# Is "Mad Forest" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mad Forest by Caryl Churchill (Nick Hern Books, 1990) is identified by: Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 1990, in the NHB Modern Plays series, ISBN 1-85459-044-8 (9781854590442), subtitled 'A Play from Romania.' A trade play text with printed price to the rear cover; the first printing carries the original 1990 Nick Hern Books imprint and no later-impression statement. UK Nick Hern Books first, issued for the play's premiere directed by Mark Wing-Davey with students of the Central School of Speech and Drama in June 1990; the production travelled to the National Theatre in Bucharest in September 1990 and opened at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in October 1990.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued)
- Nick Hern Books, London, 1990, in the NHB Modern Plays series, ISBN 1-85459-044-8
- , subtitled 'A Play from Romania.' A trade play text with printed price to the rear cover; the first printing carries the original 1990 Nick Hern Books imprint and no later-impression statement
- Publisher imprint reads Nick Hern Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Nick Hern Books |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 1990, in the NHB Modern Plays series, ISBN 1-85459-044-8 (9781854590442), subtitled 'A Play from Romania.' A trade play text with printed price to the rear cover; the first printing carries the original 1990 Nick Hern Books imprint and no later-impression statement.

## Is this the true first?
UK Nick Hern Books first, issued for the play's premiere directed by Mark Wing-Davey with students of the Central School of Speech and Drama in June 1990; the production travelled to the National Theatre in Bucharest in September 1990 and opened at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in October 1990. Later US and Currency Press (Australia) editions, and the later Samuel French acting edition (ISBN 9780573693328), follow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; NHB play texts are trade softcovers only. Distinguish the Nick Hern first from the later Samuel French acting edition, which carries a different ISBN.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mad Forest* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mad-forest
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.