Books published by publisher NICK HERN BOOKS

Lucy Kirkwood's delightful version of the classic fairytale, first seen in a production devised and directed by Katie Mitchell at the National Theatre for Christmas 2010. 'I expect you have been told fairytales before. But you have never really heard a fairytale until you have heard it told by a real fairy.' The theft of a single rose has monstrous consequences for Beauty and her father. Because this is no ordinary rose...and this is no ordinary fairytale. Narrated by a pair of mischievous fairies, a very helpful Rabbit, and a Thoughtsnatcher machine, this timeless story is sure to surprise, delight and enchant. A wild and twisted tale, full of exciting and intriguing challenges for drama groups wishing to stage their own production. 'Chock-full of clever ideas' - Whatsonstage.com 'Clever, fast and endearing, with grand insults and proper jeopardy.' - The Times 'the story is beautifully and touchingly told... a continuously inventive delight' - Telegraph 'This new devised version is blessed with a sassy script by Lucy Kirkwood... Beauty-fully done' - Evening Standard

A heartbreaking tale of orphans, angels, murder and music - dramatised from the Whitbread Award-winning novel set in 18th-century England. Winner of the Time Out Live Award for Best Play In 18th-century Gloucestershire, the evil Otis Gardner preys on unmarried mothers, promising to take their babies (and their money) to Thomas Coram's hospital for foundling children. Instead, he buries the babies and pockets the loot. But Otis's downfall is set in train when his half-witted son Meshak falls in love with a young girl, Melissa, and rescues the unwanted son she has had with a disgraced aristocrat. The child is brought up in Coram's hospital, and proves to have inherited the startling musical gifts of his father - gifts that ultimately bring about his father's redemption and a heartbreaking family reunion. 'a rich and almost Gothic drama' - Philip Pullman 'a triumph... can still make your heart soar' - The Times 'the story has a gripping intensity... there is a tremendous sense of momentum' - Independent 'Family shows don't come much more harrowing than this - but nor do they come any finer... as gripping, terrifying, beautiful and moving as anything you will see in the theatre this year... Helen Edmundson's adaptation does full justice to the dark power of the original, while also transforming it into a thrilling piece of theatre' - Daily Telegraph 'a highly superior show that should appeal to adults and children alike' - Guardian

The award-winning play that follows one man's desperate attempts to buck the system, and asks what really makes us who we are in the 21st century. When a young executive reaches breaking point and decides to disappear, he pays a visit to a master of the craft in the form of a seafront fortune teller in Southend. Haunted by visitations from a pathologist who swears he is already lying flat out on her slab, he begins a nightmarish journey to the edge of existence that sees him stripped of everything that made him who he was. How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found was first performed at the Crucible Studio, Sheffield, in March 2007. It won the John Whiting Award for New Theatre Writing. 'an unsettling, dangerous play that makes you want to run away from yourself' Guardian 'the sort of thrilling new work that completely restores your faith in theatre' Sheffield Star

George Orwell’s 1945 satire on the perils of Stalinism has proved magnificently long-lived as a parable about totalitarianism anywhere—and has given the world at least one immortal phrase: “Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others.”This new dramatization sticks very closely to the book, and the production has toured all over England, Scotland, Wales and Romania in Orwell’s centenary year. “Dare I say it . . . as good as the book.”—Guardian

Mr and Mrs Twit are not very nice. In fact they're extremely nasty. They're nasty to each other, and they're VILE to everyone else. They hold a family of monkeys hostage in a cage and force them to stand on their heads. ALL THE TIME. We told you they weren't very nice. Can the monkeys find a way to show those vicious Twits what for? Mischievously adapted from Roald Dahl's story, acclaimed playwright Enda Walsh turns The Twits upside down and brings this revolting revolution to the stage. First performed at the Royal Court Theatre in April 2015.

A jealous king, an abandoned daughter, a prince hopelessly in love.Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption is reimagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh.It was performed as part of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s Plays at the Garrick Season in 2015, starring Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh.This official tie-in edition features the version of Shakespeare’s text performed in the production, plus exclusive additional content.

A tried-and-tested adaptation of the hugely popular novel and film, retaining its gritty charm and popular staying power. Billy, a disaffected young boy, has problems at school and at home: he's neglected by his mother, beaten by his brother and bullied on all sides. He adopts a fledgling kestrel and treats it with all the tenderness he has never known. Slowly, he begins to see for the first time what he could achieve - if only he tried. 'Laurence Till's skilful adaptation... offers a series of sure-fire scenes... Hines' story retains an undeniable emotional pull' - Independent 'Sensitively scripted and stunningly staged, Kes is essentially about a community which fails its young' - The Times

A practical, vocational guide to starting a career on TV as a presenter. The demand for presenters in the television industry has never been higher. But, although it's seen as a glamorous job and a step to celebrity, being a TV presenter is also hard work, and demands a varied range of journalistic, technical, performance and personal skills. With a background in TV directing, working with professional presenters and training new ones for the TV industry, Kathryn Wolfe takes you through the techniques and skills required to become a successful presenter, including: How to read from a prompt and use in-ear talkback How to talk to camera and talk to time How to cope with live, recorded, studio and location shoots How to present for specialist channels (children's, shopping, weather) How to create a successful CV and convincing showreel Hands-on exercises and checklists will guide you through improving your posture, developing correct breathing and good diction, evaluating your performance, and much more. The book is also packed with accessible advice and top tips from dozens of experienced and new presenters currently working on TV. It tells you what happens in auditions, and, above all, how to go about getting a job as a presenter. With a foreword by Chris Tarrant. 'This splendid book covers every aspect of the job... I look forward to seeing you on my telly!' (Chris Tarrant, from his Foreword)