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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.
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.

The York Mystery Plays

The York Mystery Plays

Adapted by Mike Poulton

The greatest story ever told, in a version by Mike Poulton, premiered at York Minster in May 2016.

  • 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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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.

Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries

Year of the Mad King: The Lear Diaries

By Antony Sher

Antony Sher's account of researching, rehearsing and performing one of Shakespeare's greatest roles, Lear, in the 2016 Royal Shakespeare Company production. Winner of the 2019 Theatre Book Prize.

Year of the King

Year of the King

By Antony Sher

A classic of theatre writing, a unique insight into the creation of a landmark Shakespearian performance.

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.

Writing Music for the Stage

Writing Music for the Stage

A Practical Guide for Theatremakers

By Michael Bruce Foreword by Josie Rourke

The definitive guide to writing music for the stage, by the Composer-in-Residence at the Donmar Warehouse.

The Writer

The Writer

By Ella Hickson

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

Woyzeck

Woyzeck

By Georg Büchner Adapted by Jack Thorne

The multi-award-winning Jack Thorne breathes new life into Georg Büchner's existential masterpiece, Woyzeck, one of the most extraordinary plays ever written.

World Factory: The Game

World Factory: The Game

By Zoë Svendsen and Simon Daw

A participative theatre experience about global consumer capitalism, offering readers the opportunity to play – as individuals or in teams – the managers of a clothing factory in China.

The Working Actor

The Working Actor

The Essential Guide to a Successful Career

By Paul Clayton

The essential guide to being a successful working actor: how to put yourself in the best possible position to get work, to keep getting it, and to make a living from it.

  • 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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Words Into Action

Words Into Action

Finding the Life of the Play

By William Gaskill

Packed with insights from a lifetime of directing theatre, Words into Action is a fascinating read and a vital masterclass for actors and directors.

Women Centre Stage: Eight Short Plays By and About Women

Women Centre Stage: Eight Short Plays By and About Women

By various Edited by Sue Parrish

A collection of short plays curated by Sue Parrish, Artistic Director of Sphinx Theatre.

Wolfie

Wolfie

By Ross Willis

A wildly imaginative, irreverent look at life in and after the care system.

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 Witch of Edmonton

The Witch of Edmonton

By Thomas Dekker, John Ford and William Rowley

Dekker, Ford and Rowley's remarkable play, published here in an RSC Prompt Book edition with introductions by key members of the creative team behind the RSC revival in 2014.

Wit

Wit

By Margaret Edson

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

Wish List

Wish List

By Katherine Soper

A sensitive, delicate and powerful play that asks what our labour is worth and how life can be lived when the system is stacked against you. Winner of the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.

The Winterling

The Winterling

By Jez Butterworth

A comedy thriller from the author of the Olivier Award-winning Jerusalem.

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
    Add to basket
The Winslow Boy

The Winslow Boy

By Terence Rattigan

Rattigan's 1946 play based on the real-life court case of a young naval cadet unjustly accused of stealing a five-shilling postal order.

WINK

WINK

By Phoebe Eclair-Powell

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

Wild Swimming

Wild Swimming

By Marek Horn

A kaleidoscopic exploration of cultural progress, an interrogation of gender and privilege, and a wilfully ignorant history of English Literature.

Wild

Wild

By Mike Bartlett

A darkly comic play that explores the unexpected, bewildering, and life-changing consequences of challenging the status quo at a global level.

  • 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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The Wider Earth

The Wider Earth

By David Morton

A powerfully dramatic play about Charles Darwin's voyage on board HMS Beagle - an adventure that changed not only his own life, but also the history of the entire world.

Why Is That So Funny?

Why Is That So Funny?

A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy

By John Wright Foreword by Toby Jones

A practical investigation of how comedy works, by a well-respected practitioner and teacher. With a Foreword by Toby Jones.

Who is Sylvia? and Duologue

Who is Sylvia? and Duologue

By Terence Rattigan

Two plays from one of the leading dramatists of the 20th century.

The White Devil

The White Devil (RSC version)

By John Webster

A violent tragedy, regarded as one of the great works of Jacobean theatre. Features the text edited for the 2014 RSC production, and introductions by key members of its creative team.

The White Bike

The White Bike

By Tamara von Werthern

An affecting play, based on a true story, about what happens when our world is turned upside down.

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.