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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 271-300 of 568 items.
Jumpers for Goalposts

Jumpers for Goalposts

By Tom Wells

A hilarious and heart-warming comedy about football, friendship and finding your way.

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. 

Junkyard

Junkyard

By Jack Thorne

A brilliantly honest and witty coming-of-age drama, with music by Stephen Warbeck.

  • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£10.99 £8.79
    Add to basket
Ken Campbell: The Great Caper

Ken Campbell: The Great Caper

By Michael Coveney

The first, authorised biography of the anarchic comic genius, much cherished for his performances on stage and screen.

Kes

Kes (stage version)

By Barry Hines Adapted by Lawrence Till

A tried-and-tested stage adaptation of Barry Hines' novel A Kestrel for a Knave, about a troubled young boy who finds and trains a kestrel.

Killer Joe

Killer Joe

By Tracy Letts

A tense thriller that asks where the moral line is drawn in the fight for survival.

King Charles III

King Charles III

By Mike Bartlett

Mike Bartlett's 'future history play' explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain's most famous family.

Kiss Me Quickstep

Kiss Me Quickstep

By Amanda Whittington

Dazzling and sequin-studded, Kiss Me Quickstep is a play about the world of ballroom dance, taking us behind the fixed smiles and fake tan to look at the real lives of those for whom ballroom dancing is everything

The Kitchen Sink

The Kitchen Sink

By Tom Wells

An irresistibly funny and tender play about big dreams and small changes.

Laban for Actors and Dancers

Laban for Actors and Dancers

Putting Laban's Movement Theory into Practice - A Step-by-Step Guide

By Jean Newlove

A handbook, complete with graded exercises, for teachers and students wanting a practical introduction to Laban's famous system of movement.

The Lady from the Sea

The Lady from the Sea

By Henrik Ibsen Adapted by Elinor Cook

Ibsen's moving play about duty and self-determination, relocated to the Caribbean in the 1950s.

Lagan

Lagan

By Stacey Gregg

A kaleidoscope of stories from post-Troubles Belfast, Lagan is an intimate and absorbing dramatic portrait of a city with a past like no other.

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland (stage version)

By Giles Foden Adapted by Steve Waters

An electrifying thriller about corruption and complicity, adapted from Giles Foden's multi-award-winning novel.

The Last Noël

The Last Noël

By Chris Bush

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

The Last of the Duchess

The Last of the Duchess

By Nicholas Wright

A compelling study of the corruption of fame, the lure of money and the betrayal that lurks at the heart of portraying the people around us, or the people we love. Based on Caroline Blackwood's book of the same name.

  • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
The Last of the Haussmans

The Last of the Haussmans

By Stephen Beresford

A funny, touching and at times savage portrait of a family loosing its grip, examining the fate of the revolutionary generation.

Lay Me Down Softly

Lay Me Down Softly

By Billy Roche

A heartfelt slice of life in small-town Ireland, brimming with passions and all-too-human foibles, from the author of the well-loved Wexford Trilogy.

Lazarus: The Complete Book and Lyrics

Lazarus: The Complete Book and Lyrics

By David Bowie and Enda Walsh

The extraordinary musical inspired by the book The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis and its cult film adaptation starring David Bowie, and incorporating some of Bowie's most iconic songs.

The League of Youth

The League of Youth

By Henrik Ibsen Adapted by Andy Barrett

Ibsen's political comedy, in a crisp and satirical version by Andy Barrett.

Leave Taking

Leave Taking

By Winsome Pinnock

Two generations. Three incredible women. An epic story of what we leave behind in order to find home.

Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In (stage version)

By John Ajvide Lindqvist Adapted by Jack Thorne

A dark and visceral coming-of-age vampire love story, based on the acclaimed novel and film.

  • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£10.99 £8.79
    Add to basket
The Libertine

The Libertine

By Stephen Jeffreys

An incisive critique of life in an age of excess, based on the true story of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. This edition of the play was published alongside the 2016 production at the Theatre Royal Bath and Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The Light Burns Blue

The Light Burns Blue

By Silva Semerciyan

A play inspired by the true story of the Cottingley Fairies. Part of Platform, a series of big-cast plays with predominantly or all-female casts, written specifically for performance by school, college and youth-theatre groups.

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire

By Caryl Churchill

The story of the men and women who went into battle for the soul of England during the English Civil War.

  • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£9.99 £7.99
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Limehouse

Limehouse

By Steve Waters

A thrilling drama that takes us behind closed doors to imagine the personal conflicts behind the making of political history.

Liolà

Liolà

By Tanya Ronder Original author Luigi Pirandello

A funny and touching new version of Pirandello's high-spirited drama, set at the heart of a rural community where property and family unleash fierce passions.

  • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£9.99 £7.99
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Lionboy

Lionboy (stage version)

By Zizou Corder Adapted by Marcelo Dos Santos

An adaptation of Zizou Corder's Lionboy novels for award-winning theatre company Complicite.

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.

Little Eyolf

Little Eyolf

By Henrik Ibsen Adapted by Richard Eyre

Ibsen's forensic examination of a marriage as it falls apart, in a version by Richard Eyre.

Little Gem

Little Gem

By Elaine Murphy

A poignant and hilarious play about love, sex, birth, death and salsa classes, following three generations of women over one extraordinary year.