The water's here, just like us, but soon it'll be flowing past fresh flowers and new grass, and all the way out to the sea. Based on a short story by the brilliant but often overlooked Russian writer Andrey Platonov (1899-1951), Bliss is the tragi-comic tale of a young couple trying to build a life against the odds in the aftermath of the Russian civil war. As ex-soldier Nikita struggles to overcome what we now might recognise as PTSD, the play opens up into a colourful and strangely heart-warming kaleidoscope of stories, song, laughter and magic, as the survivors of years of devastating war and political revolution all strive to comprehend how society can recover from catastrophe, how real love has both passionate and practical faces, and how the future is only built by those who manage to survive their past. This boisterous play is published in Methuen Drama's Lost Plays series, celebrating new plays that had productions postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the global shutdown of theatre spaces.

It's good to see you're alive. Good to know not all the ghosts in the streets are enemies... 1921. Russia. Winter. When Nikita returns home from the brutal civil war, he attempts to start a new life with his drunken father Mikhail and his new wife Lyuba, the feisty young girl he remembers from his school days. When Nikita fails to consummate his marriage - all the while aware that he is being haunted by a mysterious figure - escape is the only solution he can find. He finally emerges in a new town further along the Potudan River, only to be accused of an ambiguous crime against the Soviet State... Based on a short story by the Russian writer Andrey Platonov (1899-1951), Bliss is a kaleidoscope of hopes, dreams and realities, as the survivors of years of devastating war and political revolution search for their 'bliss' in post-war Soviet Russia. They quickly learn that a society needs time to recover from catastrophe, and that the future is only built by those who manage to accept their past. This edition of Bliss was published alongside the world premiere at the Finborough Theatre, London in May 2022.

In the battle between heaven and earth which ensues, the innocent quickly fall and David's challenge to God assumes cataclysmic proportions. "King David, Man of Blood" re-spins a classic biblical tale to devastating moral effect, fetching up on a very modern shore, where horror, tragedy, comedy and a terrible beauty co-exist.

This is a provocative new play about Mikhail Kalashnikov - the Russian inventor of the AK47 assault rifle, and a decorated Soviet hero. Set in Kalashnikov's dacha amidst the dark woods and waters of a fairy tale Russian landscape, a young journalist, Volkov, comes to interview the elderly Kalashnikov about his time on the front line and his subsequent invention of the AK-47 assault rifle. With the help of his daughter and grand-daughter, Kalashnikov initially welcomes Volkov into his home but as the questions harden and ambiguities appear in Kalashnikov's recollections, some painful and extremely uncomfortable truths begin to emerge... Touring in Autumn 2011, tour dates include: Oxford Playhouse: 6th-8th October 2011 Ben Travers Theatre, Charterhouse: October 11th 2011 Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud: October 13th & 14th 2011 Theatre 503, London: October 17th - 29th 2011 Colchester's Mercury Theatre Studio: November 10th -12th 2011

A couple desperate for a baby. A boy who has seen too much. Watching over them all are the saviours; policing us into being human, protecting us from a world which is riven with fear. They call themselves the Lifesavers.The Lifesavers premiered at Theatre503 and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester in January 2009.

When pirate-turned-explorer Martin Frobisher discovers a new land in the Arctic filled with riches, the Queen glimpses a golden future of wealth, prestige and influence. Charmed by tales of the exotic singing 'Esquimaux' who live there, Elizabeth invests heavily to bring 'Civilisation to the natives', and their assets home to England. "Frobisher's Gold" blends history, comedy and politics in a tale of imperial desire, improbable coincidences and bad dentistry. This tale of ice, gold, love, betrayal and the perils of bad teeth, stars Janet Suzman in a production by Menagerie Theatre and opens at the Junction Theatre, Cambridge in October 2006.

Gifts of War: 'We're closer to the gods, we have finer feeling, that's why they give us victory.' Ancient tales and modern dilemmas, in this beguiling account of the aftermath of the Battle of Troy.The Retreating World: ' I remember, I remember.everything we say these days begins with I remember..' An ex-Iraqi soldier pauses to share his humour, passion and wisdom on conflict - and pigeons

Fraser Grace's other plays include "Perpetua", "Gifts of War", "Butterfly Fingers", and "Who Killed Mr Drum?". A psychiatrist waits in State House, Harare, for his first encounter with a most unusual patient. Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, is in crisis, and Andrew Peric must discover the root of his anxiety. But can Mugabe be treated like any other patient? "Breakfast with Mugabe" explores the conflict between African and European values and between despotism and liberalism in modern Zimbabwe.

Are some lives worth more than others? The town of Pensacola, Florida, is about to be set alight by the fiercest of battles: a struggle that pits the law of God against the law of the land, and the right to life against the right to choose. On one side of the city stands the May Lake abortion clinic, on the other the headquarters of the pro-life extremists Operation Freedom. As clinics are torched upstate and the number of terminations rises, the two sides are set to collide with potentially murderous consequences. A gripping play that looks at the irreconcilable differences that simmer beneath the surface of a liberal society.

Full of inspiration and practical advice, Playwriting: A Writers' & Artists' Companion is a comprehensive companion to writing for the stage. PART 1 includes reflections on the art and the craft of playwriting, guidance on writing for a full range of genres and spaces and a brief history of playwriting itself. PART 2 contains inspiring advice and reflections from leading playwrights:April De Angelis, Bryony Lavery, David Greig, Christina Reid, Dennis Kelly, Frank McGuinness, Lynn Nottage, Howard Brenton, Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Polly Stenham, Tom Stoppard, Jack Thorne, Steve Waters, E.V. Crowe, David Henry Hwang, Lin Coghlan, Zinnie Harris and Anne Washburn. PART 3 offers practical exercises and advice on planning and conducting research, working out plots and characters, mastering authentic but accessible dialogue, navigating the industry and the rehearsal and production process.

Fall of the Kingdom, Rise of the Foot Soldier by Somalia Seaton - a racially-motivated attack on a student forces her teacher to confront the uncomfortable truth lurking beneath the community. Fraser Grace's Always Orange, set in the aftermath of the London terrorist attacks, looking at how to be human in a world always on the edge. The Making Mischief Festival features work from some of today's most exciting playwrights who are challenging and questioning our society. The Festival runs from 27 July to 27 August from The Other Place Studio Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.