You didn't fancy it then?Fancy what?Getting in the taxi.No.Every story starts somewhere.It's the early hours of the morning and Danny's the last straggler at Laura's party. The flat's in a mess. And so are they. One more drink?David Eldridge (Market Boy, The Knot of the Heart, In Basildon) returns to the National Theatre with a sharp and astute two-hander that takes an intimate look at the first fragi...

All cats are alike in the dark.For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré is brought to life in a thrilling stage adaptation by award-winning playwright David Eldridge (Beginning, Middle & End).Alec Leamas is ready to come in from the cold but when Control, the Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, presents one final mission he agrees to stay in the game. However, Leamas has committed a cardinal error: he's falle...

“A wry, funny and touching meditation on loneliness, that private shame of the singleton in the era of the dating app and of fraudulent boasting on social media … written with a real depth of insight, humour, compassion and a keen sense of the ridiculous...” The IndependentIt's the early hours of the morning in the aftermath of Laura's housewarming party. Danny, 42, divorced and living with his mother, is the last remaining guest. The flat is in a mess and...

Why do people ever see things through?Why do they ever stay?It's so hard.Every relationship reaches a crossroad some time.As dawn breaks, Maggie is heating some milk and Gary wonders what she's doing out of bed. Maybe it's time for an honest conversation – but how much honesty can this marriage take?Following his five-star play Beginning, which played sold-out runs at the National Theatre and in the West End, writer ...

Gloriously raucous rites-of-passage drama set in Romford Market'You've got to talk to them son. Listen to them. Look for a way in. You're a handsome bloke - they'll love you. Give me a year and I'll teach you everything I know.'There's an art to selling stilettos and you'd better grasp it. Learn a good wind-up, learn the pull of cash, learn drugs, learn sex, and run wild with the market monkeys. Stay sharp in the ruthless world of Essex traders. Romford Mar...

All cats are alike in the dark.At the height of the Cold War, disillusioned British spy Alec Leamas is persuaded to stay out 'in the cold' for one last risky operation against the powerful leader of the East German Secret Service.But Leamas has committed a cardinal error: he's fallen in love. After a lifetime of deception and betrayal, can there be room for humanity in the ruthlessly manipulative world of international espionage?The first ever John le Carré...

Helge, the patriarch of a chain of restaurants, is celebrating his sixtieth birthday and everyone is coming home from the party including Helge's sons, Christian, Michael and his daughter Helene. Missing from the roster of invitees is Christian's twin sister, Linda, who recently committed suicide. The reason for her action and the repercussions from it, form the basis of the shocking and painful events that transpire during a twenty-four hour period. In the midst of dinner, Christian makes...

On a farm in the North East of England a family gathers. Five brothers and four generations feature in an epic play about hope, love, fear and the very end of time.A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky is a refreshingly subtle and compassionate vision of the world on the edge of apocalypse. Within a cosmological context, the focus is on a single family, their relations with each other and their unreconciled regrets, soon to become permanent. With an ensemble of strong, engag...

Every love story has a final chapterAlfie and Julie's love story has been one of music, laughter, and heartache. On one early morning in June, they must write their ending.Following the critically acclaimed Beginning and Middle, End is the final play in David Eldridge's trilogy exploring love and relationships.This edition was published to coincide with the National Theatre production in November 2025, directed by Rachel O...

"Eldridge combines a hugely sympathetic sensibility with rare dramatic power, and one leaves this exceptional play rejoicing in his talent and impatient for his next." TelegraphWritten and produced over a decade, this critically acclaimed trilogy of plays explores the loneliness that exists both in and out of relationships over time with poignancy and humour.First presented at the Royal National Theatre between 2017 and 2025 these sharp and astute ...

There is one in the Kingdom of England. Who goes by the name of Richard the Lionheart. My waking dreams tell me he will come upon us. He will come to these lands and make pilgrimage, conquest.Saladin's great army have corrected a great wrong by taking Jerusalem back for Islam, after the barbaric slaughter of their people one hundred years ago. But for Muslim and Christian alike Jerusalem is a holy city. Across England and Outremer, nobles answer the call to arms from Richa...

Incomplete and Random Acts of Kindness moves between dream story and real lives to tell an intricate, complex story of a young man dealing with the break up of his family and the legacy of race responsibility.Joey's an ordinary man but everywhere he looks people are slipping away. A notice at work catches his eye. He doesn't know where to go next - his Dad, the community or Marvin Gaye. In a world he can't connect with, is there someone out there who can connect with Joey?T...