New Acquisitions

Amateur performing rights for the following plays have recently been acquired by Nick Hern Books, and they will be available for performance once the performing rights have been released.

If you have a particular interest in any of the plays that appear here, please enquire about availability to the Performing Rights Manager.

Showing 57-83 of 83 items.

Now, I See

3f

A powerful fusion of movement, song and text, exploring identity, forgiveness and nature's capacity to heal. Part of a groundbreaking trilogy about being a Black man in contemporary Britain.

The House Party

3f 1m

A new spin on August Strindberg's classic play Miss Julie, premiered at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in 2024 in a co-production between Chichester Festival Theatre, Headlong and Frantic Assembly.

Player Kings

Shakespeare's Henry IV Parts 1 & 2

2-4f 20-25m

Shakespeare's great history plays, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, brought together in a visionary new version adapted by award-winning writer and director Robert Icke.

Multiple Casualty Incident

2f 2m

Roleplay, desire and compassion intertwine in a play about the complexities of humanitarian work. Premiered at The Yard Theatre, London, in 2024.

Laughing Boy (stage version)

By Stephen Unwin Original author Sara Ryan
2f 5m doubling (larger cast possible)

A stage adaptation of Sara Ryan's powerful account of the preventable death of her son Connor Sparrowhawk while in an NHS care unit. Premiered at Jermyn Street Theatre, London.

The Legend of Ned Ludd

3 performers

A powerful and innovative play about work, automation and capitalism's impact, premiered at the Liverpool Everyman in 2024.

Liberation Squares

3f

A riotous stage comedy about sisterhood, freedom of speech, and dissent in the face of institutionalised Islamophobia.

The Other Boleyn Girl (stage version)

6-7f 10-11m plus extras

A racy and riveting drama of intrigue at the Tudor court, based on Philippa Gregory's internationally bestselling novel.

Testmatch

6-8f 4m (can be performed by 6f)

 A funny and provocative play about women's cricket, colonial India and the mythology of fair play. 

Strategic Love Play

1f 1m

A Fringe First-winning play that, with acid wit, takes a scalpel to modern romance.

Scenes with girls

3f (plus optional boy)

A witty and caustic play about female friendship, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2020.

The Cord

2f 1m

An honest and moving play about the challenging truths of family dynamics, focussing on a couple in the weeks after the birth of their child. Premiered at the Bush Theatre, London.

Till the Stars Come Down

6f 4m

A heartbreaking and hilarious portrayal of a larger-than-life family struggling to come to terms with a changing world.

James V: Katherine

2f 2-4m plus optional chorus

A thrilling play about a turbulent time in Scotland's history, continuing Rona Munro's series of history plays set during the reigns of Scotland's generations of Stewart kings.

Cassie and the Lights

3f plus 1f/m and pre-recorded voices

A tender and playful drama that examines what makes a family and what holds it together.

Gunter

4+ performers

The hit play about deception, witchcraft and football, winner of a Fringe First at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, then at the Royal Court Theatre, London.

Foam

6-7m

A gripping play that examines the nature of identity and the consequences of right-wing extremist ideology against the backdrop of London's skinhead and gay scenes of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Wife of Cyncoed

1f (playing age 66)

A charming and open-hearted one-woman play about self-discovery later in life.

Idyll

1 performer (or more)

A captivating short play about rural Britain, premiered by Pentabus Theatre in 2021.

The Human Body

4f 2m with suggested doubling (over 35 roles in total)

A play of political and private passions, set in the 1940s against a backdrop of the foundation of the NHS. Premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2024.

Shed: Exploded View

3f 3m

A devastating play about violence, love and loss. Winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.

Nine Lessons and Carols

Stories for a Long Winter

6 performers (plus one voice-over)

A play about connection and isolation, forged during the Covid pandemic, exploring what we hold on to in troubled times.

(Not) the End of the World

3-4f

A daringly theatrical investigation of the climate crisis through the perspectives of class, patriarchy and colonialism.

Samuel Takes a Break

in Male Dungeon No. 5 After a Long but Generally Successful Day of Tours

2f 2m

An extraordinary, genre-blending play about colonialism, identity and the attempt to preserve the past, premiered at The Yard Theatre London in 2024.

This Might Not Be It

2f 1m

A candid portrayal of mental health services in the NHS, premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024.

Peak Stuff

1f/m

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?

A Song for Ella Grey (stage version)

3f 2m

A magical retelling of the Orpheus myth, full of music, sound and storytelling, adapted from the novel by David Almond. Premiered by Pilot Theatre on UK tour in 2024.

Amateur Productions
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Bill Bryson, Adapted by Tim Whitnall

Fin Kennedy

Amanda Whittington

Alexandra Wood, Adapted from Kate Summerscale

Amanda Whittington


Henrik Ibson, Adapted by Richard Eyre

Tom Wells

Jeremy Sams, Original authors John Esmonde and Bob Larbey