Books in the NHB Modern Plays series

A compelling new play by Anna Jordan that explores the profound effect that war has on young lives, and asks -- what does coming home really mean?

A slippery thriller for the stage, about love, power and belief. In a modern world where reality is whatever we imagine it to be, how do we know the stories we tell ourselves are true?

Six short plays exploring estrangement and loneliness, moving towards redemption and hope. First performed and livestreamed from the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in 2021.

When a woman receives an unexpected letter from the British Passport Office, she is forced to confront an old mystery: why does her South African passport not carry her first name? Armed with the wisdom of favourite '90s TV shows, she sets out on a journey that will take her back to the turmoil of Mobutu's Congo, growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa, moving to Ireland, and finding love in a hostile England.As her journey becomes inextricably linked with the tides of global history, how far will she go to unravel the truth? By turns wickedly funny and strikingly lyrical, Benedict Lombe's Lava is an explosive debut play that will turn the way you see the world on its axis.It premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in July 2021, performed by Ronke Adekoluejo and directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike.

Jim's writing messages. In pepperoni. On top of pizzas.His life is going nowhere. But after watching the film I Hired A Contract Killer, Jim's found a solution - he'll just put out a hit on himself. What could possibly go wrong?Alan Harris's play For The Grace Of You Go I is a darkly funny, quick-witted, fast-moving comedy. It premiered at Theatr Clwyd, Mold, in June 2021, directed by James Grieve.

Johann Sebastian Bach, irascible and turbulent, writes music of sensuous delight and deep religious fervour. He's touchy, he's fabulously rude, he has impossibly high standards (he stabs a bassoonist for playing badly), and he's constantly in trouble with his patrons.Music is the family business - but the burden of their father's genius weighs heavily on his sons. Wilhelm is brilliant but self-destructive. Tense, industrious Carl is more successful than his father, but knows he is less talented. As the years pass, their rivalry provokes furious arguments about love, God and above all music. What is it for - to give pleasure, like a cup of coffee in the sun, or to reveal the divine order that gives life its meaning?Beautiful, profound and funny, Nina Raine's play Bach & Sons is a gripping family drama and an anthem to the art that draws us together and sings of our common humanity. It premiered at the Bridge Theatre, London, in June 2021, directed by Nicholas Hytner, with Simon Russell Beale playing J. S. Bach.

Four generations of black men are trying to understand themselves in a world which tells them they have to be strong.Inspired by real-life testimony and told through an explosive fusion of text, physical theatre and hip-hop dance, Samskara explores vulnerability, emotional trauma and how cycles of fathering affect masculinity. Moving through joy and suffering, laughter and longing, this soul-baring odyssey untangles what it means to be a black man in twenty-first-century Britain.Samskara premiered at The Yard Theatre, London, in November 2021, written, directed and choreographed by award-winning artist Lanre Malaolu.'Lanre Malaolu has a light touch on heavyweight subjects. His sharp, naturalistic script switches between laugh-out-loud comedy, personal psychology and social comment to address black masculinity in the 21st century... powerful, moving, rich and straight-talking... Malaolu is a real talent, and Samskara deserves a wide audience' - Guardian'An outburst of a show... an achingly moving 90 minutes that questions whether Black men must be strong to be valued... Samskara feels current and raw... A triumph in its frank unpicking of the male psyche, it masters the experience of being an equally joyful and painful watch' - The Stage'Undulating between naturalistic dialogue, mesmerising physical storytelling, and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments... Samskara is at once a deliciously joyful and hard-hitting watch' - Exeunt

Mysterious yet compelling, bewildering yet intoxicating, a play that mixes poetic rhythms with vernacular phrases, rap-song repetitions with complex psychology.A husband and wife row about a prescription. A mother and father row about their son, who has become a child soldier. Two sisters row about which one is superior to the other. It emerges that the younger sister, Mary, has killed the child soldier. She is to be stoned to death...What if all these things were happening here? And what if these people were white?debbie tucker green's play stoning mary was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in April 2005.'A theatrical event that brands the conscience as firmly as any hot rod on goatskin... stoning mary is not pretty. It is not easy. But it will wind you with its punch' - Daily Mail'Works unnervingly well' - Evening Standard'One of the most assured and extraordinary new voices we've heard in a long while' - Independent

Kate Bowen's taut, funny and powerful play follows three pioneering young women in the world's most dangerous workplace.

A brand new adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic - one of the most loved short stories ever written. In one ghostly Christmas night, cold-hearted businessman Ebenezer Scrooge learns to pity himself and to love his neighbour - but is that enough? A brand new adaptation for the Royal Shakespeare Company of the Christmas classic.

A gripping play about the man who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, premiered at the National Theatre, London.

A trilogy of landmark plays - Wild Sky, Embargo and Outrage - commemorating seven years of warfare in Ireland, from the 1916 Easter Rising to the Civil War which began in 1922.

A wildly imaginative, hilariously provocative and deeply moving play from one of Scotland's most important playwrights.

A beautifully observed, moving account of a second generation immigrant family navigating the familial conflicts between generations and cultures.

In the ruins of a garden in rural England, in a house which was once a home, one woman searches for seeds of hope. Albion is a new play by Mike Bartlett, premiering at the Almeida Theatre, London, in October 2017 in a production directed by Rupert Goold.

A barnstorming new play about Britain's famous warrior Queen. Published alongside the world premiere at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. AD 61, Britannia. On the furthest outreaches of the Roman Empire - at the very edge of the known world - rebellion is brewing.Queen Boudica has returned. And she will make Rome quake in fear.

The Bronze Age. The Iron Age. The Age of Oil. The Stone Age didn't end for want of stones. What do you do when you know it's going to run out? Oil follows the lives of one woman and her daughter in an epic, hurtling crash of empire, history and family.

'I want the world to change shape.''I'm not sure theatre can do that.''Well then where am I supposed to take that impulse because I'm very serious about the endeavour?' A young writer challenges the staus quo but discovers that creative gain comes at a personal cost.

A powerful, inventive play that mixes real testimonials alongside existing and original music to explore one of the most important social concerns of today: homelessness amongst young people.

A powerful, provocative play about international relations and the shifting balance of power between East and West.

Filled with Tom Wells' trademark witty and wonderful dialogue, Jumpers for Goalposts is a big-hearted romcom for the stage; a life-affirming testament to friendship and love that overflows with kindness, some sadness and a rich vein of humour and truth.

Imagine that you muct choose one single memory from your life and capture it with a magical camera - everything else will be erased. Imagine that choosing this memory is the only way of passing through to eternity. Imagine that you have just one hour to choose...

The story of a young slave girl who lives through the final turbulent days of slavery on a sugar plantation in 19th-century Jamaica. Adapted from Andrea Levy's award-winning novel.

A historical romp with real bite, Stephen Jeffreys's The Libertine has received several major stage productions and was filmed with Johnny Depp and John Malkovich. This edition is published alongside the major West End revival starring Dominic Cooper.

A heart-warming and belly-achingly funny story about falling in love for the very first time.