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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 1-30 of 568 items.
Maggie May

Maggie May

By Frances Poet

An extraordinary drama about an ordinary family who must balance the challenges of daily life whilst living with dementia.

Daughter

Daughter

By Adam Lazarus

A darkly satirical monologue about fatherhood, love and toxic masculinity.

  • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£9.99 £7.99
    Add to basket
Jez Butterworth Plays: Two

Jez Butterworth Plays: Two

By Jez Butterworth

Three extraordinary plays by one of the most audacious and talented playwrights of our times: Jerusalem, The River and The Ferryman. Plus his short film The Clear Road Ahead, and a conversation with playwright Simon Stephens.

seeds

seeds

By Mel Pennant

A play about two mothers united in sorrow, sharing the hardship of protecting their sons – one in life, and one in death.

Run Sister Run

Run Sister Run

By Chloë Moss

A witty and heartfelt play about two sisters, exploring family, class and dependence.

Meat

Meat

By Gillian Greer

A play about class, consent and transgressions buried in the past, set over the course of one winesoaked evening in a Dublin restaurant.

The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call

The Visit, or The Old Lady Comes to Call

By Friedrich Dürrenmatt Adapted by Tony Kushner

Dürrenmatt's visionary revenge play, one of the great achievements of modern German-language theatre, transported to mid-twentieth-century America by the acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights (stage version)

By Emily Brontë Adapted by Andrew Sheridan

A ferocious, wild and utterly exhilarating adaptation of Emily Brontë's indelible masterpiece.

Faustus: That Damned Woman

Faustus: That Damned Woman

By Chris Bush

A radical reimagining of the classic cautionary tale, transforming the iconic character of Faustus into a woman who makes the ultimate sacrifice and sells her soul to wrestle control of her own destiny.

I Think We Are Alone

I Think We Are Alone

By Sally Abbott

A delicate and uplifting play about fragility, resilience and our need for love and forgiveness.

What I (Don't) Know About Autism

What I (Don't) Know About Autism

By Jody O'Neill

A sometimes comic, sometimes heartbreaking journey into the world of autism, mixing narrative, song, dance and direct address to explore this contentious and often misunderstood subject matter.

Zoo and Twelve Comic Monologues for Women

Zoo and Twelve Comic Monologues for Women

By Lily Bevan

A wildly inventive comedy drama about courage, female friendship and flamingos. This volume also includes twelve comic monologues for female performers.

Plays from VAULT 5

Plays from VAULT 5

Five new plays from VAULT Festival

This anthology, the fifth from Nick Hern Books, comprises five of the best plays from VAULT Festival 2020, London's biggest and most exciting arts festival.

Uncle Vanya

Uncle Vanya

By Anton Chekhov Adapted by Conor McPherson

Conor McPherson's stunning adaptation of the Anton Chekhov masterpiece, a portrayal of life at the turn of the twentieth century, full of tumultuous frustration, dark humour and hidden passions.

The Welkin

The Welkin

By Lucy Kirkwood

Lucy Kirkwood's play about a woman sentenced to hang for murder in 18th-century rural Suffolk.

The Small Hours

The Small Hours

By Katherine Soper

A National Theatre Connections play about teenagers, nightlife, and the small choices that have momentous consequences.

When They Go Low

When They Go Low

By Natalie Mitchell

A play about everyday feminism, consent and the changing face of teenage sexuality in an online world. Written for the National Theatre Connections Festival.

Dear Evan Hansen: The Complete Book and Lyrics

Dear Evan Hansen: The Complete Book and Lyrics (West End edition)

By Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

A new edition of the hugely successful musical, published alongside its West End premiere. 

Swive [Elizabeth]

Swive [Elizabeth]

By Ella Hickson

Sex is power in the reign of Elizabeth I. Ella Hickson's play explores the ways and means by which women in power negotiate patriarchal pressure in order to get their way.

Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale

Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale (stage play)

By Piers Torday Original author Charles Dickens

A revitalised stage adaptation of Charles Dickens's Christmas tale, by renowned author Piers Torday, focussing on Ebenezer Scrooge's sister Fan, the most monstrous miser ever known.

Improv Beyond Rules

Improv Beyond Rules

A Practical Guide to Narrative Improvisation

By Adam Meggido

An inspiring, hands-on guide to narrative improvisation, by the co-creator and director of the Olivier Award-winning improv show Showstopper! The Improvised Musical.

The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book (Children's Touring Partnership stage version)

By Jessica Swale and Joe Stilgoe Original author Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling’s beloved tale of family, belonging and identity has been reimagined in this acclaimed adaptation by Jessica Swale, with original songs by Joe Stilgoe. 

The Last Noël

The Last Noël

By Chris Bush

A funny, moving, uplifting play about Christmas, with original songs.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (stage version)

By Mary Shelley and Rona Munro

A brilliant adaptation of Mary Shelley's Gothic masterpiece that places the writer herself amongst the action as she wrestles with her creation and with the stark realities facing revolutionary young women, then and now.

The Arrival

The Arrival

By Bijan Sheibani

A taut family drama about obsession, betrayal and the human need to belong.

Spiderfly

Spiderfly

By John Webber

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

Unknown Rivers

Unknown Rivers

By Chinonyerem Odimba

A poignant and life-affirming play about the extraordinary powers of female friendship.

The Antipodes

The Antipodes

By Annie Baker

Part satire, part sacred rite, a play that asks what value stories have for a world in crisis.

God's Dice

God's Dice

By David Baddiel

Science and religion go head to head in this electric tragicomedy: a ferociously funny battle for power, fame and followers.

Little Baby Jesus & Estate Walls

Little Baby Jesus & Estate Walls

Two plays

By Arinzé Kene

Two plays, both set in contemporary inner-city London, showcasing the remarkable poetic and theatrical imagination of writer/performer Arinzé Kene.