Regan Hall's directorial feature debut is a fast-paced sports drama set in London. Sparks fly when Shania (Lenora Crichlow), a sprinter from the city's back streets, comes head to head with Lisa (Lily James), an equally ambitious young runner from a wealthy middle class background. Their fierce rivalry soon reaches breaking point as both girls strive to make it to the top. Bradley James, Rupert Graves and Noel Clarke co-star.

No matter how hard we try, we just can’t get out. It’s like we are not allowed to. Some give up and say, “alright then, if you won’t give, I will bloody well take.” And you know what Shona, I don’t blame them. Shona and her class are studying the Charles Dicken classic, Oliver Twist. She’s the new girl in school and is finding it hard to stay out of trouble – much like Oliver himself! When she’s given a new phone by a stranger, she begins to suspect there’s something unusual about the new boys she’s met. Unexpected Twist is a re-telling of Oliver Twist by one of the best-loved figures in the children’s book world, Michael Rosen. This thrilling story was brought to vivid life by The Children’s Theatre Partnership, and Royal & Derngate, Northampton, whose co-productions have included Holes and The Jungle Book. Directed by James Dacre (2020 Olivier Award nominated Our Lady of Kibeho), Rosen’s novel was adapted for the stage by BAFTA award-winning playwright Roy Williams (Death of England, Sucker Punch) with original music by rising R&B star Yaya Bey and BAC Beatbox Academy’s Conrad Murray. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere and UK tour, in April 2023.

He wanted you to be a better man. He wanted to be a better man himself. He was lied to. Just like you are being lied to. A family in mourning. A man in crisis After the death of his dad, Michael is powerless and angry. In a state of heartbreak, he confronts the difficult truths about his father's legacy and the country that shaped him. At the funeral, unannounced and unprepared, Michael decides it is time to speak. Death of England is a powerful new monologue play by Roy Williams and Clint Dyer that explores family feelings and a country on the brink. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at the National Theatre, London, in 2020.

When Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone's unruly brother, Antigone's anger quickly turns to defiance. Creon condemns her to a torturous death: she's to be buried alive. Acclaimed playwright Roy Williams takes Sophocles' play and, by placing it into a contemporary setting, brings this classic tale vividly to life. A timeless story about loyalty and truth, about how we make meaning out of life and death, and what in the end really does matter. Roy Williams's adaptation of Antigone received its world premiere at Derby Theatre, in a co-production between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre and Theatre Royal, Stratford East, before going on a national tour. This new, edited edition is published for the first time in Methuen Drama's Plays for Young People series, aimed at 16-18 year olds.

A fierce and excoriating portrait of British racism, Roy William's Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads premiered in 2002 at the National Theatre. Set in a south-west London pub during the 2000 England vs. Germany match, tempers are running high. As England lose again, their supporters in The King George lose it too - at full time, patriotism has become unapologetic racism. This Methuen Drama Student Edition of the play includes commentary and notes by Gemma Edwards, University of Manchester, UK, which explore the production history of the play as well as the historical, social and cultural contexts that surround it, such as the rise of Nationalism and far-right groups in the UK. Also featuring an interview with Roy Williams about the play and its relevance 20 years on, this edition is a must-have resource for any student exploring Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads.

Why should we believe in God?

It is a question that is profoundly engaging the minds of the world. Former lawyer, Roy Williams, contends that belief should be based on logical deductions from known facts: it is not a matter of blind faith. Using many examples drawn from science, politics, history, sociology and the arts, he tackles all the biggest questions by appealing to evidence and to reason. A recurring theme of the book is the vital place of doubt and uncertainty in God's creation. Rebutting the arguments of atheists such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, Williams explores the role of faith, which he considers a much-misunderstood concept.

Me jumping out of the van, was the beginning of a very bad day for me. I just didn't know it, but I was going to know it, in about four minutes, I was going to know, fer trut. 2020. Delroy is arrested on his way to the hospital. Filled with anger and grief, he recalls the moments and relationships that gave him hope before his life was irrevocably changed. Written in response to their play Death of England, Death of England: Delroy is a new standalone work by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams, which follows a Black working-class man searching for truth and confronting his relationship with White Britain. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere of Death of England: Delroy, at the National Theatre in 2020. The production was the first play to reopen the theatre following the Coronavirus pandemic.

Where's the glory Mum? Where's that perfect world for us, your kids? Children of the Windrush generation, sisters Dawn and Marcia Adams grew up in 1980s London and were activists on the front line against the multiple injustices of that time. Decades on, they find they have little in common beyond family... Dawn struggles to care for their dying mother, whilst her one surviving son is drifting away from her. Meanwhile, high-flying lawyer Marcia's affair with a married politician might be about to explode and destroy her career. Can the Adams sisters navigate the turmoil that lies ahead, leave the past behind, and seize the future with the bond between them still intact? This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere, directed by Paulette Randall at London's Hampstead Theatre, and is, by turns, an electrifying, hilarious, gripping tale set in modern Britain.

Celebrating 50 years of Theatre Centre Edited and Introduced by Rosamunde Hutt Foreword by Pam St. Clement Listen To Your Parents by Benjamin Zephaniah | Precious by Angela Turvey | Look At Me by Anna Reynolds | Gorgeous by Anna Furse | Glow by Manjinder Virk | Souls by Roy Williams A challenging and culturally diverse collection of new plays by some of the UK's foremost writers. dealing with topics such as domestic violence, eating disorders, mother/daughter relationships and sibling rivalry, written by some of Britain's foremost writers. Beautifully written and tested in performance, these plays which deal with topics such as domestic violence, eating disorders, mother/daughter relationships and sibling rivalry, will become essential texts for theatres, schools, colleges and youth centres.

Set amongst the vibrant, intense cacophony of North West London, NW Trilogy is a collection of three vivid stories, told over one performance, that remember and celebrate people who changed the course of history. The personal is political in these soulful explorations of what it means to be part of one of the most dynamic communities in the world. First, we reel to a dance hall in 'County Kilburn' in Moira Buffini's Dance Floor where the Guinness flows, the music never stops and for homesick Aoife, there's far more at stake than a dance. In Roy Williams' bittersweet Life of Riley, Paulette is on a journey to connect with her estranged father Riley, a reggae musician once part of the influential Trojan Records scene, who can't seem to let go of the past. And, Suhayla El-Bushra's Waking/Walking introduces us to Anjali, a wife, mother and newly arrived migrant following Idi Amin's expulsion of the Asian minority from Uganda, who is torn between not making a fuss and seizing her moment to take a stand as the Grunwick dispute unfolds. NW Trilogy is powerful, funny and epic and shows us how we can change the world from our doorstep. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere as NW Trilogy at Kiln Theatre, London, in August 2021.

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 Gupta London. 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 Stephens London. 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 Williams London. 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.

In his fifth collection of Plays, the work ranges from a spirited, raging drama that investigates police corruption in Jamaica through to two thrilling monologue plays written either side of the Covid-19 pandemic, first presented at London's National Theatre. The political and the personal are drawn together effectively throughout, offering a rich selection of work that showcase Williams's unique talent. Roy Williams has been described as 'one of Britain's most important playwrights' (WhatsOnStage). His career to date has seen him win the Alfred Fagon Award, the George Devine Award, the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, a BAFTA Award and nominations for the Olivier Award for Best Play. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2008 and was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018. Advice for the Young at Heart (2013) "A robust and poignant piece of theatre." - A Younger Theatre Kingston 14 (2014) "Should be lauded in staging a culture not exactly over-represented in British theatre ... convincingly suggests such tensions underpin both the island's chaotic political situation, and the wariness between the Jamaican police and the visiting Brit." - Independent The Firm (2018) "Williams reveals himself once more as one of the most compelling chroniclers of the complexities of masculinity in a rapidly changing world." - Arts Desk Death of England (2020) "The most exhilarating and hair-raising drama...This is truly a play for today." - The Guardian Death of England: Delroy (2021) " A blistering solo show sure to survive England's second lockdown" - Variety

Written in response to Much Ado About Nothing and performed by Dominic Cooke's Pericles and The Winter's Tale Company, Roy Williams' Days of Significance is set in market-town England and the deserts of Iraq. Two young soldiers join their friends to binge drink the night before they leave for active service. Their complex love lives and mortal fears directly impact on their tour of duty. Roy Williams looks at how the naive and malformed moral codes of these young men have catastrophic reverberations for the West's moral authority.

Double feature starring Basil Rathbone as detective Sherlock Holmes. In 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' (1939), Professor Moriarity (George Zucco) has come up with a scheme for stealing the crown jewels from the Tower of London. To get Holmes involved, he persuades a flute player to murder a girl. In 'Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon' (1943), Holmes travels to Switzerland to rescue the inventor of a bomb-sight which the allies want to keep from the Nazis. Back in London, however, it turns out that the inventor is not all that he seemed...

Right, you know the rules, watch the low blows, if it's a knock-down no messing about, go straight to your corner, and don't come out till called for, are we clear? Touch gloves, let's go. In the red corner: Leon Davidson - Black British champ or Uncle Tom? In the blue corner: Troy Augustus - American powerhouse or naive cash cow? Having spent their youth in the same London boxing gym, vying for the favouritism of inspirational, foul-mouthed trainer Charlie Maggs, the two former friends step into the ring and face up to who they are. Boxing has dominated their lives with an unhoped-for structure and meaning, but it becomes clear that it is no substitute for their health, family, and friends. Roy Williams' Sucker Punch looks back on what it was like to be young and black in the 1980s and asks if the right battles have been fought, let alone won. With an introduction by Harry Derbyshire, Lecturer in English and Drama at the University of Greenwich.

I can't get out of bed without groaning or feel summin inside of me is creaking... We're too old for this shit. In a pub in South London 'The Firm' reunite for the first time in twelve years. Back in their misspent youth they were a notorious criminal gang; these days they're older, wiser, and their lives have changed beyond recognition. But when an uninvited guest turns up to the party with an intriguing proposition and an explosive secret it's clear they might be tempted to try their hands at one last job. Will they escape their past unscathed? Roy Williams' gripping new play is a tale of growing up, lifelong loyalties and how sometimes, it is possible to choose your own family. Published to coincide with the premiere at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs in Autumn 2017.