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.
The Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man
A powerful, angry and surprising play about the person who came to be known as 'the Elephant Man', restoring Joseph Merrick to the centre of his own story.
Samuel Takes a Break
in Male Dungeon No. 5 After a Long but Generally Successful Day of Tours
An extraordinary, genre-blending play about colonialism, identity and the attempt to preserve the past, premiered at The Yard Theatre London in 2024.
Scenes with girls
A witty and caustic play about female friendship, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2020.
Sea Things
A bold and startling comic thriller about climate crisis, conspiracy, and what lurks beneath the waves. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.
The Secret Garden (stage version)
By Frances Hodgson Burnett Adapted by Elizabeth NewmanA delightful stage adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's enduring tale of transformation and healing through nature.
Shed: Exploded View
A devastating play about violence, love and loss. Winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.
Shifters
A fierce, funny and intoxicating play about the enduring power – and fragility – of memory and love. Premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024.
Skyscraper Lullaby
By James FritzA powerful drama about two parents trying to come to terms with the disappearance of their toddler, written and first performed as an audio drama for Audible Original.
small
A compassionate and probing play about youth and aging, nostalgia and regret, and the dangers of refusing to get old. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.
Somewhere Out There You
By Nancy HarrisA romantic comedy with a twist, playfully unravelling the love stories we weave for ourselves. First performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, as part of Dublin Theatre Festival.
A Song for Ella Grey (stage version)
By David Almond Adapted by Zoe CooperA 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.
Space Girl
An action-packed play for young performers and audiences, bursting with songs and imagination, celebrating curiosity, resilience and exploration. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by young people.
Strategic Love Play
A Fringe First-winning play that, with acid wit, takes a scalpel to modern romance.
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (stage version)
By Kate Summerscale Adapted by Alexandra WoodA stage adaptation of Kate Summerscale's bestselling non-fiction thriller, about the investigation of a Victorian country house murder.
Testmatch
By Kate AttwellA funny and provocative play about women's cricket, colonial India and the mythology of fair play.
Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
By Javaad Alipoor With Chris ThorpeA cutting-edge drama – part free-wheeling lecture, part podcast and part play – investigating the disappearance of Iranian pop sensation and refugee Fereydoun Farrokhzad in 1992.
This Might Not Be It
A candid portrayal of mental health services in the NHS, premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024.
Thrown
By Nat McClearyA poignant, dynamic play exploring belonging and identity, premiered by the National Theatre of Scotland and Edinburgh International Festival.
Till the Stars Come Down
By Beth SteelA heartbreaking and hilarious portrayal of a larger-than-life family struggling to come to terms with a changing world.
The Time Machine: A Comedy
By Steven Canny and John NicholsonA fast-paced, wise-cracking, riotous play, loosely based on H.G. Wells's masterpiece, that zips from the nineteenth century to the end of the world, and (with any luck) back again.
twins
By James FritzA short play about twins whose lives diverge, first performed at the Arcola Theatre, London, in 2015.
The Village
By Abi Falase and Tatenda ShamisoA punchy and provocative story about democracy, power, and how we can try to build a better world. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.
Wellington 24
An upbeat and empowering World War II tale about teamwork, collaboration and beating the odds. In the Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series featuring large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.
When This Is Over
A Blueprint for Creating Your Own Production, and the Original Playscript
A theatrical celebration of hope, possibility and imagination, designed to be created and performed by teenage casts, drawing directly on their own life experiences and the stories they want to tell. Winner, Outstanding Drama Initiative at the Music and Drama Education Awards.
When Winston Went to War with the Wireless
By Jack ThorneA gripping and timely play about Winston Churchill, the 1920s General Strike and the birth of the BBC.
Where Sat the Lovers
By Carys D. Coburn With MALAPROP TheatreA play about codes, hallucinations, Isaac Newton, war crimes, seeing meaning where there's none and vice versa. First staged by MALAPROP Theatre at the 2021 Dublin Fringe Festival.
The Wife of Cyncoed
By Matt HartleyA charming and open-hearted one-woman play about self-discovery later in life.
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Amateur Productions
On Now & Coming SoonAmanda WhittingtonMargaret PerryGeorgia ChristouAmanda WhittingtonJessica SwaleMoira Buffinithe Lions partJohn Nicholson & Le Navet BeteThe Wardrobe EnsemblePolly Teale