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 331-360 of 568 items.
Misty

Misty

By Arinzé Kene

An inventive blend of gig theatre, spoken word, live art and direct address, exploring the pulsating heart and underground soul of inner-city London.

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.

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.

Things I Know To Be True

Things I Know To Be True

By Andrew Bovell

A complex and intense portrait of the mechanics of a family – and a marriage – through the eyes of four siblings struggling to define themselves beyond their parents' love and expectations.

Tip of the Tongue

Tip of the Tongue

Reflections on Language and Meaning

By Peter Brook

A wise, playful and deeply personal book by master theatre-maker Peter Brook.

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?

Tribes

Tribes

By Nina Raine

A penetrating play about belonging, family and the limitations of communication.

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.

Vincent in Brixton

Vincent in Brixton

By Nicholas Wright

A moving portrait of the young Vincent van Gogh - a hit in the West End and on Broadway.

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.

The Wardrobe

The Wardrobe

By Sam Holcroft

A gripping journey through British history that shows how our country was shaped and how connected we are with our past. Part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival.

The Weir

The Weir

By Conor McPherson

The spellbinding, beautifully observed hit from the master of suspenseful realism.

The Welkin

The Welkin

By Lucy Kirkwood

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

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.

  • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
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  • A4 Spiral-bound£16.99 £13.59
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  • Ebook£10.99 £8.79
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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.

WINK

WINK

By Phoebe Eclair-Powell

An electrifying drama about what happens to personal identity in an age of ubiquitous technology and social media.

Wit

Wit

By Margaret Edson

A striking and sharply funny reflection on the frailty of existence and the complex relationship between knowledge and love.

  • Paperback£10.99 £8.79
    There is limited availability of this title. Please enquire before placing your order.
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Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies (stage version)

Wolf Hall & Bring Up the Bodies (stage version)

By Hilary Mantel Adapted by Mike Poulton

Mike Poulton's two-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel's acclaimed novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. A thrilling and utterly convincing portrait of a brilliant man embroiled in the lethal, high-stakes politics of the Court of Henry VIII.

The Writer

The Writer

By Ella Hickson

A young writer challenges the status quo but discovers that creative gain comes at a personal cost.

Three Sisters

Three Sisters

By Anton Chekhov Adapted by Cordelia Lynn

Cordelia Lynn's version of Chekhov's play, about three sisters trapped in a provincial town, waiting for their lives to begin.

The Voice Exercise Book: The Warm-Ups

The Voice Exercise Book: The Warm-Ups

By Jeannette Nelson

Essential warm-up exercises for anyone who wants to use their voice more effectively.

8 Hotels

8 Hotels

By Nicholas Wright

A play about passion, suspicion and revenge, based on true events involving some of the twentieth century's most influential American artists.

Abigail

Abigail

By Fiona Doyle

A man in his forties and a woman in her twenties meet on a trip to Berlin. Across a fractured timeline where past and present collide, the story of their relationship, their love and their struggle unravels.

The Acedian Pirates

The Acedian Pirates

By Jay Taylor

A play that challenges our understanding of mythology, and forces us to ask vital questions about military occupation.

Advice from the Players

Advice from the Players

By Laura Barnett

A host of tips and guidance on every aspect of the actor’s craft, direct from some of the best-known stars of stage and screen, including Julie Walters, Lenny Henry, Harriet Walter, Simon Callow, Mark Gatiss, David Harewood, Jo Brand, Simon Russell Beale, Lesley Manville, Zawe Ashton and Mathew Horne, amongst many others.

Again

Again

By Stephanie Jacob

A touching and comic drama about a family reunion, delving into the turmoil, love and compromises of kinship.

All Our Children

All Our Children

By Stephen Unwin

A moving examination of a terrifying moral dilemma, and a powerful story that shows what it takes for humanity and decency to be restored in a world that has abandoned them.

Alys, Always

Alys, Always (stage version)

By Harriet Lane Adapted by Lucinda Coxon

A psychological thriller, adapted for the stage from Harriet Lane's gripping novel.

And Then Come The Nightjars

And Then Come The Nightjars

By Bea Roberts

A tender, frank and funny play about a West Country farm struggling to survive the Foot and Mouth pandemic.

Arden of Faversham

Arden of Faversham

By anonymous

A domestic tragedy about a woman plotting to have her husband murdered, Arden of Faversham was first published in 1592. Its authorship is unknown, although suggestions include Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

  • Paperback£9.99 £7.99
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