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Welcome to our September Newsletter
We have barely caught our breath here, it's been so busy!
Our play of the month is Blue Stockings, by Nell Gwynn author Jessica Swale. We have been very lucky in acquiring Laura Forrest-Hay's beautiful music from the original 2012 production, which is now available for those of you performing the play. You can listen to it here.
We're also delighted to bring you another delectable selection of amateur releases, including Phoebe Eclair-Powell's Epic Love and Pop Songs, fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe - please be aware that this is a limited release, so any enquiries will need to be approved by the agent first, but we have set the ball rolling with the first productions approved.
From another festival, the exciting VAULT Festival in Waterloo, come two offerings: a dark comedy about female friendships in Eggs by Florence Keith-Roach, and the male counterpart set in the world of boxing, Cornermen by Oli Forsyth.
Cans by Stuart Slade is a great two-hander for an uncle-niece combo, Elephants by Rose Heiney might be just the ticket if you are looking for an alternative Christmas play, and also recently released is the incredibly funny The Crocodile by Tom Basden, based on the short story by Dostoyevsky - which requires one cast member to perform from inside a crocodile - a little challenge there for the costume department!
In News we are letting you glimpse behind the scenes of the recent event at Royal Holloway: Reflecting on Amateur Theatre Research and asking you to join the debate. Welcome if you signed up for this newsletter at the event - it was great to meet so many of you.
Look for our Book of the Month: Writing Music for the Stage by Michael Bruce, the most comprehensive how-to book on creating music for your show - this is for those of you who want to go it alone and write your own music for your production - always an option, as we license our plays with or without the original music (and we're offering you a special discount on the book!).
Our new acquisitions include Growth by Luke Norris, How to Date a Feminist by Samantha Ellis and Things I Know To Be True by Andrew Bovell. Keep an eye out on this newsletter for the release of rights.
And finally, our Production News features Dawn King's Foxfinder at the Bromley Little Theatre, as well as other productions all over the world. Don't forget - you can advertise your show for free on our website here.
We also offer up to three titles on approval for companies looking to read before they commit - a service that is very handy for companies searching for the perfect play; you will be sent the books and either return them to us in mint (re-salable) condition within 30 days, or pay the enclosed invoice to keep the scripts.
We are always happy to discuss your requirements, so if you still need help in finding that perfect play, just give me or Marcelo a call on 020 8749 4953.
Tamara von Werthern, Performing Rights Manager
tamara@nickhernbooks.co.uk
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Blue Stockings
by Jessica Swale
Cast: 8-10f 8-14m (plus 2 extras)
Set: can be simply staged
Many of you will be familiar with this moving, comical and eye-opening story of four young women fighting for education and self-determination against the larger backdrop of women's suffrage. We have just now acquired the music from the original 2012 production. Listen to it here, and let us know if you would like to include it with your production of this wonderful play, at an added fee of just £15 plus VAT per performance!
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Now available for amateur performance:
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The Crocodile
by Tom Basden, based on a short story by Dostoyevsky
Cast: 1f 3m, doubling
Set: various settings, some more complex than others
Ivan is a struggling actor who hasn't yet achieved the recognition he feels he deserves. But all that is about to change when, one afternoon at the zoo with his friend Zack, he is swallowed whole by a crocodile.
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Eggs
by Florence Keith-Roach
Cast: 2f
Set: can be simply staged
A dark comedy about female friendship, fertility and freaking out. Two women who live very different lives are united by their quick wit and love of 90's music.
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Epic Love and Pop Songs
by Phoebe Eclair-Powell
Cast: 1f 1m
Set: can be simply staged
A smart, funny play about sex, lies and karaoke from up-and-coming talent Phoebe Eclair-Powell, author of Fury and Wink.
Amateur rights: Limited release. Enquire for more details £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Cans
by Stuart Slade
Cast: 1f 1m
Set: can be simply staged
Following the death of her dad - a disgraced TV chat show host - Jen finds refuge with her uncle Len who has made it his mission to help her get over the past. A warm and witty play about death and forgiveness.
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Elephants
by Rose Heiney
Cast: 4f 3m
Set: can be simply staged
Amateur Premiere Available!
5.53 p.m. Christmas Eve. Richard and Sally are waiting for their friends and family to join the festivities - the tree is decorated, the wine is mulling, the presents are wrapped. But behind this shiny façade, nothing is quite right.
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Cornermen
by Oli Forsyth
Cast: 4m
Set: can be simply staged
An exhilarating play about human triumph, ambition, self-doubt, and pride, set in the world of boxing. Mickey and his team of cornermen never have much luck in the ring. Until, that is, they sign a young fighter whose winning ways catapult them to a level they've never known before.
Amateur rights: £75 per performance, plus VAT where applicable
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Amateur Theatre Research conference
We have had an inspiring day at the Reflecting on Amateur Theatre Research event at Royal Holloway recently. Read all about it on our blog here. And please do get in touch and let us know what you think are the challenges facing amateur theatre today and what we can do to help address them.
Just email rights@nickhernbooks.co.uk.
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Writing Music for the Stage
A Practical Guide for Theatremakers
by Michael Bruce
Do you have musical requirements for your next show? Do you need some ideas on how to get started creating the score? Are you looking to fill some gaps in your knowledge? Do you want to brush up on the composer's role in rehearsals? Then this book is for you!
Michael Bruce is Composer-in-Residence at the Donmar Warehouse. He will teach you how to get started - spotting when and how music might be used in a play, doing research, considering form and content. Building a sound world - finding and using source music, creating incidental music, choosing the best instrumentation, scoring, utilising technology, writing music to accompany song lyrics. Working on the production - understanding the composer's role in rehearsals, collaborating with key creatives, using actor-musicians, getting the show on. Recording - knowing when to record, booking and working with musicians and the studio engineer, running a recording session.
We're offering an exclusive special discount to you, our newsletter subscribers: get Writing Music for the Stage for just £9 plus free UK p&p (RRP £12.99) when you use the code MUSICNEWSLETTER on our website here.
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New Acquisitions
Plays newly acquired by Nick Hern Books - keep an eye out on this newsletter for the release of rights.
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