For Students
Discover our tailor-made resources for students, inside and outside the classroom.
Whether you are studying a play in class, in need of an audition monologue or are curious to learn something new, you are in the right place.
In this specialist section for students, you can learn about playwrights in interviews, listen to extracts of plays, explore plays in our production database, and find monologues.
Curious about a career in theatre? Find volunteering opportunities, placements and more from the National Theatre (located on the South Bank) and the National Theatre Archive (located next to the Old Vic Theatre on the Cut) – these links open in new tabs.
Want to know even more? Why not head over to That Black Theatre Podcast to learn more from PhD student Nadine Deller, who interviews everyone from playwright Roy Williams, to Black Theatre scholar Lynette Goddard.
Explore interviews
Want to know more about a practitioner? Listen to them in interviews made specifically for the Black Plays Archive.
Explore monologue resources
Need an audition monologue? Check out this variety of classic and contemporary pieces by Black writers.
Spotlight On: Roy Williams
Roy Williams began writing plays in 1990 and is now arguably one of the country’s leading dramatists.
His plays for the National Theatre include the Death of England Trilogy, Slow Time (NT Connections), Baby Girl (NT Connection), and Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads. Williams’ other plays have been produced by Hampstead Theatre, Royal and Derngate Theatres, Hackney Empire, Pilot Theatre, Theatre Centre, Royal Court Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tricycle Theatre, Eclispe Theatre, Polka Theare, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Red Ladder Theatre Company.
In 2000 he was the joint-winner of The George Devine Award and in 2001 he was awarded the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright. He was awarded the OBE for Services to Drama in the 2008 Birthday Honours List and was made a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature in 2018. In 2025, Williams was one of eight writers awarded a Windham-Campbell Prize.
Explore the many plays of Roy Williams on the Black Plays Archive.
Listen to our Podcast
Explore That Black Theatre Podcast, hosted by PhD student Nadine Deller focusing on all things Black Theatre and its history in the UK.
Play extracts
Explore audio recordings of plays like Leave Taking, Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads and more.
Essays and articles
Explore relevant academic essays and articles covering the works of playwrights and theatre-makers from within the Black Plays Archive.
Browse the archive
Search our catalogue of first productions, from 1930 to today from all over the diaspora.
Contact us
Have a question about the BPA or information to improve our records? Get in touch with us here.
Privacy policy
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National Theatre Archive
Dive into an exciting world of theatre history inside the National Theatre Archive. This link opens in a new tab.