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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.
Consensual

Consensual

By Evan Placey

An explosive and thought-provoking play from the author of Girls Like That, exploring what happens when buried secrets catch up with you.

Shibboleth

Shibboleth

By Stacey Gregg

An exhilarating and unsentimental exploration of working-class life in Belfast.

Teddy Ferrara

Teddy Ferrara

By Christopher Shinn

An insightful and revealing play, inspired by real events, which explores society's uncomfortable embrace of the outsider.

Valhalla

Valhalla

By Paul Murphy

Joint winner of the inaugural Theatre503 Playwriting Award, Valhalla depicts a world where the boundaries of scientific research and the endurance of human love are stretched to their limits.

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.

Dear Lupin

Dear Lupin (stage version)

By Roger Mortimer and Charlie Mortimer Adapted by Michael Simkins

Michael Simkins' immensely charming stage adaptation of Dear Lupin, the witty and touching collection of letters from a father to his son that became a huge bestseller, winner of The Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year.

Tomcat

Tomcat

By James Rushbrooke

Winner of the 2015 Papatango New Writing Prize, Tomcat is a play set in a future world where diseases and disorders have been wiped out. How far will we go to keep humanity healthy?

Harlequinade & All On Her Own

Harlequinade & All On Her Own

By Terence Rattigan

A double bill by Terence Rattigan, featuring two plays of striking contrast that display his astonishing range as a writer.

The Winter's Tale

The Winter's Tale (Plays at the Garrick edition)

By William Shakespeare Edited by Kenneth Branagh

The official tie-in edition to the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's 2015 production, starring Judi Dench. Featuring exclusive additional content.

  • 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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Staying Alive

Staying Alive

By Kat Roberts

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

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.

Wendy & Peter Pan

Wendy & Peter Pan

By Ella Hickson Original author J.M. Barrie

A refreshingly modern version of J.M. Barrie's much-loved story that puts the character of Wendy firmly centre stage.

Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days (stage version)

By Laura Eason Original author Jules Verne

Laura Eason's celebrated adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel, a dazzling escapade that packs in more than fifty unforgettable characters.

Escaped Alone

Escaped Alone

By Caryl Churchill

A play about three old friends and a neighbour having tea in the back yard, and contemplating catastrophe.

Yen

Yen

By Anna Jordan

Anna Jordan's Bruntwood Prize-winning play, Yen explores a childhood lived without boundaries and the consequences of being forced to grow up on your own.

Rabbit Hole

Rabbit Hole

By David Lindsay-Abaire

The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a happy suburban couple whose lives are changed forever when their young son is killed in an accident.

The James Plays

The James Plays

James I, II and III

By Rona Munro

Rona Munro's vividly imagined historical cycle brings to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland in the tumultuous fifteenth century.

Nell Gwynn

Nell Gwynn

By Jessica Swale

Jessica Swale's play Nell Gwynn charts the rise of an unlikely heroine, from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain’s most celebrated actress, and her hard-won place in the heart of the king.

The Encounter

The Encounter

By Simon McBurney and Complicite

A solo show tracing one man's journey into the Amazon rainforest and to the limits of human consciousness, inspired by the book Amazon Beaming by Petru Popescu.

Four Play

Four Play

By Jake Brunger

A comic play about sex and commitment in the 21st century.

  • Paperback£12.99 £10.39
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£12.99 £10.39
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Poppy + George

Poppy + George

By Diane Samuels

A romantic drama with music inspired by the days of music hall and beyond, from the author of the modern classic Kindertransport.

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

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.

Facing the Fear

Facing the Fear

An Actor's Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright

By Bella Merlin

The first book of its kind written specifically for actors, Facing the Fear provides all the tools actors need to understand, confront and ultimately overcome stage fright and its effects, thereby regaining control over their lives and careers.

Russian Dolls

Russian Dolls

By Kate Lock

Kate Lock's play about a surprising relationship between two very different women, winner of the 2015 Adrian Pagan Award.

Actioning - and How to Do It

Actioning - and How to Do It

By Nick Moseley

A step-by-step guide to 'actioning', one of the most widely used rehearsal techniques for actors. An indispensable companion to a vital component in every actor's toolkit.

Crush: The Musical

Crush: The Musical

By Maureen Chadwick and Kath Gotts

An outrageously fun musical set in an all-girls school in the 60s, from the team behind Bad Girls: The Musical.

Darknet

Darknet

By Rose Lewenstein

A fascinating - and terrifying - drama that explores the world of data commodification and the uncharted deep web.

The Flick

The Flick

By Annie Baker

Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about three cinema attendants - 'Wondrous, devastating, hilarious, and infinitely touching. A play to be treasured' New York Times.

Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales

Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales (stage version)

Adapted by Philip Wilson Original author Philip Pullman

A deliciously dark version of the Grimm Tales, from master storyteller Philip Pullman.

  • Paperback£12.99 £10.39
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
  • Ebook£12.99 £10.39
    Add to basket