Bøker i Modern Plays-serien

Heralding a return to the stage for renowned dramatist Stephen Poliakoff, My City is a lyrical exploration of storytelling, interwoven personal and political histories, memory and the ties of the past.

Two texts for music theatre by distinctive playwright Mark Ravenhill. Told through a series of songs, Ten Plagues explores humanity's struggle with sickness and death and The Coronation of Poppea is a new version of Monteverdi's opera depicting the triumphant adultery between Poppea and Emperor Nero.

Two plays for young people. The first deals with two events involving the same person - one as a teenager and the other years later. The text of the second is accompanied by rehearsal and teaching notes. A young girl is changed for ever by her soldier boyfriend, returning from active service.

A fortune-teller's teasing rumination sends Edmond lurching into New York City's hellish underworld, his whole life abandoned in a searing quest for self-discovery and redemption.

Published to coincide with its European premiere at the Almeida Theatre, London, in March 2008, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is Stephen Adly Guirgis' hilarious and extraordinary courtroom drama about the greatest human betrayal.

One of a series of drama texts published to coincide with theatrical premieres of new plays and translations.

Published to tie-in with the world premiere of Noel Coward's forgotten play in 2001, this version of Star Quality is adapted from Coward's unpublished play and his short story of the same name. The play takes us behind the scenes of a West End production.

George is on the hunt for the man who is seducing his wife Ruth, a lecturer in film noir at the University. When Morris, Ruth's seducer, turns up as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, things take a sinister turn for the worse. This is a dark comedy of desire, dreams and coincidental disappearances.

Pez and Eck are on the hunt for the perfect society in "a city where free men might live like birds". But when they start building the bird city for real, Pez starts to have ambitions. As the fantasy utopia threatens to turn into a tyrany, the birds start to rebel.

Talks about Cold-War betrayal and the quest for justice. Inspired by a true story, this title explores the mysterious corridors of history to reveal the anguish of a family and a quest for atonement.

Alan and Nicola are a couple desperate to keep pace with the boom time. However, when Alan's sister Amy is involved in a scandal, Alan finds himself questioning his values and wondering if he can cut it in this world of material success. This work casts on contemporary Dublin and the malaise of a generation seduced by money, status and self.

Jack divides his time between protecting his aged mother from the terrors of the outside world, and sitting alone in the park. He doesn't usually talk to strangers, until, that is, he meets Benny. Believing he has found a friend who can help protect them, he lets Benny into the safehold of his home. But Benny's love is that of an avenging angel.

Then in a beautiful cloud of Holy, I go out the door to meet with my people, to see if I really am. With the angelus and two and six in my pocket, I am a rich and holy possible Jesus. I stop and talk to everyone I meet: 'Hello, I might be Jesus.'Meet Pakie. An orphan, a storyteller, an adventurer, a survivor. He may not be the sharpest sandwich in the tool box, but Pakie knows a thing or two about the history of his native town - from the vicious Vikings, to the less-than Christian Brothers. Pakie's a laugh a minute . . . but he's got secrets. Secrets the God-fearing people of Oggle may not be ready to hear.Written by renowned Irish actor Peter Gowen, The Chronicles of Oggle is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of small towns and even smaller minds.

We're not playing Grandmother's fucking Footsteps, mate! Stay away, or I'll jump! Midnight at the Dartford Crossing; Roland's settled in for another thrilling night supervising the toll machines; Andrea's pretty sure she's come to kill herself. Neither of them wants to be there. Both think the other's crazy. Still, it's nice to have company. Two strangers on a bridge in the dead of night, a game of dominoes, and a value ready meal - HighTide Escalator playwright Vinay Patel's new play explores humanity, desperation and hope. Following on from the success of his debut play, True Brits, which premiered at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Free Fall was Vinay Patel's first full-length play to be staged in London.

Stunningly powerful and gritty, Fog is a critically acclaimed play that offers a vivid look at people leaving care, and their struggles with an inadequate system, their families and the outside world.

An elegiac, emotionally charged and tragic account of the relationship between a social worker and a troubled mother.

A play which explores political radicalisation in light of the Wikileaks scandal.

Birthday is a comic and affecting tale that is both intriguing and unsettling. The latest play from Joe Penhall, multi-award winning author of Blue/Orange, Birthday is a well-observed and expertly paced piece of comic writing.

Quiz Show: Welcome to False!, the quiz show where there are no questions, only statements, where every statement is a lie, and where the prize is nothing less than the truth. Everyone's favourite quizmaster, Daniel Caplin, gives tonight's gifted contestants the chance to play for the ultimate prize - to discover what lies behind the Door of Truth. Newcomer Sandra has always been desperate to find out and she's more than a threat to our reigning champion. Tonight, there is even more to play for. Can the show survive what she discovers?Bullet Catch: The high-risk Bullet Catch has claimed many lives since its conception in 1613. Modern-day marvel William Wonder presents a theatre show with magic, mindreading, levitation and, if you dare stay, the most notorious stunt of them all. A unique theatrical experience exploring the world of magic, featuring mind-reading, levitation, and the most notorious finale in show business.One of Scotland's most exciting theatre-makers, Rob Drummond pushes the boundaries of popular culture in these two unique pieces of theatre.

A moment of kindness in a sea of unfamiliarity. A long, hard day at work. A lively party. A nostalgic lullaby.The story begins in Nigeria where the character of Dele plays a last game of football with his friends and says goodbye to his son Chidi, telling him he will send for him. He then embarks on a voyage where he meets strangers along the way carrying their own stories of upheaval, struggle and hope - sharing his dream to make their home in a new city and be joined by their families. Dele''s journey melds with the present day. In an inner-city hostel, Dele is an old man being looked after by Tian Mey, his carer. He reflects the past and his journey to where he is now and his story intertwines with the other migrants, both in his memories of the journey and the present-day reality of the hostel. Based on the illustrated novel by Oscar winner Shaun Tan, one man''s tale echoes the many ''arrivals'' happening around us all the time. This epic migration story unfolds through an extraordinary weaving together of theatre, circus and music. The Arrival tells the age-old story of immigration that is universal across peoples of diverse histories, countries and cultures.

This city is changing. Different world from when I was a boy. I came over here when I wasn't much taller than you are now. Different world. You know what getting old is? Getting old is slowly losing everything that you're familiar with.Man has just set foot on the moon. The streets of Brooklyn are tense. The Irish Mafia is desperately trying to hold on to their power and more importantly their identity. After all, they built these streets. In this edgy new story, relationships between family, friends and enemies are ultimately challenged. Hold tight as Drum Belly casts you into New York City's deep and dark underworld.

Nhamo you are a legend of African Folklore! Hollywood awaits!With just twenty-four hours to create the ultimate African fable, the superstar cast is missing a hero. Suddenly, a dashing goatherd appears on the horizon . . . Nhamo. Is he The One? Storytelling is turned on its head in this Zimbabwean epic comedy, the exciting new debut from celebrated actor and playwright, Denton Chikura.

You are a Prince, not a pauper. And before too long the whole of England will be in your hands...Jemma Kennedy's stage adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper is a dynamic and fast-paced adaptation of Mark Twain's 1881 classic novel of confused identities. Set in a gritty, vibrant Tudor London, the poverty-stricken Tom Canty has a chance meeting with the young heir to the throne, Prince Edward, and - by pure coincidence - they find they look almost identical.The Prince and the Pauper tells the story of what happens when one person is mistaken for the other and what happens to them in the long-term: Tom Canty is forced into the world of the court and power, while Edward is cast down into a world of poverty and thieves, from which he must fight his way back to the court.First produced at the Unicorn Theatre, the UK's leading theatre for young audiences aged 2 - 21 from the 25th November 2012 to the 13 January 2013.

Nineteen-year-old science genius Luke finally has some peace to work on the extraordinary box in his living room, holed up in a dingy flat on a near-abandoned Middlesbrough housing estate. After his unbalanced brother Rob introduces him to a wealthy out-of-towner they're thrown into a dangerous world that threatens to tear the brothers apart and unleash the power inside his invention.Brilliant Adventures is a fast paced tale of brotherhood, addiction and breaking the laws of physics.

Life isn't too simple for twenty-something Dubliners. Francis is so busy promoting his new novel that he hasn't written it yet, while his partner Magda is too busy mourning the death of her dad to notice that Francis is wandering off with the next model sensation - Java.

Life, love and loss in a picture postcard town is laid bare in this heart-breaking but darkly comic new play. Through a series of interweaving monologues For Once cuts to the heart of a family, and a community, turned upside down by unimaginable tragedy.

'We make it clear in our literature that we are looking for extraordinary couples - progressive people who are open to radical ways of doing things.'Jo and Alex are the perfect professional couple - the ideal modern family. But at the centre of their comfortable lives a void has opened and Jo is desperate to find a solution. Her unorthodox search leads her to Gloria. Can Gloria help? Or is that not her aim at all?

Three one act plays by master dramatist Edward Bond, combined into a single drama and exploring humanity amid a broken world.

A collection of five plays written by Judy Upton: "Ashes and Sand"; "Sunspots"; "People on the River"; "Stealing Souls"; and "Know Your Rights".

The Static'We all have sick thoughts. It doesnae matter what you think, it's what you do that counts. Trouble is, my thoughts do things. Don't believe me? Just watch.'Sparky is a bright but volatile 15-year-old boy on the brink of permanent exclusion from school. Then one day he falls under the spell of a seemingly psychic girl called Siouxsie and develops his own kinetic superpower. But will it save him or push him over the edge?The Static is a coming-of-age love story about what happens when our darkest dreams come true.Blackout'A small room, bright lights, white walls, a metal door. Oh my God! Imagine you wake up in a jail cell and you don't know how you got there.'Blackout is the true story of a 15-year-old boy charged with attempted murder who tries to piece together the events in his life that have brought him into a secure care unit and threaten to keep him there. This short play packs a big emotional punch with its stylistic economy and razor-sharp storytelling.The Static was originally produced by ThickSkin for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and UK tour 2012. Blackout was commissioned for NT Connections and produced by ThickSkin at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010, winning the Arches Brick Award and subsequently touring the UK.