Books published by Nick Hern Books

A passionate, illuminating exploration of Shakespeare's greatest plays and characters, by the director of acclaimed theatre company Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory.Combining close textual analysis with practical insights based on his extensive experience of directing Shakespeare's plays, Andrew Hilton delves into a fascinating range of topics such as emotional truth in the comedies, the importance of the plays' social dynamics, the choice of settings and periods, making and withholding moral judgements, working with different versions of the texts, and even adapting them.Throughout, Hilton urges us as audiences and theatre-makers to set aside our preconceived notions, and instead to approach Shakespeare's plays with an open mind, moment by moment, so that we can connect with them in fresh and vital ways.'The clear-sightedness, wit and depth of knowledge and insight into the plays and their worlds is unparalleled... should be required reading for everyone approaching these plays... A fabulous book, brimful of wisdom and revelations and a gift to anyone interested in Shakespeare or, quite frankly, in people' John Heffernan, actor'Andrew Hilton's Tobacco Factory Shakespeares were an inspiration... What audiences saw and heard was not a display but an uncovering. His productions did not add to the drama: they revealed it... In Shakespeare on the Factory Floor, Hilton has once again lit up Shakespeare: lucid and penetrating on the page and on the stage' Susannah Clapp, theatre critic of the Observer'The detail and simplicity of Andrew Hilton's directing is as potent in his writing as it is in the rehearsal room... A wonderful book' Dorothea Myer-Bennett, actor'Andrew Hilton has used his rich experience of many years to create a penetrating, timely and distinctive study of the plays... I only wish this book had been around when first I read Shakespeare. It would have opened my eyes and my mind much earlier' Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Former Rector of the Royal College of Art and Chair of Arts Council England'Andrew Hilton's fascinating book reveals how theatrical performance offers insights into longstanding questions of literary interpretation... Written in an engaging and readable style, it will be of interest to actors, directors, scholars and anyone who enjoys reading Shakespeare's plays or seeing them performed' Lesel Dawson, Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Bristol

Jane Eyre may be poor, obscure, plain and little, but she has heart and soul - and plenty of it.Chris Bush's witty and fleet-footed adaptation lays bare the beating heart of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel, whilst staying true to its revolutionary spirit.With actor-musicians, playful doubling, and a plethora of nineteenth-century pop hits, it was first produced at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, and the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, in 2022, directed by Zoë Waterman.

Gavi wants to inspire his community. Which is tricky when everyone wants to just stay at home and watch Bake Off. But, determined to succeed, he starts hosting amateur motivational meetings from his garage.With the help of daily mantras, goal-setting and repeatedly listening to Spandau Ballet, he believes he can change lives for the better. However, when the only attendees are his two colleagues from the Co-op - bickering mother and daughter Dawn and Jen - it's not quite the enlightening experience they were all hoping for.Katie Redford's play Tapped is a witty and sensitive portrayal of managing mental health within a family, highlighting the barriers we put up in order to put on a brave face. It was first performed at Theatre503, London, in April 2022.'A play with a sweet, romantic centre... raises urgent questions about mental health... the characters tug at our heartstrings' - Guardian'A likeable big-hearted new seriocomedy' - The Times

Sonny is twelve. Living with a stammer, he is finding his way in a world ruled by vicious vowels, confusing consonants, and the biggest beast of all - small talk. His only escape is with a comic-book hero of his own creation, who helps Sonny soar above his reality.But when he's cast by the headteacher in the school production of Hamlet, he soon discovers that language is power - and the real heroes are closer than he thinks.Wonder Boy, Ross Willis's play about the power of finding your own voice, premiered at Bristol Old Vic in March 2022, directed by Sally Cookson.

A vivid and thrilling play about a pioneeringa and successful IVF innovator and his brilliantly dysfunctional family.

Behind the crumbling walls of St Grace's Convent, an exhausted order of nuns needs resurrecting. As Easter approaches, Mother Elizabeth has just the thing.Behold 'Mary', a council-funded robot. Practical and surprisingly funny, for some a blessing, for others a curse - could she be the revelation they have all been praying for?Electric Rosary is a sharp, timely and gloriously funny play by Tim Foley, asking what faith really means in the age of artificial intelligence and what it is to be human in tomorrow's world. It was a Judges' Award winner in the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, and premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in April 2022.

Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working-class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning.But an unexpected event forces her to confront the patriarchal power of the law, where the burden of proof and morality diverge.Prima Facie by Suzie Miller is an award-winning play for a solo actor, taking us deep into a world where emotion and integrity are in conflict with the rules of the game.After several acclaimed productions in Australia and winning the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama, the play received its European premiere at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End in April 2022. It was produced by Empire Street Productions, directed by Justin Martin, and starred Jodie Comer, the Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of TV's Killing Eve, making her West End debut.

Liam and Fletch grew up together. Born on the same street. Best mates since primary. Inseparable. The only difference was while Fletch was getting suspended from school, Liam was studying. And now he's going to Oxford. But with Liam gone, who's going to keep Fletch out of trouble?Sorry, You're Not a Winner explores aspiration, social mobility and getting caught between classes. It asks: if 'making it' means leaving everything you know and everyone you love behind - what's the point?This powerful and striking play by Samuel Bailey was first produced in 2022 by Paines Plough and Theatre Royal Plymouth, in association with the University of Plymouth's School of Society and Culture, before touring nationally.'An intricate and moving study of social mobility... gripping and nuanced... Bailey continues his development as one of the most socially engaged writers working in theatre today' - Guardian

This step-by-step guide to learning and practising an American accent is for anyone who wants to use a General American accent with confidence in auditions and performance.Inside, you'll find an easy-to-follow breakdown of the fundamentals required for the accent - including the shape and position of the mouth; vowels and consonants; rhythm; stressing; pitch; pace and more - as well as structured drills and exercises to build on and consolidate what you've learned, using extracts from contemporary American plays.The book is supplemented by dozens of online audio clips of General American voices, recorded by native speakers, so you can listen to the target sounds and repeat for practice. Also included are tips on fully integrating the accent into your performance, as well as a series of vocal warm-ups.Rebecca Gausnell is a voice and dialect coach, who has worked internationally in theatre, film and television. Born and raised in the United States, she studied acting in Chicago, before completing an MFA in Voice Studies in London.The Compact Guides are pocket-sized introductions for actors and theatremakers, each tackling a key topic in a clear and comprehensive way. Written by industry professionals with extensive hands-on experience of their subject, they provide you with maximum information in minimum time.

Forever on the right side of history, but on the wrong side of life, Labour MP Ellen Wilkinson is caught between revolutionary and parliamentary politics as she fights for a better world.Battling to save Jewish refugees in Nazi Germany; campaigning for Britain to aid the fight against Franco's Fascists in Spain; leading two hundred workers in the Jarrow Crusade against unemployment and poverty... she pursues each cause with a passionate, reckless conviction.And yet - despite a life spent running into the likes of Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway, serving in Churchill's cabinet, having affairs with communist spies and government ministers - she still finds herself, somehow, on the outside looking in.Caroline Bird's play Red Ellen is the remarkable true story of an inspiring and brilliant woman. It was first produced by Northern Stage, Nottingham Playhouse and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2022.

Seventeen-year-old Asha is a rebel, inspired by historical revolutionaries and unafraid of pointing out the hypocrisy around her - but less sure how to actually dismantle it. Her younger sister, Bettina, wide-eyed and naive, is just trying to get through the school day without having her pocket money nicked.With essays to write, homework to do, and bus journeys home, the two sisters meet every afternoon, outside the school gates, to tackle the injustice of the world.Sonali Bhattacharyya's play Two Billion Beats is an insightful, heartfelt coming-of-age story and a blazing account of inner-city, British-Asian teenage life. It was originally presented in the Inside/Outside season, livestreamed from the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, before receiving a production there in this full-length version in 2022, directed by Nimmo Ismail.'In Bhattacharyya's entertaining play, two teenage sisters negotiate the battlefield of school while learning about the political battlefields of the past' - The Stage on Two Billion Beats as part of Inside/Outside

A searing thriller about the naivety of youth and how easily it can be exploited.

Peepolykus bring their exhilarating combination of verbal slapstick, visual surprise and anarchic comedy to Gustave Flaubert's seminal nineteenth-century masterpiece Madame Bovary.

Steve Waters explores the state of Britain's education system today, and the notion of 'free schools' run by parents as put forward by the new Coalition government. The play debuted at the Bush Theatre in London, January 2011.

In 2014, Uganda passed an Anti-Homosexuality Act. This short, startling play looks at what lies behind it. Caryl Churchill's Pigs and Dogs premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2016.

A guide to one hundred brilliant plays addressing the most urgent and important issue of our time: the climate emergency.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne adapts the cult Japanese fim for the National Theatre

A teenage girl has something growing inside her. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows it's not a baby. It expands. It has claws. Eventually it takes over the entirety of her body. The IT is a darkly comic state-of-the-nation play exploring adolescent mental health and the rage within.

'The sky turns the colour of a jay's eye. The sea turns a deep royal purple. The mist lifts in quick, lithe ribbons, like a conjuring trick. Before us lies the island...'It's 1935, and an eccentric English family - four children, their widowed mother, and Roger the dog - arrives on the sun-soaked shores of Corfu to start a new life.For eleven-year-old Gerry Durrell, the extraordinary landscape provides the perfect playground. Its exotic fauna inspires a life-long fascination with the animal kingdom - and his much-loved memoir My Family and Other Animals.Janys Chambers' acclaimed stage adaptation was first seen at York Theatre Royal, and invites other theatre companies to make ingenious and inventive decisions, bringing to life all the inhabitants of Durrell's cherished island - whether they walk and talk, fly and squawk, crawl or swim or slither.'Simply a delight... The play's triumph is in the way it captures the exuberance of youth and the strangeness of the new culture that Gerald and his family find themselves in... it's there in Janys Chambers' adaptation, which keeps chunks of Durrell's evocative prose while adding some wonderfully funny embellishments' - The Stage'Durrell gets the revival he deserves... it fairly fizzes with life' - Daily Mail'Weaves the poetic, wide-eyed prose of Gerald Durrell's childhood memoir into a really charming and fun play' - Whatsonstage

Two young people and their daemons find themselves at the centre of a terrifying manhunt. In their care is a tiny child called Lyra Belacqua, and in that child lies the fate of the future. A brilliant new stage adaptation of Philip Pullman's epic prequel to His Dark Materials