Plays for Young People (12-18 years)

This section lists plays that are especially suited to young people aged 12 and above, for reading, study or performance. Please note that some of the plays included here contain adult language and/or tackle challenging issues. We're always happy to advise on the suitability of any of our plays: send us an email at info@nickhernbooks.co.uk, or call us on 020 8749 4953.

Showing 169-180 of 193 items.

Treasure Island (stage version)

By Robert Louis Stevenson Adapted by Stuart Paterson

10m doubling (large cast possible)

A fresh and genuinely thrilling adaptation of the classic tale, and one that keeps close to Stevenson's original story.

Treasure Island (Le Navet Bete stage version)

By Le Navet Bete and John Nicholson Original author Robert Louis Stevenson

4m doubling (or a mixed cast playing 26 characters)

A rip-roaring, swashbuckling, family-friendly retelling of a classic story.

The Trials

By Dawn King

2f 1m plus 12m/f (playing teenage jurors, flexible casting)

A searing play set in a near-future world, where those responsible for the climate emergency are being judged by a younger generation.

Tuesday

With a Welsh-language translation, Un Bore Mawrth

By Alison Carr Translated by Daf James

Any number and gender (basic minimum of 5f 4m)

A funny and playful drama written specifically for young people, about what happens when the world literally turns upside-down. Bilingual edition: includes the original English play with a Welsh-language translation, Un Bore Mawrth, by playwright Daf James.

Two Billion Beats

By Sonali Bhattacharyya

2f (playing age 15 and 17)

An insightful, heartfelt coming-of-age story and a blazing account of inner-city, British-Asian teenage life.

Two Billion Beats (short play version)

By Sonali Bhattacharyya

A short play about the unfairness of growing up in a world where you don't make the rules. First performed as part of Inside/Outside, a season of short plays staged at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond.

Published in volume Inside/Outside

The Unravelling

By Fin Kennedy

5f plus 2 or more narrators

A Fringe First Award-winning fable about the power of mythology to change your life.

The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping

By Fin Kennedy

4f plus one non-speaking girl

A bittersweet comedy about life, love and friendship once school is long gone.

Us/Them

By Carly Wijs

1f 1m

An extraordinary, award-winning account of the Beslan School Siege, exploring the entirely individual way children cope with traumatic situations.

Victoria's Knickers

By Josh Azouz

8f 8m, doubling (10f 12m), plus musicians

An epic romcom telling the story of an unlikely romance between the Queen of England and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Premiered by the National Youth Theatre.

The Village

By Abi Falase and Tatenda Shamiso

Flexible casting, 10-20 performers, any gender

A 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.