Books published by Samuel French Ltd

It's London 1726, and Mrs. Tull's got problems. The whores are giving her a hard time, a man in a dress is looking for a job, her husband has a roving eye and the apprentice boy keeps disappearing for 'a wander'. Meanwhile in 2001 a group of wealthy gay men are preparing for a raunchy party. Mother Clap's Molly House, is a black comedy with songs is a celebration of the diversity of human sexualtiy, an exploration of our need to form families and a fascinatig insight into a hidden chapter in London's history.

Twenty-eight years before The Importance of Being Earnest, a young woman gives birth to a baby boy. Is it an accident when the Nanny places him in a handbag and her unpublished novel into the pram? In 1998 a new baby is stolen and an academic discovers an unpublished novel of more than usual revolting sentimentality. From Victorian wet nurses to 90s sperm banks, Mark Ravenhill's play examines the role of parenting in an age of diverse sexualities, biological engineering and Tinky Winky's handbag.

Taking inspiration from Oedipus and Chilean children who were taken from their biological parents to support the Pinochet regime, Golden Child follows a young man's journey discovering that the people he knew to be his parents his whole life are not actually his parents.

Lisa has breast cancer. Meryl is a healer who believes in the power of positive thinking. As time folds back on itself and then forwards, Lisa and Meryl trade roles as the healer and the healed, discovering that the world is full of ghosts.

Candide is an optimist. A dreamer. He believes that everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. But that belief is about to be tested as Candide's comfortable life is overtaken by an endless barrage of misfortune. As his world collapses around him, the story travels across the centuries to new locations and parallel universes. How will Candide's optimism fare when it collides with life in the 21st century?The play is structured around two parallel narratives: one tells the story of Candide's attempts to reunite with his love Cunegonde; the other follows a woman who experiences a hugely traumatic event as she attempts to find a way back to happiness.

These short plays weave together the pyschologically complex themes of jealousy, deceit and manipulation and throw together the most unlikey of couples: Bruce in Rialto, is an attractive ex-actor employed by elderly dying ladies to help make the most of their last days. In Mortmain, Diana, finds her dead husband's diary and all her previous assumptions about her marriage are threatened. Is Arabella Snelgrove in Dead End the perfect, upright and law-abiding citizen? A visit from an inpsector from the Department of Social Security throws suspicions on Arabella's honesty. All are tense, tantalizing, pyschological thrillers with the most unexpected twists.| 3 women, 3 men

After the success of Little Women, Louisa M. Alcott responded to demand for a sequel by writing Good Wives which continues to chart the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy.| 3 women, 9 men

When a young Electra's father is murdered by her mother, her world changes irrevocably. Ten years on, bound by grief and unwilling to forgive, Electra surrenders to an all-consuming desire for revenge that propels her towards a bloody and terrifying conclusion. This is a haunting new version by Nick Payne of Sophocles' tragic masterpiece, Electra.

All the favourite characters from the original series are reimagined for 2017, facing the challenges that come with growing old disgracefully in the era of the silver surfer. At Bayview Retirement Village, battle-axe extraordinaire Diana Trent conspires with new resident Tom Ballard to give the conniving manager his comeuppance through a hilarious conspiracy with unexpectedly heart-warming results.

"He's got two dads, my lad. One's black. That makes him black. I suppose."Manchester, 1983. Dave loves Rod Stewart, Joanne and his Ford Capri. He's all set for a new start. Only Joanne's about to have someone else's baby. Is Dave ready to become a dad even though he's not the father?A punchy and poetic exploration of family, race, identity and love, SparkPlug is the story of a white man who becomes the adoptive father, mother and best friend of a mixed-race child, David.Inspired by autobiographical events and exploring the playwright's background as an actor and spoken word artist, SparkPlug is a lyrical and energetic monologue that examines what family means in today's society.

The household of a Bloomsbury lodging house is composed of the landlady, who cheats her lodgers; a slavey; a major - who drinks and bullies his wife; a shark a cad; a retired bookmaker; and others all as unpleasant as one could wish. The third-floor back is taken by a passer-by a mysterious personage, who interviews all the boarders, and influences them to lead better lives.| 6 women, 6 men

After a hit and run accident, naive country girl Sasha comes to the aid of ex-villain Val who is using a bogus identity as an ex-policeman. Sasha befriends Val and welcomes him into her home; overcome by her generosity and childlike innocence, he showers Sasha with lavish gifts whilst his rival Ashley, knowing of Val's sordid past, seeks to protect Sasha from this potential danger.

Six people with six very separate lives are strangely linked by circumstance. Does Nicola still love Dan? Can Stewart be on the verge of an office romance? Will Imogen ever find true love? Does Ambrose have a secret life? And what on earth is Charlotte up to?

Five interrelated one-act plays, written to be performed in any order determined randomly prior to performance, looking at the lives of a judge, agent, politician, budding star and novelist.

Chloë With Love - Teddy's marriage to Lottie is going through a difficult period. Does he still love Lottie? Does Lottie still love him? Cue next door neighbours Penny and Reggie to the rescue. Penny weighing in to help Lottie and Reggie resolving to help his best friend to resist temptation. But with the arrival of the voluptuous Chloë all their best laid schemes are put to the test.The Kidderminster Affair - Sexual intrigue at Teddy's garden barbecue. Is his secret liaison with his neighbour, Penny, about to leak out? Will his wife Lottie discover the awful truth about Kidderminster? Will Penny's husband and best friend Reggie ever get hold of the right end of the stick? Will he burn the barbecue? Or indeed resolve the mystery of the slow puncture?

A terrorist code-named Cerastes is on the loose, and an undercover anti-terrorist squad have planned a sting to capture him as he steps off a train at a London station.The operation, led by the buffoonish Acting Major Quentin Sexton, has drawn in two outsiders - Ez and Barry. Perfect strangers as the play begins, their time waiting for the trap to be sprung gives them the chance to get to know each other, and try to make sense of the chaos unfolding around them.

Though he's lauded in the media as a military hero, Murray is remembered less fondly by many in his old village. He left amidst rumours of arson, unplanned pregnancy and stealing his best friend's girlfriend. So when he returns, seventeen years later, with a new wife in tow, he creates trouble from the beginning - not least with his ex-fiancee. As more secrets emerge and old scores are settled, the village is drawn into the crossfire.

"To meet Oscar Wilde" was an inducement printed by Victorian Society hostesses on soirée invitations. In this fascinating play Oscar Wilde gives a dissertation on his life in a lecture in 1899. Supported by his friend, Lord Evelyn, and an actress, Penelope Dyall - who between them enact all the male and female characters mentioned in the dissertation - we are taken, in a series of short scenes, on a journey through Wilde's life.|1 woman, 2 men

“MY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FLOWERS IS BARE STRONG. COS DAT’S WHAT I’M DOING AT COLLEGE.I CAN TALK ABOUT FLOWERS FOREVER.HOWEVER, I SHARE A NAME WITH DESE... ANGELIQUE”.Funeral Flowers follows the story of Angelique, a seventeen-year-old whose dreams of being a florist are a refuge from a complicated adolescence. With her mum in prison, Angelique faces bullying, abuse and growing up in the care system.

“It’s just a fun ad. Now the whole world is going crazy.”In Singapore, Clearday™ has developed from a small start-up company to a leading international cosmetic brand in less than a year. But when a draft of the company’s latest skin cream advert is leaked, the video goes viral globally for all the wrong reasons.YouTube views are in the thousands and keep climbing; anger is building on social media; and journalists are starting to cover the story. This is an international PR nightmare; the company cannot be seen to be racist, they’ve got to get it taken down before America wakes up.“It’s on BUZZFEED. It’s on BUZZFEED. We’re not defending it.”White Pearl marks writer Anchuli Felicia King’s international playwriting debut. It premiered in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on 10 May 2019 in a production directed by Nana Dakin.

In the drawing room of a house in the country three women are arguing over a man. The man is Colin, and the argument is heated, for one of the women is his mother, another his wife Clare, and the third his mistress Helen. All four allow their tempers to get out of control, and painful truths are told. Colin, a weak man, is on the point of leaving when there is an unexpected interruption. Outside their open windows a film director, the formidable Kramer, has been listening to their arguments and taking notes and insists that they have been indulging in bad theatre and that they must go through their parts again, but with his direction...|4 women, 2 men

Claire has separated from her husband Steve and is now living with her boyfriend Derek. Her daughter Libby tells Steve that Claire is short of money and is advertising for a lodger, so, while Claire is absent, Steve is given the room by the unspuspecting Derek. Steve's idea is to stay in the house for a month so that Claire can judge both men on their merits; old animosities quickly reat their head, however, and the play ends with Claire and Libby leaving the house, which Steve and Derek decide to share as bachelors. Witty, fast-moving and acutely observed, The Upstairs Cuckoo is a riotous farce with a very human heart. | 2 women, 2 men

This joyous musical encounters five very different couples and a single woman embarking on an exciting journey - the women are pregnant. To some this is a welcome suprise, to some a carefully planned event, to others a cause for worry and confusion.

Having been accused of rioting, Ali awaits his fate in an Israeli interrogation room. But when an old lover steps in to defend him, the two are forced to confront their past; finding themselves torn between bitter loyalties.A Palestinian-Israeli love story set against the backdrop of the construction of the West Bank wall. A story of love, sacri ce, and redemption.Ali and Dahlia explores the loss of innocence, the longing for lost homelands, and the political forces that shape our lives.

“There’s nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.”This adaptation of the classic children’s novel is notable for its mixture of mysticism, adventure, morality, and camaraderie and celebrated for its evocation of the nature of the River-Banks.A spot of spring cleaning on a sunny English River-Bank – so begins the adventures of four beloved friends. Follow Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger on their journey through riverside picnics, wild woods, jailbreaks, car chases and cross-dressing amphibians to save Toad Hall from disaster and get little Mole home.Will the foursome triumph? And will everybody learn their lessons? A delightful tale of camaraderie and joy. Poop poop!

A compelling play about the anguish and humour of convent life, about women dedicated each in her way to a lifetime of service, yet who cannot cut themselves free from the human failings of jealousy and pride. The two main sub-themes derive from the arrival at the Convent of a delinquent sixteen-year-old girl, Eileen, and the death of the Mother Superior, which closely involves Sister Catherine. There is, in fact, a relationship between what could be taken as the delinquency of Eileen and that of Sister Catherine. There is also the question of what is regarded as "weakness" and what as "strength" in our society. | 11 women, 2 men

A darkly comic play about class, poverty and the struggle to escape by award-winning playwright Kat Woods.Killymuck is a fictitious housing estate built on a paupers' graveyard in 1970s Ireland. Inspired by real events, Kat Woods' play sees Niamh navigate the trials and tribulations of being a kid from the benefit class system. Educational barriers, lack of opportunity and the oppressive structures that are implicit in the cycle of impoverishment, all seem to conspire against the will to abdicate the media constructed underclass stereotype.Killymuck premiered at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

'By the gods, look what the goat dragged in by the knackers! Never did I see such a pitiful aggregation of sweat- soaked, grovelling jobbards!' General Braggadocio is a pompous and lecherous bully who makes life miserable for all around him. His enslaved concubine and a quick-thinking servant join forces in a bid to escape his household and teach him a lesson he will never forget. With the help of a randy old magistrate, a mischievous pet monkey and an imaginary visitor from Greece, they play upon the General's many vices and vanities as they attempt to regain their freedom and return home. Loosely based on Miles Glorious by Plautus, Vice Versa is a madcap, farcical, feel-good comedy from multi-award-winning playwright Phil Porter.

Jill has served time for killing her husband who abused her. Making a new start as a window cleaner, she disturbs Daryl, who is in the process of stealing from an expensive apartment. Panicking, Daryl holds Jill captive but she gets him taking about his life of crime and the wife who left him, taking with her his much-adored young daughter.