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A life of fascination, obsession and deep scientific curiosity.William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck is an eccentric Nottinghamshire aristocrat whose imagination and curiosity know no bounds. This deceptively simple man struggles to come to terms with a world that is teeming with new knowledge, ill-founded opinion and gossip.Why does he hide himself away? What is his fascination with tunnels? Will he ever unearth the secrets hidden in his memory?In a sequence of events that are often curious and frequently hilarious, he reveals moments of surprising perception and wisdom. The Underground Man is a delectable blend of fact and fiction in which the intriguing details of a complex life are richly explored through the vibrant imagination of a gentle soul.

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Foreword by Rosamunde HuttWith introductions to the plays by Tony Graham, Gail McIntyre and Vicky IrelandA collection of three fantastic plays for young people by a master of the genre.The PlaysEye Of The Storm: A contemporary version of Shakespeares The Tempest, with the opportunity for disguises, magic and music. (For 12 years+)Red Red Shoes: Winner of Arts Council Award for Best Childrens Play 2003. Uses the context of Eastern Europe to explore war, ethnic boundaries and the struggle for life and death through the contemporary reworking of an old myth. (For 9 years+)Playing From The Heart: Nominated for TMA Best Childrens Play Award. A gritty piece exploring the struggle of young Evelyn Glennie to become a percussionist despite her profound deafness. Movement, music and text combined in performance. (For 6-12-year-olds)

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May the legends of old be lessons to the people of our time, so that a man may see those things which befell others beside himself, and wonder. When Sheherazad is brought to the palace to be the Sultan's new bride, her very life depends upon her skill as a storyteller. She tells him tales of lost cities and buried treasure, of slave girls and robbers, of genies in bottles and evil sorcerors. But will it be enough to save her? The stories of the Arabian Nights originate from Persia, India and Arabia, and date back more than a thousand years. Neil Duffield has combined elements of many of them, keeping alive the excitement and humour to produce a show which transports the audience into a world of myth and legend where fantasy and reality can never be separated.

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From Cancer Survivor to Naked Yoga Teacher

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Enjoy the benefits and freedom that practising Naked Yoga can bring and discover your true self  with no barriers, limitations or social constraints. With this Naked Yoga guide, you really can learn to love your body and heal your mind.Includes photographs and easy instructions for practising Naked Yoga either at home or in a group.Naked Yoga expert Doria Gani recounts her own transformational journey to help you challenge your hang ups, combat shame and develop new body positive attitudes.In this inspirational story, discover how Doria overcame critical illness, learned to deal with unexpected consequences for her life as a woman, and set out on a new path to reconnect with her soul through yoga and naturism.

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Why have women such as Alice Guy-Blache, the creator of narrative cinema, been written out of film history? Why have so many women working behind the scenes in film been rendered invisible and silent for so long?Silent Women: Pioneers of Cinema explores the incredible contribution of women at the dawn of cinema when, surprisingly, more women were employed across the board in the film industry than they are now. It also looks at how women helped to shape the content, style of acting and development of the movie business in their roles as actors, writers, editors, cinematographers, directors and producers. In addition, we describe how women engaged with and influenced the development of cinema in their roles as audience, critics, fans, reviewers, journalists and the arbiters of morality in films. And finally, we ask when the current discrimination and male domination of the industry will give way to allow more women access to the top jobs.In addition to its historical focus on women working in film during the silent film era, the term silent also refers to the silencing and eradication of the enormous contribution that women have made to the development of the motion picture industry. Contents and ContributorsForeword by Bryony Dixon, Curator of Silent Film, BFI National ArchiveIntroduction by Melody Bridges and Cheryl Robson1. Girl from Gods Country: The History of Women in Film and Other War Stories by Karen Day2. Early African-American Female FIlmmakers by Aimee Dixon Anthony3. The Silent Producer: Women Filmmakers Who Creatively Controlled the Silent Era of Cinema by Pieter Aquilia4. Women Were Writing: Beyond Melodrama and Hot House Romances by Patricia Di Risio5. Doing it all: Womens On- and Off-screen Contributions to European Silent Film by Julie K. Allen6. Female Legends of the Silver Screen by Melody Bridges7. Directors from the Dawn of Hollywood by Francesca Stephens8. Interview with director Dorothy Arzner by Kevin Brownlow9. Women film editors from silent to sound by Tania Field10. Who was the first female cinematographer in the world? by Ellen Cheshire11. When the women shoots: Ladies Behind the Silent Horror Film Camera by K. Charlie Oughton12. Critics, Reformers and Educators: Film Culture as a Feminine Sphere by Shelley Stamp13. U.S. Women Directors: The Road Ahead by Maria Giese

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Shelley Stamp, Karen Day, Aimee Dixon Anthony, Kevin Brownlow, Bryony Dixon, Melody Bridges, Cheryl Robson, Melody Bridges

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To coincide with a tour of the play in 2018-19 * Play about Ada Lovelace, the first computer and AI today * Suitable for schools, colleges and youth groups. * Offers good roles for girls/women to perform relating to STEM subjects

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Part of our new series of accessible introductory guides to significant contemporary filmmakers, this guide is a must for film fans and students of contemporary cinema alike. An introductory chapter highlights thematic and visual devices, followed by an exploration of British director Steve McQueens work, from his short films and video art through his critically acclaimed feature films, including his masterpiece, the Academy Award-winning 12 Years A Slave, to his BBC TV series Small Axe and the new war film, Blitz.Londoner Steve McQueen shot to fame in 1999 when he won the prestigious Turner Prize for innovative art. In 2020, the Tate Gallery in London held an exhibition of over a dozen works spanning film, photography and sculpture, including his homage to the African American actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson. Ranging across the visual arts, to advertising, documentary and drama, McQueen often tackles hard-hitting topics such as discrimination and injustice in powerful, cinematic ways.Includes interviews with historian, David Olusoga and director of film programming at the Lincoln Center, Dennis Lim.

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Jen Francis, Cheryl Robson, David Olusoga, Dennis Lim

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Celebrating the centenary of the birth of the trailblazing African American author, Encounters with James Baldwin is a wide-ranging volume of short essays, reflections, interviews and poetry. This moving collection demonstrates the significant legacy of the writer and activist who spoke truth to power during the era of the fight for Black civil liberties in the US, and after.In this literary anthology, over 30 contributors reveal the influence of Baldwin's thought, speech and writing to their personal journeys and their awareness of the need for social justice.Introduction by Stella DadzieThree Memories of Baldwin by Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakrBlackspace by Victor AdebowaleTalking about Baldwin with Victor AdebowaleThe World is White No Longer by Toyin AgbetuUncle Jimmy's Calling by Rosanna AmakaThe Spirit of James Baldwin by Michelle Yaa AsantewaMea Culpa by Eugen BaconMeeting Jimmy Baldwin in Paris by Lindsay BarrettGenius as Moral Courage by Gabriella Beckles-RaymondA Picture is Worth a Thousand Phone Calls by Alan BellNever Make Peace with Mediocrity by Selina BrownSearching for the Centennial Man by Michael CampbellIn a Photograph with James Baldwin by Fred D'AguiarFires in Our Time by Thomas GlaveCan I get an Amen, Somebody? by Sonia GrantWhat Kind of World is This? by Zita HolbourneThe Inspirational Blues by Paterson JosephLetter to My Daughter by Peter KaluJames Baldwin Weeps with the Weight of Tiredness by Roy McFarlaneWhat's Love Got to Do with It? by Ronnie McGrathRevisiting James Baldwin by Michael McMillanSix Degrees of James Baldwin by Tony MedinaOf James Baldwin and Futures Not Seen by Bill V. MullenThe Fire is Now by Nducu wa NgugiIf Sonny's Blues were a Song... by Lola OhFahrenheit 1492 by Ewaure X. OsayandePassing by Nii Ayikwei ParkesThe Amen Corner by Anton PhillipsA Higher Calling by Ray ShellFor Jimmy by SuAndiWherefore, Nuncle? by Tade ThompsonLetter to My Brother by Patrick VernonJames Baldwin and Black British Civil Rights by Tony Warner

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Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr, Fred D'Aguiar, Peterson Joseph, Zita Holbourne, Tade Thompson, Lindsay Barrett, Kadja George Sesay, Stella Dadzie

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A satire on the export trade in live organs from the Third World to the West.Om is driven by poverty to sell his body parts for cash. Guards arrive to make his home into a germ-free zone. Jeetu, his brother returns unexpectedly and is taken away as the donor. Om can't accept this, so he follows his brother. Jaya, his wife is left alone.Will she too be seduced into selling her body for use by the rich westerners?Winner of the Onassis International Play Competition. Broadcast on the BBC World Service and now a feature film.

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I ought to be grateful to Richmond & Hogarth, and indeed, whether its my invincible optimism or not, I am grateful. ? Virginia WoolfAlthough more commonly associated with Bloomsbury, Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf lived in Richmond-upon-Thames for ten years from the time of the First World War (1914-1924). Refuting the common misconception that she disliked the town, this book explores her daily habits as well as her intimate thoughts while living at the pretty house she came to love  Hogarth House. Drawing on information from her many letters and diaries, the editor reveals how Richmonds relaxed way of life came to influence the writer, from her experimentation as a novelist to her work with her husband and the Hogarth Press, from her relationships with her servants to her many famous visitors.

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Virginia Woolf, Leonard Woolf, Peter Fullagar, Paula Maggio, Cheryl Robson

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A thought-provoking quest to find a singular voice

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Dual lingual texts in English and also in French: The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world. Back then, Ery Nzaramba was only a teenager and his familys escape to Europe turned him into a survivor. How should he now respond to questions about who he is and where he comes from?In this autobiographical one-man play, performed to acclaim on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the author journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he brings to life nearly a dozen characters, exploring memories of kinship, cultural attitudes and personal identity. Both funny and poignant, the play highlights not only the intolerance that can breed violence and war but also the importance of power and privilege in the struggle for survival.

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Lyn Gardners Pick of the Week The Guardian What happens when you want a different life to the one chosen for you? A story of desire, duty, deceit and revenge.An innovative re-telling of an ancient Welsh myth  Blodeuwedd from The Mabinogi  where nothing is quite as it seems. Rose cannot remember what came before the house at the edge of the isolated forest. Gwynne says he magicked her out of the flowers, but shes not so sure. She has played the part of the perfect farmers wife for Lewis, who is kept firmly in place by his uncle Gwynne, and accepted her lonely existence. Then a stranger is seen in the forest. What lengths will she go to, to escape the life chosen for her?Using a cross-art form approach, this beautiful piece of storytelling features live music, dance, video, theatricalised sign and surtitles.

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Following the success of Classic Fairytales: retold for the stage which has seen productions of the plays performed internationally, the volume features another three sparkling adaptations of best-loved tales for family audiences. Includes the plays: The Golden Goose; The Tinderbox and Sinbad the Untold Tale

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Swansea Boy is a coming-of-age play of deep humanity, gentle humour, and unwavering compassion. In 1980s Swansea, a young man discovers his sexuality and finds the courage to tell his parents that he is gay. While finding his way as an artist in London, he reconnects with a young man who becomes the love of his life, only to face heartbreak and loss when he discovers his partner has contracted AIDS.

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In ancient China, the young emperor Wu is kept a virtual prisoner in his palace by his scheming guardian, Li Si. For Wu, the world outside the Forbidden City is a dangerous place. But when he hears Xiao, a young peasant girl, talk of the most beautiful sound on earth  the song of the nightingale  its too much to resist.The two embark on an adventure that will take them across mountaintops and waterfalls, past chattering monkeys and fire-belching dragons to the far reaches of his kingdom.But Wu has an ulterior motive that could threaten the peace of the kingdom.

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Hans Christian Andersen, Neil Duffield, Neil Duffield, Hans Christian Anderson

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Reversing the usual refugee story cliches, Homing Birds shares the hopes, fears and aspirations of a young man searching for a place in which he feels he truly belongs.Young Afghan refugee Saeed desperately wants to reconnect with his roots and find his long-lost sister. So he leaves his adoptive family in London and returns home to Kabul to work as a doctor, eager to contribute to rebuilding a new Afghanistan.But as past and present collide, Saeed must face up to the reality of his changed world. This captivating and evocative play asks if a place can ever be home without a connection to family and roots?

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Liverpool, 1863: Newly arrived in England, wealthy liberals enlist Trinity, an escaped slave girl, in their campaign to abolish slavery and support Abraham Lincolns Union.Jubal, a high-ranking Confederate officer, has arrived to find supporters and raise funds for the opposing side. When Trinity discovers a high-stakes conspiracy to win the war for the South, she must risk everything to stop it  including her new-found freedom.But who will believe a runaway slave? And who can she really trust?

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Charles Dickens' timeless story is brought to life in this vibrant new version by the award-winning playwright Neil Duffield. Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Well, it is for everyone except the miserable Scrooge. He prefers to spend Christmas all alone in his large house, instead of celebrating with mistletoe and merriment. Bah, humbug! But one cold, dark Christmas Eve Scrooge is surprised by the ghost of Marley, his former business partner. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be called upon by three spirits - each will take him on a mysterious and magical journey to show him the error of his ways... Can Scrooge discover the true wonder and meaning of Christmas before it's too late?

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Charles Dickens, Neil Duffield, Neil Duffield, Charles Dickens

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Original by Charles Dickens Adapted for the stage by Charles Way Dominated by Gradgrind and Bounderby, Coketown's prosperity is built on the cotton mills where thousands of men and women slave away for long hours and little pay. Gradgrind's obsession with material progress damages his children Louisa and Tom, leading to scandal and disaster. Hard Times celebrates the importance of the human heart in an age obsessed with materialism. Circus, music, and dark comedy all go into the rich mix of this truly Dickensian theatrical tale.

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Charles Dickens, Chris Honer, Charles Way, Charles Way, Charles Dickens

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A collection of the best suffrage plays, introduced and set in an historical context by Dr Susan Croft together with an expert chronology of suffrage drama.The astonishing women involved in the Actresses Franchise League set up their own theatre companies and engaged with the battle for the vote by writing and performing campaigning plays all over the country. They launched themselves onto the political stage with their satirical plays, sketches and monologues whilst at the same time challenging the staid conventions of the Edwardian Theatre of the day. The legacy of their inspiring work to change both theatre and society has survived in the political theatre, agitprop and verbatim theatre we know today. The Plays included are:Votes for Women by Elizabeth RobinsA Change of Tenant by Helen Margaret NightingaleAt the Gates by Alice ChapinHow the Vote was Won by Cicely Hamilton and Chris St. JohnThe Apple by Inez BensusanIn the Workhouse by Margaret Wynne NevinsonJims Leg by L.S. Phibbs

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Alice Chapin, Elizabeth Robins, Helen Margaret Nightingale, Cicely Hamilton, Chris St John, Susan Croft, Susan Croft