David Farr

An exhilarating, awe-inspiring debut from a master storyteller writing for children for the first time, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Katherine Rundell and Eva Ibbotson.


Rachel and Robert live a grey, dreary life under the rule of cruel Charles Malstain. But when their librarian father enlists their help to steal a forbidden book, they are plunged into adventure. With their father captured, it is up to Rachel and Robert to uncover the secrets of the Book of Stolen Dreams and track down its mysteriously missing final page in order to save him.


What they are not expecting is to discover a family of ghosts, a door to the dead and that the Book grants the power of immortality. But they will do anything to stop it falling into Malstain's hands - for if it does, he could rule for ever.


Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure and discover a truly unforgettable journey of wonder, courage and magic...

The Book of Stolen Dreams

Siblings Rachel, twelve, and Robert, fourteen, are passed a stolen book by their librarian father and must track down the missing final page while protecting the book from falling into the hands of the cruel ruler of Krasnia, President Charles Malstain.

The biography of one of the most prominent soldiers in the New Model Army, John Lambert (1619-1684) who made Cromwell Lord Protector but prevented him from becoming king.

John Lambert, Parliamentary Soldier and Cromwellian Major-general, 1619-1684

On the eve of the Golden Jubilee celebrations a papier-mâché statue of Queen Elizabeth II stands in Margaret Chivers' living-room in preparation for the Jubilee parade. Two factions converge on the house with the aim of vandalizing the statue - three girls who want to escape the embarrassment of dancing in the parade, and three lads wishing to make an anti-monarchist statement. Politics, friendship, Oliver Cromwell and Britney Spears feature in this ingenious comedy.3 women, 4 men

A Comedy

The Queen Must Die

Filter Theatre

Silence is a work which combines narrative impetus with astounding, original ideas and theatrical presentation, a devised collaboration between the celebrated theatre company Filter and RSC Associate Director David Farr.

Silence

The notorious Robin Hood and his band of outlaws steal from the rich, creating a fearsome reputation amongst those who dare to travel through the mighty forest of Sherwood. But they do not share their spoils with the poor and are unloved by the people, who must also pay unfair taxes to the evil Prince John as he plots to steal his brother's crown. In this time of chaos and fear, it is down to Marion to boldly protect the poor and convince Robin that he must listen to his heart if they are to save the country. The Heart of Robin Hood, David Farr's spirited new version of the great English legend, was premiered by the RSC at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2011.

The Heart of Robin Hood

The Londoner John Blackwell (1624-1701), shaped by his parents’ Puritanism and merchant interests of his iconoclast father, became one of Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army captains. Working with his father in Parliament’s financial administration both supported the regicide and benefitted financially from the subsequent sales of land from those defeated in the civil wars. Surviving the Restoration, Blackwell pursued interests in Ireland and banking schemes in London and Massachusetts, before being governor of Pennsylvania. Blackwell worked with his son, Lambert Blackwell, who established himself as a merchant, financier and representative of the state in Italy during the wars of William III before being embroiled in the South Sea Bubble. The linked histories of the three Blackwells reinforce the importance of kinship and the development of the early modern state centred in an increasingly global London and illustrate the ownership of the memory of the civil wars, facilitated by their kin links to Cromwell and John Lambert, architect of Cromwell’s Protectorate, by those who fought against Charles I. Suitable for specialists in the area and students taking courses on early modern English, European and American history as well as those with a more general interest in the period.

Kinship, Commerce and Communities through the experience of John Blackwell

Brokerage and Networks in London’s Global World

Retaining well-loved features from the previous editions, Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy has been approved by AQA and matched to the 2015 specifications. This textbook covers AS and A Level content together and covers in breadth issues of change, continuity, and cause and consequence in in this period of British history through key themes such as how far did the monarchy change during Stuart Britain, why were there disputes over religion, how effective was opposition, and how important were ideologies and individuals. Its aim is to enable you to understand and make connections between the six key thematic questions covered in the specification. Students can further develop vital skills such as historical interpretations and source analyses via specially selected sources and extracts. Practice questions and study tips provide additional support to help familiarize students with the new exam style questions, and help them achieve their best in the exam.

Oxford AQA History: A Level and AS Component 1: Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy 1603-1702

An important and well researched study of an influential Parliamentarian figure.

Henry Ireton and the English Revolution

This book is approved by AQA and covers in breadth issues of change, continuity, and cause and consequence in this period of British history through key themes such as how far did the monarchy change during Stuart Britain, why were there disputes over religion, how effective was opposition, and how important were ideologies and individuals.

Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603-1702

Oxford AQA History

We are a small community. The happiness of our children is everything. Our hopes and dreams rest in these tiny souls. In a small town in northern Denmark, the children celebrate Harvest Festival. In the forest by the water the men of the lodge stand naked in the cold. This is their country. This is their song. In the shadows, a lonely child gives a strange man her heart. The hunt begins. Based on Thomas Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm's Danish film thriller Jagten, David Farr's The Hunt opened at the Almeida, London, in June 2019.

The Hunt

Thomas Harrison is today perhaps best remembered for the manner of his death. As a leading member of the republican regime and signatory to Charles I’s death warrant, he was hanged, drawn and quartered by the Restoration government in 1660; a spectacle witnessed by Samuel Pepys who recorded him ’looking as cheerful as any man could do in that condition’. Beginning with this grisly event, this book employs a thematic, rather than chronological approach, to illustrate the role of millenarianism and providence in the English Revolution, religion within the new model army, literature, image and reputation, and Harrison’s relationship with key individuals like Ireton and Cromwell as well as groups, most notably the Fifth Monarchists. Divided in three parts, the study starts with an analysis of Harrison’s last year of life, the nature of his response to the political collapse of the Interregnum regimes, and his apparent acceptance of the Restoration without overt resistance. Part two considers Harrison’s years of ’power’, analysing his political activities and influence in the New Model, especially with regard to the regicide. The final part ties Harrison’s political retreat to his initial emergence from obscurity; arguing that Harrison’s relative political quietism during the later 1650s was a reflection of the development of his millenarianism. Unlike the only two previous full length studies of Harrison the present work makes use of a full range of manuscript, primary and secondary sources, including the huge range of new material that has fundamentally changed how the early modern period is now understood. Fully footnoted and referenced, this study provides the first modern academic study of Harrison, and through him illuminates the key themes of this contested period.

Millenarianism, Fifth Monarchism and the English Revolution 1616-1660

Major-General Thomas Harrison

Written by some of today's best writers with teenagers in mind, the 'Collins National Theatre Plays' are packed with inspiring issues to challenge pupils' creativity. Each play is supported by staging suggestions and classroom activities written by professional theatre directors from the National Theatre."

David Farr

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