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Simon Stephens International Plays

A Dark, Dark, Dark, Dark Blue; Maria; Fortune; Three Ghosts
Brief Description
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... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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An anthology of 4 plays by Olivier and Tony Award-winning writer Simon Stephens covering work performed around the world since 2018, never before published or produced in the UK.

An anthology of 4 plays by Olivier and Tony Award-winning writer Simon Stephens covering work performed around the world since 2018, never before published or produced in the UK.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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 playsβ€”written and premiered in cities from Stuttgart to Tokyoβ€”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.

Series: Methuen Drama Play Collections

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350622159

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 July 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 232.0mm

Weight: 400g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Simon Stephens began his theatrical career in the literary department of the Royal Court Theatre, where he ran its Young Writers' Programme. His plays for theatre include Bluebird (Royal Court Theatre) Herons (Royal Court Theatre, 2001); Port (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 2002); One Minute (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 2003 and Bush Theatre, London, 2004); Christmas (Bush Theatre, 2004); Country Music (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 2004); On the Shore of the Wide World (Royal Exchange Theatre and National Theatre, London, 2005); Motortown (Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, 2006); Pornography (Tricycle Theatre, London, 2009); Harper Regan (National Theatre, 2008); Sea Wall (Bush Theatre, 2009); Heaven (Traverse Theatre, 2009); Punk Rock (Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2009); The Trial of Ubu (Essen Schauspielhaus/Toneelgroep Amsterdam, 2010); A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky (co-written with David Eldridge and Robert Holman; Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2010); Wastwater (Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, 2011); Morning (Lyric Hammersmith, 2012); an adaptation of A Doll's House (Young Vic, 2012); an adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, 2012); Blindsided (Royal Exchange, 2014); and Birdland (Royal Court, 2014). His radio plays include Five Letters Home to Elizabeth (BBC Radio 4, 2001) and Digging (BBC Radio 4, 2003). Awards include the Pearson Award for Best New Play, 2001, for Port; Olivier Award for Best New Play for On the Shore of the Wide World, 2005; and for Motortown German critics in Theater Heute's annual poll voted him Best Foreign Playwright, 2007. His adaptation of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play.

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    Everything human beings do finishes up bad in the end. Everything good human beings ever make is built on something monstrous. Nothing lasts. We certainly won't . . . William Carlisle has the world at his feet, but its weight on his shoulders. He is intelligent, articulate and f*ed. In the library of a grammar school, William and his fellow...
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