Nick Hern Books

UPDATE, 1pm Friday 19 March – this 40% Off Sale has now finished. Thank you so much to everyone who took part!

Choose from hundreds of top plays and books, and support freelancers affected by the impact of COVID-19


On 16 March 2020, as the COVID pandemic continued to spread across the UK, hundreds of theatres nationwide were forced to shut their doors. At the time, we all thought it would only be for a few weeks – but incredibly, a full year on, these treasured stages are still dark. That was also the day we temporarily shut down the NHB office, as our team switched to working remotely. Twelve months later, those doors remain closed, too.

So as the theatre community prepares to mark this unexpected anniversary, we've ventured back to NHB HQ to raid our shelves and offer you the chance to save 40% on hundreds of great playscripts and theatre books, and raise money for hard-hit theatre-workers and freelancers, in our special Sale.

Due to incredible demand, we've extended the Sale by an extra 24 hours, so it now finishes at 1pm GMT on Friday 19 March. No voucher code is required – just fill your basket with as many of the brilliant titles below as you like, head to checkout, and your discount will be automatically applied. This offer applies to paperback and hardback editions only (ebooks are not included), and all orders over £40 receive free UK delivery.

Plus, £1 from every book sold in our Sale will go to the Theatre Artists Fund, which continues to provide emergency support for theatre-workers and freelancers across the UK affected by the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the theatre sector.

We've put together an incredible selection of almost SIX HUNDRED titles, all currently available at 40% off – choose from famous, award-winning hits; wonderful, lesser-known plays we just know you'll love; brilliant shows that were sadly forced to close due to COVID; books to develop your skills or learn new ones; fascinating reads by leading names, and much more.

Pick up something you always had your eye on at a special price, or try something you've never heard of before – who knows, you might be about to discover your new favourite writer...

Everything included in the Sale has been handpicked from the shelves at NHB HQ, and stock is strictly limited. So if you see something you want, move fast to avoid missing out – because once it's gone, it's gone!

Head to the bottom of this page the entire range – or check out our curated Sale Selections, bringing together books and playscripts on different subjects and themes – and be sure to grab your bargains before our Sale ends on Friday.

It's been a really rough year for everyone connected to theatre, but we've been constantly inspired by the resilience and creativity shown by so many across the community, and with venues starting to announce re-opening plans, there's genuine hope that the lights might come back on soon. So join us to celebrate the art form we all love, and thank you for helping support freelancers at this really difficult time.

Some key info:

  • This Sale runs from 1pm GMT on Tuesday 16 March to 1pm GMT on Friday 19 March only.
  • Only titles listed on this page are available at a 40% discount. This offer applies to the physical editions (paperback, hardback and CD) only; ebooks are not included.
  • Stock of all titles included in the Sale is strictly limited. If your order contains a title that has already sold out, we will get in touch to ask if you would like to: a) swap for an item of the same value, or b) receive a refund for the value of that item.
  • All Sale orders will be dispatched from Monday 22 March. From this point, our standard delivery times will apply – please click here for more information.
  • £1 from every book sold will be donated to the Theatre Artists Fund, which provides emergency support for theatre workers and freelancers across the UK.

With almost six hundred titles included in our Sale, there's a lot to choose from.

So to help you browse through what's available, we've put together fifteen curated selections of playscripts and books on different subjects and themes, and for different readers – each packed with fantastic titles we just know you'll love. Explore tailored lists for actors, backstage practitioners and drama teachers, plays impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic you can still enjoy on the page, plays in translation, adaptations, tie-in and special editions, and more.

Click here to browse the selections – or see below for the entire range of what's available at the 40% discount.
Showing 451-480 of 568 items.
So You Want To Act On Screen?

So You Want To Act On Screen?

By Michael Bray

An accessible and authoritative guide to developing a successful career as a screen actor.

So You Want To Be A Corporate Actor?

So You Want To Be A Corporate Actor?

By Paul Clayton

A practical guide for actors who want to work in the corporate sector, by a veteran with over 1400 corporate events to his credit.

So You Want To Be A Theatre Designer?

So You Want To Be A Theatre Designer?

By Michael Pavelka

The definitive guide to designing for theatre – by an award-winning designer with over 160 productions to his name.

So You Want To Be A Theatre Producer?

So You Want To Be A Theatre Producer?

By James Seabright

A comprehensive guide to every aspect of producing a show, from raising the money to creating a hit. Revised and updated.

So You Want To Be A TV Presenter?

So You Want To Be A TV Presenter?

By Kathryn Wolfe

A practical, vocational guide to starting a career on TV as a presenter, packed with accessible advice and top tips to ensure success.

So You Want To Be In Musicals?

So You Want To Be In Musicals?

By Ruthie Henshall With Daniel Bowling

An insider's guide to achieving that dream career – by one of the brightest stars in musical theatre.

So You Want To Go To Drama School?

So You Want To Go To Drama School?

By Helen Freeman

The essential guide to getting into drama school.

So You Want To Work In Theatre?

So You Want To Work In Theatre?

By Susan Elkin

An essential guide for young people who want to work in the theatre - but aren't sure exactly what they want to do, or how to get to do it. By the Education and Training Editor of The Stage.

soft animals

soft animals

By Holly Robinson

A tender and unflinching story about motherhood, self-destruction and the way women help each other heal.

Speaking the Speech

Speaking the Speech

An Actor's Guide to Shakespeare

By Giles Block Foreword by Mark Rylance

An invaluable book for actors and directors who want to improve their understanding of Shakespeare’s language in order to speak it better.

Speech & Debate

Speech & Debate

By Stephen Karam

A fiercely funny play by the Tony Award-winning author of The Humans.

Spiderfly

Spiderfly

By John Webber

A taut, thrilling debut play for two actors, premiered at Theatre503, London.

Stacy & Fanny and Faggot: two plays

Stacy & Fanny and Faggot: two plays

By Jack Thorne

Two troubled, disturbing but bleakly funny plays from a leading writer of Channel 4's Shameless and Skins.

Stage Combat: Unarmed (with Online Video Content)

Stage Combat: Unarmed (with Online Video Content)

By Roger Bartlett

Everything you need to know in order to create and perform unarmed stage fights that are compelling, realistic and, above all, safe.

Stage Lighting Design

Stage Lighting Design

The Art, The Craft, The Life

By Richard Pilbrow

The definitive text for today's and tomorrow's lighting designers, covering the complete history, theory and practice of lighting design.

Stage Management

Stage Management

The Essential Handbook

By Gail Pallin

The highly successful "Bible for any stage manager", now in a revised and updated edition.

  • Paperback£16.99 £13.59
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£16.99 £13.59
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Stanley

Stanley

By Pam Gems

A brilliant and painfully truthful portrait of Stanley Spencer, the wayward genius of modern British painting.

  • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
The Starry Messenger

The Starry Messenger

By Kenneth Lonergan

A bittersweet exploration of love, hope and the mysteries of the cosmos.

Staying Alive

Staying Alive

By Kat Roberts

A darkly funny and achingly tender play about the death of a child.

Steel

Steel

By Chris Bush

A play exploring the last three decades of women in politics, asking what's changed and what still must.

Stories

Stories

By Nina Raine

A funny and touching new play about the fertilisation of an idea.

The Strange Death of John Doe

The Strange Death of John Doe

By Fiona Doyle

A powerful and poignant drama about the search for the identity of a young man whose body is found face down in a suburban street.

Strangers in Between

Strangers in Between

By Tommy Murphy

Tommy Murphy's unflinching and constantly surprising drama about how we make sense of who we are through our often fraught relations with others.

Sugar Baby

Sugar Baby

By Alan Harris

A one-man comedy-drama about a small-time drug dealer in Cardiff, from critically acclaimed writer Alan Harris.

Sunrise

Sunrise

By Jessie Cave

An honest, tender-hearted and uproariously funny story from actress, comedian, writer and doodler Jessie Cave – with colour illustrations throughout.

Sunset at the Villa Thalia

Sunset at the Villa Thalia

By Alexi Kaye Campbell

A funny and passionate play from the author of The Pride and The Faith Machine.

Superhoe

Superhoe

By Nicôle Lecky

The hit stage play behind the BAFTA-winning BBC TV drama series Mood, about a twenty-something who spends all her time on social media while dreaming of becoming a success.

Surviving Actors Manual

Surviving Actors Manual

By Felicity Jackson and Lianne Robertson

The essential, one-stop handbook for actors, with everything you need to survive and thrive, from the team behind the internationally successful Surviving Actors conventions.

Swallow

Swallow

By Stef Smith

Passionate, painful and playful, Stef Smith’s Swallow takes a long, hard look at the extremes of everyday life.

Sweat

Sweat

By Lynn Nottage

A topical reflection of the present and poignant outcome of America's economic decline. Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Best Play at the 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.