Rob Madge and Michael R. Jackson were prize-winners at the Stage Debut Awards yesterday, 1 October 2023. The awards, in association with Ambassador Theatre Group, celebrate breakthrough talent in theatre.

Rob Madge, the writer-performer of West End sensation My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?), was joint winner of the Best Creative West End Debut award for their play, which premiered at London's Turbine Theatre in 2021, took Edinburgh by storm, and then transferred to the West End's Garrick Theatre in October 2022. It returned to the West End for a season at the Ambassador's in January this year.

The joyous and chaotic story of Madge's own childhood, My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is 'a gorgeous celebration of what it's like to grow up queer' (Whatsonstage).

Michael R. Jackson was named Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer for his musical A Strange Loop, which received its British premiere at the Barbican Theatre this year. A blisteringly original musical about a Black, queer writer struggling with a host of demons, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, and has been described as a 'meta masterpiece' (Guardian) and 'an astonishing tour-de-force' (Whatsonstage).

Congratulations to both winners!

Two NHB plays have been named in the first batch of Edinburgh Fringe First Awards, selected by The Scotsman: England & Son by Ed Edwards and The Grand Old Opera House Hotel by Isobel McArthur.

Ed Edwards' play England & Son, written for the performer Mark Thomas, is a kaleidoscopic journey through empire and politics in pursuit of the truth about a man living on the streets. 'Profound and moving' (Whatsonstage), it is at Paines Plough's Roundabout throughout August before touring to Manchester and London.

Isobel McArthur's The Grand Old Opera House Hotel is an enchanting musical comedy set in a seedy hotel, haunted by its former incarnation as an opera house. Written by the author of the smash hit Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of), it is at the Traverse Theatre before going to Dundee Rep. 'Gloriously funny' The Times

Congratulations to both winners!

The winners of the 2023 Olivier Awards were announced yesterday (2 April 2023) at a ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall, with Nick Hern Books titles taking the triple-whammy of Best New Play, Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.

Best New Play was awarded to Prima Facie, Suzie Miller's searingly powerful one-woman show about an ambitious female lawyer confronting patriarchal power. The play was a sensation in its West End production starring Jodie Comer, who took the Best Actress award at last night's ceremony.

Best New Musical went to Chris Bush and Richard Hawley's Standing at the Sky's Edge, a gorgeous celebration of community seen through the lives of successive generations of residents of a Sheffield estate. It also took the award for Best original score or new orchestrations, in recognition of Richard Hawley and Tom Deering's work.

The Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre award went to The P Word, Waleed Akhtar's sharp-witted play about the parallel lives of two gay Pakistani men. The play premiered at the Bush Theatre in 2022, and was described as 'heart-meltingly lovely' (Time Out), a 'tremendous two-man rom-com' (The Times).

Akhtar's play beat off stiff competition from four other plays in its category, all of them published by Nick Hern Books: Haley McGee's Age is a Feeling; Joe White's Blackout Songs; Margaret Perry's Paradise Now! and Sami Ibrahim's two palestinians go dogging.

Congratulations to all the winners!

The Olivier Awards 2023 nominations were announced yesterday (28 February 2023), and they're packed with Nick Hern Books talent including a clean sweep of the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre category, with all five nominated plays published by NHB!

Leading the pack is Standing at the Sky's Edge, the musical by Chris Bush and Richard Hawley, nominated for eight awards including Best New Musical. 'The most exciting British musical in years' (WhatsOnStage), it's currently playing at the National Theatre (until 25 March).

Nominated for Best Play is Suzie Miller's Prima Facie, which also received a Best Actress nomination for its star in the West End, Jodie Comer.

The five NHB plays nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre are: Haley McGee's Age is a Feeling (currently at Soho Theatre); Joe White's Blackout Songs (returning to Hampstead Theatre in April); Waleed Akhtar's The P Word (which premiered at the Bush Theatre in 2022); Margaret Perry's Paradise Now! (also at the Bush Theatre in 2022); and Sami Ibrahim's two palestinians go dogging (which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2022).

Rob Madge's My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?), currently at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End, is nominated for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem is up for Best Revival, while NHB-published playwright Giles Terera is nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Pearl Cleage's Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre in 2022.

The winners are due to be announced in April. Good luck to all the nominees!

Nick Hern Books' playwrights came away with Best New Play, Most Promising New Playwright and Best Production (Plays) at the 2023 OffWestEnd Awards announced yesterday (12 February 2023) at Alexandra Palace Theatre. The 'Offies', as they're known, are designed to celebrate the achievements of independent, alternative and fringe theatre in London.

Best New Play went to Red Pitch, Tyrell Williams' coming-of-age drama set on a South London council estate, first staged at the Bush Theatre in February 2022. The play has already scooped the George Devine Award, and Williams was named Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards, and Best Writer at The Stage Debut Awards.

Waleed Akhtar was named Most Promising New Playwright for his play Kabul Goes Pop: Music Television Afghanistan, which was premiered at Brixton House in 2022, and also for a second play, The P Word, premiered at the Bush Theatre in September 2022.

Best Production (Plays) went to Jack Thorne's The Solid Life of Sugar Water, revived at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond last year.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Prima Facie, Suzie Miller's play exploring patriarchal power in the legal profession, was named Best New Play at the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London last night (12 February 2023).

Miller's play, for a single female performer, was first staged in Sydney, Australia, in 2019, and had its European premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End in April 2022, in production starring Jodie Comer. It was later screened nationally via NT Live.

Described as 'like a punch to the guts' (Telegraph), 'a play that roars' (Guardian) and 'an unforgettable moment of theatre' (Whatsonstage.com), the play has wowed audiences around the world, and is published by Nick Hern Books.

Jodie Comer also took the award for Best Performer in a Play at last night's awards, for her outstanding performance in Miller's play.

Best Play Revival went to Cock by Mike Bartlett, which is licensed by Nick Hern Books for amateur performance.