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 29-56 of 84 items.

The Playhouse Apprentice

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.

Player Kings

Shakespeare's Henry IV Parts 1 & 2

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.

Peter Pan (stage version)

An enchanting adaptation of J.M. Barrie's children's classic, with songs by Vikki Stone. Premiered at Rose Theatre, Kingston.

Peak Stuff

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?

The Other Boleyn Girl (stage version)

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

Octopolis

A fascinating and funny play for two actors – and one octopus – exploring love, grief and what makes us human.

Northanger Abbey (stage version)

By Zoe Cooper Original author Jane Austen

A playful and surprising reimagining of Jane Austen's novel, infused with the spirit of the original, and fizzing with imagination and humour.

Nine Lessons and Carols

Stories for a Long Winter

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

Never Have I Ever

An explosive, savagely funny first play by Deborah Frances-White, comedian, screenwriter and host of the global hit podcast The Guilty Feminist.

The Multiverse is Gay!

A wild rollercoaster ride through school, the Multiverse, and finding yourself, over and over and over again… A play in the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series, featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.

Multiple Casualty Incident

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

Modest

 

A thrilling collision of music hall, cabaret and drag king swagger, in a play that tells the true story of Elizabeth Thompson, a pioneering megastar of the Victorian art scene.

A Mirror

Sam Holcroft's elusive and explosive new play about censorship, authorship and free speech, premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in August 2023, directed by Jeremy Herrin.

Metamorphosis (stage version)

By Franz Kafka Adapted by Lemn Sissay

A thrilling stage adaptation of Kafka's visceral literary landmark, first produced by Frantic Assembly.

LORENZO

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

Liberation Squares

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

The Legend of Ned Ludd

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

Laughing Boy (stage version)

By Stephen Unwin Original author Sara Ryan

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.

Lady Dealer

A mile-a-minute, one-person poem play about a young female drug dealer, exploring forgiveness, the exhaustion of trying, and mistaking self-destruction for self-preservation. Premiered at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

James V: Katherine

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.

It's a Wonderful Life (stage version)

A joyful stage adaptation of Frank Capra's movie about a down-on-his-luck banker who feels like he's at the end of his rope, until his guardian angel pays him a visit.

Is My Microphone On?

An urgent and lyrical play from a leading Canadian playwright, about young people questioning the choices that have been made, and the ones that they will yet be forced to make.

The Invincibles

A play about the Dagenham Invincibles, aka Sterling Ladies, the greatest women's football team in Britain during World War One, and their legacy in the present day.

Idyll

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

I Fucked You in My Spaceship

A razor-sharp sci-fi comedy-drama about sex and relationships, winner of the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work at VAULT Festival, London.

The Human Body

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.

HOTHOUSE

A play that tackles climate breakdown with big ideas, a lot of laughs, and some truly grotesque cabaret numbers.

HORIZON

A thrilling, witty, superhuman coming-of-age story about the quest to find your place in the world. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series.