The UK's leading specialist theatre publishers and performing rights agents. In 1990 the NHB imprint was taken on by Random House. www.nickhernbooksblog.com
Nick Hern Books came into being in June 1988, when Mr Nick Hern left Methuen to set up his own imprint under the aegis of Walker Books. It became a fully independent company on 1 January 1993 when Nick Hern acquired the list from Random House, and he subsequently won the Sunday Times 'Small Publisher of the Year Award' in 1994. The first title published by Nick Hern Books was Nicholas Wright’s Mrs
. Klein, which opened at the National Theatre in August 1988 before transferring to the West End and Broadway. There followed plays by Caryl Churchill, Arthur Miller, Mike Leigh and Stephen Sondheim, alongside theatre books by Simon Callow, Michael Coveney and Antony Sher. Follow NHB on Twitter:
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Out 19 September – Developing Your Emotional Health: The Compact Guide by Andy Barker, Brian Cooley and Beth Wood
A toolkit of techniques to improve, manage and maintain good emotional wellbeing – helping you navigate and overcome the pressures and demands of a career in the arts.
See more and pre-order now:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/developing-your-emotional-health
Here they all are: our Edinburgh 2024 collection!
Featuring some of the very best theatre on at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival this year – a mix of exciting new premieres and returning favourites.
Save 30% off all ten of our brilliant Edinburgh 2024 playscripts using code NHBED24 at checkout on our website until 31 August:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/edinburgh2024
is officially underway! 👏
We can't wait to see the ten astonishing plays we're publishing this year as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival.
To celebrate, save 30% on our Edinburgh 2024 collection using code NHBED24 when you order by 31 August: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/edinburgh2024
Thanks to everyone who came along to our over at our friend the Bush Theatre last week!
Your incredible support helped us raise over £1000 for award-winning mentoring charity Arts Emergency, to benefit their important work breaking down barriers and creating pathways for under-resourced young people to access education, training and work in the creative industries.
As July draws to a close, here's to the five brilliant plays we've published this month.
Learn more about them – along with the rest of our recent publications – on our website: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles
This week our returns...
With plays from £2, stock is strictly limited so don’t miss out as once it’s gone, it’s gone! Pick up playscripts and books by some of today’s most renowned writers and theatre makers.
🗓️ This Friday and Saturday, 1pm-7.30pm
📍 Bush Theatre, London
🎟️ No booking necessary – just turn up!
Plus, 20% of the proceeds will go to Arts Emergency.
See more: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/big-bargain-bookshop-at-the-bush/
Photo: This is a representation of the bookshop in 2021. Prices and title availability will vary for the upcoming pop-up in July 2024.
ONLY ONE WEEK UNTIL... our is back! With hundreds of titles available from just £2, choose from a massive range of playscripts and books at amazing, one-off bargain prices. Open for two days only.
📅 Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July, 1pm - 7.30pm
📍 Bush Theatre, London
🎟️ No booking necessary – just turn up!
Plus, 20% of the proceeds will go to Arts Emergency.
See more: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/big-bargain-bookshop-at-the-bush/
Photo: This is from the bookshop in 2021. Prices and title availability will vary for the upcoming pop-up in July 2024.
It's here: the West End edition of Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris.
Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, Slave Play rips apart history to shed new light on the nexus of race, gender and sexuality in 21st-century America.
At the MacGregor Plantation the Old South is alive and well. The heat in the air, the cotton fields – and the power of the whip. Yet nothing is quite as it appears... or maybe it is.
This iconic and groundbreaking play is now open at Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End, directed by Robert O'Hara.
Get yours at the Noël Coward Theatre, or online:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/slave-play-west-end
Our is back! 📚
For two days only, hundreds of titles will be available from just £2 at our pop-up. Browse and choose from a massive range of playscripts and books at amazing, one-off bargain prices.
Come visit us at our brilliant neighbours the Bush Theatre on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July, 1pm - 7.30pm.
Plus, 20% of the proceeds will go to Arts Emergency.
Full info: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/big-bargain-bookshop-at-the-bush/
As June draws to a close, here's to the six fantastic plays we've published this month. 🎭📚
Learn more about them – along with the rest of our recent publications – on our website: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles
Bill Alexander's Exploring Shakespeare has been shortlisted for The Society for Theatre Research's Theatre Book Prize!
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 11 June. Previous NHB winners of the prize include Year of the Mad King by Antony Sher and The Reluctant Escapologist by Mike Bradwell.
Full of acute observations and perceptions drawn from a long and brilliant career, Exploring Shakespeare covers the essential aspects of any Shakespeare production, from understanding the world of the play, to preparing and cutting the text, and considering character and backstory.
See more: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/exploring-shakespeare
Happy Pride Month! 🌈
Join us as we celebrate the many fantastic pieces of LGBTQ+ writing by our authors that we are proud to publish all year round.
This year's quote is from The Ministry of Le***an Affairs, a heart-warming musical comedy about love, queerness and belonging by Iman Qureshi.
Browse our entire LGBTQ+ collection: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/lgbtq
It's here: Player Kings, Robert Icke's visionary new version of Shakespeare's great history plays Henry IV Parts 1 & 2.
Starring Ian McKellen as Falstaff, Player Kings is now open at the Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End.
Hal wasn't born to be king. Only now, it seems, he will be. His father longs for him to leave behind his friends in the taverns of Eastcheap, most notably the infamous John Falstaff. War is on the horizon. But will Hal ever come good?
Get yours at the venue or order online: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/player-kings
The Broadway revival of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Appropriate is nominated for an incredible eight The Tony Awards! 🏆
A gripping play about ghosts and legacies, we are so proud to be Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' UK publisher. Get your copy of Appropriate now: https://nickhernbooks.co.uk/appropriate
Congratulations to APPROPRIATE by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, nominated for 8 including Best Revival of a Play.
We're excited to announce we'll be publishing Player Kings alongside its West End run and UK tour starring Toheeb Jimoh, Richard Coyle and Ian McKellen as Falstaff.
Adapted by award-winning writer and director Robert Icke, Player Kings brings together two of Shakespeare's great history plays, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, in a visionary new version.
It is now playing at the Noël Coward Theatre, London, before embarking on a UK tour.
Pre-order now: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/player-kings
Congratulations to four NHB-published plays and musicals for their wins at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards today!
🏆 The Motive and the Cue by Jack Thorne - Best New Play https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-motive-and-the-cue
🏆 Backstairs Billy by Marcelo Dos Santos - Most Promising Playwright https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/backstairs-billy
🏆 Donmar Warehouse's revival of Macbeth - Best Shakespearean Performer (David Tennant) https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/macbeth-donmar
🏆 next to normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey - Most Promising Newcomer (Jack Wolfe) https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/next-to-normal
As February draws to a close, we're taking a moment to look back at the twelve amazing new plays we've published this month. 🎭📚
Learn more about them - along with the rest of our recent publications – at www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/new-titles
Out now, two new arrivals from Chris Bush, including her first play collection! 🤩
1. STANDING AT THE SKY'S EDGE (WEST END EDITION) features stunning new artwork for Chris Bush and Richard Hawley's Olivier Award-winning love letter to Sheffield.
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/standing-at-the-skys-edge-west-end
2. CHRIS BUSH PLAYS: ONE is the first collection from the award-winning dramatist, whose witty, empathetic plays celebrate power, female agency and northern identity.
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/chris-bush-plays-one
We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Nick Hern Books to publish two new LAMDA Exams anthologies in April 2024.
Containing the selection of set pieces for Learners to use during their exams, these new Acting and Verse & Prose Anthologies connect to the upcoming LAMDA Exams syllabi for Introductory, Communications and Performance exams, and will be published on 25 April 2024.
Acting Anthology: Volume 5 and Verse & Prose Anthology: Volume 20 are now available to pre-order in paperback from the Nick Hern Books website at a special discounted price.
Find out more and pre-order 👉 https://ow.ly/TXlQ50QGymL
Coming soon... We're excited to announce we'll be publishing An Enemy of the People alongside its West End run starring Matt Smith.
Ibsen's provocative play about truth in a society driven by power and money is given a startling contemporary spin in Thomas Ostermeier and Florian Borchmeyer's acclaimed version.
This edition is published alongside the first English-language production, in a version by Duncan Macmillan. It is now playing at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End.
Pre-order your copy now:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/an-enemy-of-the-people-ostermeier
Copies will also be available at the venue during the run.
Join world-leading theatre director and Cheek by Jowl co-founder Declan Donnellan in conversation with award-winning actor Adrian Lester as they discuss theatre, acting and performance, to celebrate the launch of Declan’s eagerly anticipated new book The Actor and the Space.
📅 19 March, 7pm
📍 Fountain Room, Barbican Centre
The talk will be followed by a booksigning. Pre-order your copy of The Actor and the Space when booking your ticket for collection upon arrival, for the special event price of £13 (RRP £16.99).
Get your ticket now 👇
Come celebrate the launch of Declan Donnellan’s new book 'The Actor and the Space' with a lively talk between Declan and Adrian Lester!
To celebrate Winsome Pinnock's Leave Taking and Chinonyerem Odimba's Princess & The Hustler joining the GCSE English Literature curriculum as set texts, we're proud to announce the publication of study guides for both to support teachers and pupils.
Featuring insights from the playwrights, colour photographs of the play in performance, and extensive quotes and extracts from the text, this GCSE Study Guide will strengthen your understanding, build your confidence and boost your chances of success.
We're delighted that our authors' fantastic work has been recognised in the English Literature GCSE curriculum in this way, and excited that students have the opportunity to study and enjoy these brilliant plays.
Get your copies now:
Leave Taking: The GCSE Study Guide - https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/leave-taking-gcse-study-guide
Princess & The Hustler: The GCSE Study Guide - https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/princess-hustler-gcse-study-guide
We're excited to announce The Actor and the Space by Declan Donnellan – a bold new way of thinking about acting, from the author of the bestselling The Actor and the Target.
In this fascinating book, Donnellan tackles the fundamental questions that face any actor – What makes performance better? How do I create a space for my character to live in? How do I tap into that space, and draw energy from it? – and offers a universal set of keys to unlock the mysteries of performance.
Essential reading for any actor or theatre director, The Actor and the Space is also a fascinating distillation of the work of a world-leading director, and founder of Cheek by Jowl, that will reward and enrich anyone with an interest in theatre.
'This is an essential text for the actor, supremely useful, practical, elegant and profound.' Matthew Macfadyen
'Beautifully clear. This generous vision takes a very complex art form and makes it all seem so simple.' Adrian Lester
'A hand gr***de of a book. It contains all the humility and chutzpah you need to work in the theatre.' Cate Blanchett
See more and pre-order your copy: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-actor-and-the-space
We can't wait to publish Jez Butterworth's explosive new play The Hills of California alongside its West End premiere.
Blackpool, 1976. The driest summer in two hundred years. The beaches are packed. The hotels are heaving. In the sweltering backstreets, far from the choc ices and donkey rides, the Webb Sisters are returning to their mother's run-down guest house, as she lies dying upstairs.
Pre-order your copy:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-hills-of-california
Out now – Curtain Up! edited by Charon Williams-Ros
A comprehensive, hands-on guide to making theatre and taking your productions to the next level – perfect for any school, college, youth group or amateur-theatre company.
Packed with invaluable advice and practical tips on every aspect of putting on your show, each section is written by an experienced theatre professional, laying out the essentials of every role and offering creative, practical ideas to breathe new life into your own theatre projects.
Wherever and however you make theatre, this inspiring, empowering and highly accessible manual will help make your next production your best yet!
See more and get your copy today:
https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/curtain-up
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Thanks to everyone who came along to our #BigBargainBookshop over at our friend the Bush Theatre last week! Your incredible support helped us raise over £1000 for award-winning mentoring charity Arts Emergency, to benefit their important work breaking down barriers and creating pathways for under-resourced young people to access education, training and work in the creative industries.
Published on 27 April: A Little Life, the hit stage adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara's bestselling novel. Conceived by Ivo van Hove, and adapted by Koen Tachelet, van Hove and Yanagihara herself. Available to purchase alongside all performances, and from bookshops online and in store. Save 20% when you pre-order your copy now direct from our website: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/a-little-life.
▶️ 'There is such joy in working with other people towards a common goal.' Listen to the brilliant Julie Hesmondhalgh read a clip from her empowering, honest and funny new book An Actor's Alphabet - out now in audiobook, paperback and ebook. See more at https://linktr.ee/anactorsalphabet 'Endearingly honest, funny and eye-opening. I loved it!' Francesca Martinez 'Like its author, this book is brimming with wisdom, intelligence, empathy and humanity... An absolute must!' Maxine Peake 'Treasure this book like we should treasure Julie' Jack Thorne
Looking for that perfect Christmas gift for the theatre-lover in your life – or something to add to your own list? Check out our Playscript Subscriptions: a great new NHB-published play every month, fresh from the UK and Ireland's biggest and most exciting stages and delivered direct to your door. 🎭📚📬 6-Month and 12-Month options are available – see more and purchase yours today at www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/subscriptions.
Out now - 100 Plays to Save the World by Elizabeth Freestone and Jeanie O'Hare: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/100-plays-to-save-the-world An inspiring, empowering guide to 100 brilliant plays addressing the most urgent and important issue of our time: the climate crisis. 'This book is a kind of miracle... it should be required reading for everyone who believes in the power of theatre to move the world; I will certainly never plan a season again without referring to it.’ - Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director, The Public Theater, New York 'A vital resource for us all.' - Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, playwright (Emilia, Mum) ‘This book is dynamite... it will galvanise theatre-makers to step up and artists to be heard. Theatre must play its part in the climate fight and this shows us how.’ - Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director, Young Vic Theatre, London See more and order your copy: https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/100-plays-to-save-the-world
▶️🎙The great Christopher Jackson on how a recent event in his own life became part of his performance as George Washington in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton - and what that cost him. Hear the full interview in the latest episode of Hamilton and Us with Giles Terera, available now on all major podcast platforms: https://linktr.ee/hamiltonandus
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