The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books brings you one great play to read and discuss each month, followed by a Q&A with the writer.
In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to Jessica Swale about her funny and eye-opening play Blue Stockings. We discuss how she approached researching the history behind the story, what it feels like to have your play studied at GCSE, how Jessica's background as a director has influenced her writing, and more.
Blue Stockings had its professional premiere at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in 2013, directed by John Dove. An earlier version of the play was performed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London, in 2012, directed by Jessica herself.
See more about The NHB Playgroup and find out how to get involved here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup

Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis
Producer: Jon Barton
Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books brings you one great play to read and discuss each month, followed by a Q&A with the writer.

In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to John O'Donovan about his haunting and funny drama Flights. We discuss how real-life events formed part of the play's development, just how many litres of liquid the actors had to consume every night, and how John's writing may change now he's returned from London to his homeland of Ireland.

Flights premiered in 2020 at glór in Ennis before transferring to Dublin and London, directed by Thomas Martin.
CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this episode features discussion of the content of the play, which includes suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

See more about The NHB Playgroup and find out how to get involved here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup

Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis
Producer: Jon Barton
Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books brings you one great play to read and discuss each month, followed by a Q&A with the writer.
In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to Janice Okoh about her outrageous and thought-provoking play The Gift. We also discuss how winning the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2011 boosted Janice's career, what to do with ideas that don't quite become fully written plays, using other people's work as a benchmark for your own, and more.
The Gift premiered at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry in January 2020, followed by a UK tour, including a run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in London. It was a co-production between Eclipse Theatre Company and the Belgrade Theatre, and directed by Dawn Walton.
See more about The NHB Playgroup here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup
Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis
Producer: Jon Barton
Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books is BACK - now with one fantastic play to read and discuss each month, followed by a Q&A with the writer.

In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to Jez Butterworth about his fascinating and enigmatic play The River. We also explore Jez's massively successful career as a playwright and screenwriter - including why his debut play winning an Olivier Award was actually 'disastrous', how it feels to write a James Bond film, what makes an idea worth pursuing, and more.

The River premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2012, directed by Ian Rickson. It was later produced at the Circle in the Square Theatre, New York.

See more about The NHB Playgroup here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup

Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis
Producer: Jon Barton
Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite

The NHB Playgroup from Nick Hern Books brings you one free play to read and discuss each week, followed by a Q&A with the writer.

In this episode of The NHB Playgroup Q&A Podcast, we spoke to Jemma Kennedy about her wry and inventive play Second Person Narrative.

Second Person Narrative was released in 2015 as part of Platform, a partnership between Nick Hern Books and Tonic Theatre. It was originally workshopped with the National Youth Theatre and the National Theatre's Young People's Programme. We're joined for this episode by Lucy Kerbel, NHB author and director of Tonic.

See more about The NHB Playgroup here: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/playgroup

Host: Siân Mayhall-Purvis
Producer: Jon Barton
Executive Producer: Matt Applewhite