells

                A comic monologue warning of the perils of self-abuse in zero gravity conditions.

                Published in volume Me, As A Penguin
                  On the Evils of Tobacco

                  On the Evils of Tobacco

                  By Anton Chekhov Translated by Stephen Mulrine

                  A bittersweet monologue in which a scientific lecture is hijacked by thoughts of domestic misery.

                  Published in volume Chekhov: Shorts
                    One Way Street

                    One Way Street

                    By David Greig

                    A one-man show set in eastern Berlin in 1995, in which Flannery tells us his life story in the form of a guide to the city.

                    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