Simon Stephens

Theatre has a complex history of responding to crises, long before they happen. Through stage plays, contemporary challenges can be presented, explored and even foreshadowed in ways that help audiences understand the world around them. Since the theatre of the Greeks, audiences have turned to live theatre in order to find answers in uncertain political, social and economic times, and through this unique collection questions about This anthology brings together a collection of 20 scenes from 20 playwrights that each respond to the world in crisis. Twenty of the world’s most prolific playwrights were asked to select one scene from across their published work that speaks to the current world situation in 2020. As COVID-19 continues to challenge every aspect of global life, contemporary theatre has long predicted a world on the edge. Through these 20 scenes from plays spanning from 1980 to 2020, we see how theatre and art has the capacity to respond, comment on and grapple with global challenges that in turn speak to the current time in which we are living. Each scene, chosen by the writer, is prefaced by an interview in which they discuss their process, their reason for selection and how their work reflects both the past and the present. From the political plays of Lucy Prebble and James Graham to the polemics of Philip Ridley and Tim Crouch. From bold works by Inua Ellams, Morgan Lloyd Malcom and Tanika Gupta to the social relevance of Hannah Khalil, Zoe Cooper and Simon Stephens this anthology looks at theatre in the present and asks the question: “how can theatre respond to a world in crisis?” The collection is prefaced by an introduction from Edward Bond, one of contemporary theatre’s most prolific dramatists.

Producers' Choice: Six Plays for Young Performers showcases some of the best plays for young people produced by the UK's leading theatre companies. The plays are ideal for young performers aged 13-25 and offer a diverse range of challenges, styles and subjects. The volume will prove essential for teachers and students of Drama and for youth drama groups. The plays include modern reworkings of classics, such as Simon Reade's witty and brilliantly inventive adaptation of Lewis Carroll's much-loved fantasy, and DJ Britton's version of Sophocles' Theban plays, the tragic Oedipus/Antigone. Contemporary teenage issues are dealt with in Megan Barker's beautiful and uplifting Promise and Sarah May's The Butterfly Club. Simon Stephens' hit-play Punk Rock set in a grammar school explores dislocation and aggression among sixth form pupils; James Graham's Tory Boyz is a fast-paced, political comedy about prejudice and ambition in Westminster. Each play features production notes and the volume is introduced by Paul Roseby, Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre. For schools, youth theatre groups and drama colleges this anthology of thematically and stylistically diverse plays will prove an invaluable resource.

The Methuen Drama Book of 21st Century British Plays showcases five of the best new plays from the first decade of the twenty-first century. A perfect reminder of the relevance, vitality and innovation of British theatre, this collection represents some of the most exciting plays to emerge in recent years. Joe Penhall's multi-award-winning Blue/Orange was heralded as 'one of the best new plays in the National's history' (Sunday Times). Set in a mental hospital it provides a riveting exploration of racism, health and power, and was the winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play 2001. Elmina's Kitchen by Kwame Kwei-Armah, about gun crime and the struggle to make a living on Hackney's Murder Mile, marked the emergence of a major new writing talent. 'An exquisite tragi-comedy for our times' (Herald) Neilson's Realism dramatises the everyday life and increasingly bizarre fantasies and thoughts of its protagonist with comic zeal and inspired inventiveness. Gone Too Far! explores a London community divided by race and prejudice. The first play to be written about the London 7/7 terrorist bombings, Simon Stephens' Pornography tells seven entwining stories of people's lives during the day leading up to the catastrophic event.

“When we travel abroad we see our home with a clarity that we may never have been offered before.” (Simon Stephens) In this compelling international collection, Olivier and Tony Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens continues his bold interrogation of human fragility, connection, and transformation across cultures and continents. From the haunting intimacy of A Dark, Dark, Dark, Dark Blue, to the lyrical solitude of Maria, the existential unease of Fortune, and the spectral reckoning of Three Ghosts, Stephens crafts theatrical worlds that transcend geography. These plays—written and premiered in cities from Stuttgart to Tokyo—are united by a restless curiosity and a deep empathy for the lives we lead in silence and in chaos. Whether collaborating with European directors or writing for stages far from home, Stephens' international work is marked by a fearless embrace of aesthetic diversity and emotional truth. This collection is a testament to his belief that theatre, at its best, is a conversation across borders.

“When we travel abroad we see our home with a clarity that we may never have been offered before.” (Simon Stephens) In this compelling international collection, Olivier and Tony Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens continues his bold interrogation of human fragility, connection, and transformation across cultures and continents. From the haunting intimacy of A Dark, Dark, Dark, Dark Blue, to the lyrical solitude of Maria, the existential unease of Fortune, and the spectral reckoning of Three Ghosts, Stephens crafts theatrical worlds that transcend geography. These plays—written and premiered in cities from Stuttgart to Tokyo—are united by a restless curiosity and a deep empathy for the lives we lead in silence and in chaos. Whether collaborating with European directors or writing for stages far from home, Stephens' international work is marked by a fearless embrace of aesthetic diversity and emotional truth. This collection is a testament to his belief that theatre, at its best, is a conversation across borders.

Don’t panic. Don’t be scared. This must feel strange to you. It felt strange to me… From quiet sorrows to breathtaking beauty, the mystery of human experience unfolds before you. In An Ark, four guides shepherd you into an understanding of the human condition, encompassing the joy of first love and the inevitability of death. The first play created for mixed reality, this genre-defying collaboration between Tony Award–winning writer Simon Stephens (Vanya, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), critically acclaimed director Sarah Frankcom (UK Theatre Award for Our Town), and mixed reality pioneer Todd Eckert, An Ark explores the elemental meaning of life with the energy and humanity that are the hallmarks of their work. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere production by Tin Drum at The Shed, New York, featuring the ensemble cast of Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Arinzé Kene, and Rosie Sheehy.

Rediscover Anton Chekhov's acclaimed works in radical, creative new ways. The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard: Chekhov's major plays have been perennially popular since the late 19th century. But, as a new wave of diverse, contemporary theatre makers engage with his legendary works, these classics are transformed and reimagined by bold new approaches. In doing so, Chekhov's original drama is not only explored but reanimated and interrogated in revolutionary ways. From an ambitious one-person production, to a dance-poetry-play hybrid, to an intergalactic voyage, Chekhov’s work has never been so expansive or his experimental spirit so realised. This collection draws together seven contrasting adaptations, ranging from the formally inventive, to those that relocate the originals in times and places that expose forces of privilege and power. With an introduction by Frances Babbage which equips the reader with key methods of conceptualising dramatic adaptation, as well as providing a critical overview of the long history of Chekhovian rewritings for the stage, Adapting Chekhov in the 21st Century is a much-needed tool for adaptation and theatre studies students and Chekhov enthusiasts alike.

“t was then that I decided to write you these letters.One crisp winter day in New York, Willem receives a phone call – it’s time to go home.Home to Amsterdam – to an estranged family and forgotten relationships. As he reflects on his life, unwilling to face the future, he finds himself reaching out to the brother he has lost.This revised edition of Simon Stephens’s landmark play, is published to coincide with the revival at HOME Manchester, February 2023, starring Will Young

I came to New York when I was seventeen. I had all these ideas about how my life was gonna turn out. When I think about those ideas now, I don’t know if I should laugh or shit. In a back street in the West Village, Jacob Towney tries to save the restaurant that has been his home for longer than he can remember and release his daughter to the life he dreams she can have. His place is a home for the odd ghosts of the village. It is out of place and out of time and running out of luck. This edition was published to coincide with the off-Broadway premiere at New York’s Atlantic Theater, in February 2023.

I have kind of become invisible. Nobody looks at me. Not like they used to. You reach an age. Like my age and people stop looking at you. They stop checking you out.In Greenwich Village a generation or so ago, the city is alive. Joni Mitchell sings, friends and lovers come and go, and the regulars change at the White Horse Tavern.As 50 years pass, one woman’s life is revealed in all its complexity, mystery and possibility in this enthralling world premiere about mothers and daughters, beginnings and endings in New York City.Simon Stephens’s new play, commissioned by MTC, premiered off-Broadway in November 2021 starring Blair Brown, Edie Falco and Marin Ireland.

"Stephens writes dramas set in uncaring, uncompromising worlds, whose characters speak in a language at once naturalistic and yet artificially pared-down and whose uncertain attempts to assert their own identities sometimes lead to gratuitous and brutal acts of violence." - Financial TimesA fifth collection of plays by one of Britain's most prolific contemporary playwrights, Simon Stephens, charting his work from 2011-2016, ranging from London's Royal Court Theatre, Manchester's Royal Exchange and Broadway. Wastwater (2011) "Metaphoric, allusive, and thoroughly disturbing in its evocation of suspicion and uncertainty, Wastwater is a thought-provoking play whose quiet intensity stays with you for days — its effect is like that of a ugly stone dropped into a pool, which results in constant ripples of dirty water lapping at your subconscious" (Aleks Sierz)Birdland (2014) "Mega-fame and limitless cash can turn a man into a monster, and Simon Stephens's new play excellently evokes its hero's spiritually shrunken world" (Michael Billington, Guardian) Blindsided (2014) “the dialogue has a rare quality of moment-by-moment intensity" (Telegraph)Song From Far Away (2015) "a meditative monologue – a searching study of impotently self-aware emotional insufficiency" (Independent) Heisenberg (2016) "Mr. Stephens ... is an uncannily subtle dramatist who never wears his depths on the surface ... he probes clichés until they fall apart, before reassembling them into solid but transformed shapes, reminding us why such clichés have become enduring elements of our collective mythology." (Ben Brantley, New York Times)

Three new plays from three of the UK's most celebrated playwrights. All rooted in West London, the plays explore race, identity and our sense of place and purpose, presented together as one piece, Out West. The Overseas Student by Tanika GuptaLondon. 1888. An 18-year-old Gandhi has just arrived from India to study Law. Miles from home, his wife and his family, we see him navigate a time of uncertainty, growth and opportunity. As he builds a new life, he explores the joys of money, food and women whilst facing the struggles of class and imperialism. Gupta’s sharp and profound play is an insight into the teenage years of a man we know will grow up to be one of the most significant figures in history.Blue Water and Cold and Fresh by Simon StephensLondon. 2020. A walk back in time. A walk that may change everything he’s ever believed.In the wake of city lockdown living and the Black Lives Matter protests, one man’s journey across London raises difficult truths he has to confront. The death of a loved one. His father’s racism. His own white privilege. This heartfelt piece explores what it means to be a father, husband and son.Go, Girl by Roy WilliamsLondon. 2020. Working as a security guard at Westfield and a mother to a teenage daughter, Donna sees her life as unremarkable. Why have things not turned out how she pictured when she was a young girl, inspired by the words of Michelle Obama? The hope and excitement she once felt has now become isolation and judgement of the choices she has made. Until one night Donna gets a call from her daughter that makes her rethink her entire life. As their bravery and humanity is tested, Donna realises just how remarkable they both truly are. A celebration of Black women, everyday heroism and female resilience.

LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME YOU’LL NEVER LEAVE ME.A woman wakes up with a stranger beside her. A student argues with his lover. A single mother fights to feed her baby. A married man flirts with two younger women. And far away, one devastating event is about to change all their lives forever.Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom says goodbye to the Royal Exchange with an extraordinary new play by Simon Stephens, with original music by Jarvis Cocker. Connecting five relatives in five disparate English towns, from Blackpool to Durham, LIGHT FALLS is a richly layered play about life in the face of death, about how our love survives us after we’ve gone – and about how family, community and kindness help the North survive.

This abridged edition is designed for schools and has been adapted for 10 actors playing all of the roles. With a running time of just 90 minutes it is suitable for performance in non-theatre spaces, with minimal technical requirements.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time brings Mark Haddon's best-selling novel to life on stage, adapted by two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. Winner of seven Olivier Awards including Best Play, along with the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Tony Awards for Best Play, this remarkable and exhilarating "theatrical masterpiece" originated at London's Royal National Theatre in 2012 before going on to transfer to the West End for multiple seasons, followed by its acclaimed Broadway run. The play has now been seen on five continents around the world with major productions ranging from Mexico, Australia, Canada, Seoul and Japan. This brand new edition of the play has been abridged specifically with schools in mind and published following a 12-week tour of 60 secondary schools in the UK. The play tells the story of Christopher John Francis Boone, who is fifteen years old. He stands besides Mrs Shears' dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in a book he is writing to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and distrusts strangers. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that upturns his world.

There's a hole running through the centre of my stomach. You must have all felt a bit awkward because you can probably see it. Sea Wall is a delicate monologue, completely devastating and beautifully powerful.Alex’s story, spoken directly to the audience, begins full of clear light and smiles, as he speaks about his wife, visiting her father in the South of France, having a daughter, photography, and the bottom of the sea. His tone is natural, happy and engaging, with flickers of questions about belief and religion glimpsed under the surface. But his contentment falls away into deep and heart-breaking grief, crumbling to pieces with a vividness that is incredibly moving.

Simon Stephens' explosive play Rage was written as a counterpoint for Elfriede Jelinek's Wut. Composed as 31 high-energy scenes, each one is based on a series of photos by Joel Goodman which captured the excitement and the mayhem of New Year's Eve 2015/16 in Manchester city centre. Published in the Manchester Evening News the photos quickly went viral in capturing a vital cross-section of a country on the edge. As the clock strikes twelve the celebratory mood turns into violence, racism, marriage proposals and the opening of portals. Enter the madness and get whisked into the hedonism of youth.Rage premiered at the Thalia Theatre, Hamburg in Autumn 2016 and had its UK premiere at the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama in 2018.

From about the middle of the seventeenth century the Navy's administrators began to commission models of their ships that were accurately detailed and, for the first time, systematically to scale. These developed a recognised style, which included features like the unplanked lower hull with a simplified pattern of framing that emphasised the shape of the underwater body. Exquisitely crafted, these were always rare and highly prized objects-indeed, Samuel Pepys expressed a profound desire to own one-and today they are widely regarded as the acme of the ship modeller's art. Today examples form the highlights of collections across the world, valued both as art objects and as potential historical evidence on matters of ship design. However, it was only recently that researchers began to investigate the circumstances of their construction, their function, and the identities of those who made them. This book, by two curators who have worked on the world's largest collection of these models at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, summarises the current state of knowledge, outlines important discoveries, and applies this new-found understanding to many of the finest models in the collection. As befits its subject, _Navy Board Ship Models_ is visually striking, with numerous colour photographs that make it as attractive as it is informative to anyone with an interest in modelmaking or historic ships.

From about the middle of the seventeenth century the Navy's administrators began to commission models of their ships that were accurately detailed and, for the first time, systematically to scale. These developed a recognized style, which included features like the unplanked lower hull with a simplified pattern of framing that emphasized the shape of the underwater body. Exquisitely crafted, these were always rare and highly prized objects - indeed, Samuel Pepys expressed a profound desire to own one - and today they are widely regarded as the acme of the ship modeler's art. As benefits its subject, Navy Board Ship Models is visually striking, with numerous color photographs that make it as attractive as it is informative to anyone with an interest in model making or historic ships.

Fatherland is a bold, ambitious show about contemporary fatherhood in all its complexities and contradictions. Created by Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham, Karl Hyde from Underworld and playwright Simon Stephens (Punk Rock, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), this daring collage of words, music and movement confronts the complexities and contradictions of contemporary fatherhood.A vivid, urgent and deeply personal portrait of 21st-century England at the crossroads of past, present and future, the play is inspired by conversations with fathers and sons from the writers' home towns in the heart of the country. Tender and tough, honest and true, Fatherland is a vital and necessary show about what we were, who we are and what we’d like to become.The world premiere of Fatherland took place at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester on 5 July 2017 as part of Manchester International Festival. This is a revised version of the original text which coincides with performances in London at the Lyric Hammersmith as part of LIFT 2018.