Nick Hern News

On January 10, Theatre publisher Nick Hern Books will release an updated version of the libretto for Company. This edition features the complete revised book from the current gender-swapped West End version of the show, color production photographs, and an introduction by Sondheim's biographer David Benedict.

The Almeida Theatre today announces the transfer of its Young Company Show, Cacophony, after a successful, sold-out run at the Almeida in July.

The Papatango New Writing Prize, now in its eleventh year, opens for submissions today, 6 December 2018, until 9pm on 17 February 2019.

VAULT Festival, one of the largest curated arts festivals in the world, has announced more than 400 shows for their 2019 programme. Now in its seventh year, VAULT Festival returns to London from 23rd January to 17th March with the best in new writing for theatre and comedy, immersive experiences, cabaret, live performance and late night parties. Their exciting and diverse programme features shows from more than 2,000 artists, with 53% of work being female-led and 25% of work coming from LGBTQIA+ artists. Starting in 2012 with only 25 shows and 7,000 attendees, VAULT Festival has become the fastest growing arts festival in the UK, hosting over 350 shows in 2018 and welcoming more than 70,000 audience members.

The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has announced the shortlist for its annual awards, to be presented by writer and actor Joanna Scanlan (The Thick of It, Getting On, Puppy Love) on Monday 14 January 2019 at the Royal College of Physicians in central London, in a special ceremony to mark the union's 60th anniversary.

This fascinating tome offers an insider's history of the National Theatre, via some 800 letters exchanged between Artistic Directors, actors, directors, playwrights, politicians, agents, critics and more. From arcane trivia through to vigorous words on the very nature and purpose of drama, it's a theatre geek's must-have.

The King's Head Theatre, Making Productions and RGM Productions are delighted to announce the full cast for the West End transfer of Kevin Elyot's Coming Clean.

Irish Repertory Theatre begins its 13th season of the Irish Rep Reading Series with a staged reading of Gary Duggan's play Spotless. Directed by Irish Rep Literary Manager Kara Manning, the reading will take place on Friday, December 7, 2018 at 3:00pm at Irish Repertory Theatre (132 West 22nd Street) on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage. Tickets to the reading are free and open to the public. Seating is limited. RSVP through Irish Rep's box office by calling 212-727-2737.

With detailed explanatory notes for every piece of its 75-strong compilation, this must-have guide is sure to bolster the confidence of those lining up to take part in the most important minutes of their lives.

Five extraordinary new voices make up the finalists of Theatre503's 2018 International Playwriting Award. Mathilde Dratwa, Gillian Greer, Joel MacCormack, Philana Imade Omorotionmwan and Danusia Samal have been chosen from 2,055 scripts sent in from 49 countries.

How do you become a playwright? How do you behave as a playwright? When are you officially a playwright? Papatango's Chris Foxon and George Turvey answer all budding playwrights' answers and take the immeasurable task of giving advice by the horns in their first venture, Being a Playwright - A Career Guide for Writers.

Read an extract from Being a Playwright by Chris Foxon and George Turvey - in this section, Getting the best from feedback

Troupe today announces the World Premiere of Joy Wilkinson's The Sweet Science of Bruising. Directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, the production opens at Southwark Playhouse on 5 October, with previews from 3 October, and runs until 27 October.

Theatre and puppetry director Mervyn Millar's latest book is a practical insight into the use of puppets in theatre. Millar is incredibly well-equipped to provide this thorough guide, having been part of the creative and performing teams of the National Theatre's War Horse from the very beginning, as well as extensive puppet design and direction for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic, Schauspielhaus Zurich and many others. He's also Chair of the Puppet Centre Trust, and regularly runs teaching sessions and workshops for a range of organisations.

I was politically active in the late 1980s and personally witnessed the dying away of the political spark on the streets of Manchester in the wake of the nationwide inner-city uprisings of 1981-85. One day, around 1987, I was asked by a Moss Side street dealer if I "wanted anything to smoke" as I passed. I knew the guy faintly from my younger cannabis-smoking days when we bought a "five-pound draw" if we couldn't buy resin from our usual sources. 

Troupe today announces the full cast for the World Premiere of Joy Wilkinson's The Sweet Science of Bruising. Kirsty Patrick Ward directs Bruce Alexander (Professor Charlie Sharp), James Baxter (Paul Stokes), Sophie Bleasdale (Violet Hunter), Joe Coen (Gabriel Lamb), Ashley Cook (Doctor James Bell), Caroline Harker (Aunt George), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Anna Lamb), Alice Kerrigan (Emily), Jessica Regan (Matilda 'Matty' Blackwell) and Fiona Skinner (Polly Stokes). The production opens at Southwark Playhouse on 5 October, with previews from 3 October, and runs until 27 October.

The King's Head Theatre, Making Productions Limited and Joe C Brown are delighted to announce the West End transfer of Kevin Elyot's Coming Clean. Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director of the King's Head Theatre, will direct the production, which will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 9 January to 2 February 2019, with a national press night on Friday 11 January 2019.

Since they published their first title, Mrs Klein by Nicholas Wright, alongside its National Theatre production in 1988, Nick Hern Books (NHB) has gone from strength to strength. The company now boasts over 1500 titles on their list, and a staff of thirteen based at their London office in Shepherd's Bush. In honor of their 30th birthday the company threw a party to celebrate. Check out the photos below!

Papatango today announce The Funeral Director by Iman Qureshi as the winner of the 10th annual New Writing Prize.

Yasmin feels different, she feels weird. She longs to be normal like everyone else but that's proving difficult... Based on writer Lucy Burke's experiences, Weird explores the highs and lows of what it is like for a sufferer, and a sufferer's family, to live in the shadows of obsessive compulsive disorder. Winner of the Arcola Theatre's Slam SOAPS 2018, the show was awarded a one-night staging at the Arcola.