The Crown Jewels (NHB Modern Plays)

It's 1671, and the charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing - in plain sight - the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. With an audacious plan and a gang of misfits by his side, can he possibly pull it off? And is King Charles II in any mood to have his crown jewels handled? Based on the scarcely believable true story, Simon Nye's play The Crown Jewels is a riotous and uproarious royal affair. It opened at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End in 2023 before touring, and was directed by Sean Foley with a star-studded cast including Al Murray, Mel Giedroyc, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Aidan McArdle, Neil Morrissey, Joe Thomas and Tanvi Virmani. It will appeal to any amateur theatre company - monarchists and republicans alike - who want to get their hands on a royally funny caper to perform.

Simon Nye is the BAFTA-winning creator of hit television series The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly. His play The Crown Jewels was premiered in the West End in 2023.