Stephen Sondheim's HERE WE ARE Will Be Published Alongside European Premiere

Theatre publisher Nick Hern Books will posthumously publish Here We Are, the final work by legendary American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, on 22 May 2025 alongside the musical's European premiere at The National Theatre, London.

Inspired by the films of Luis Buñuel and written in collaboration with playwright David Ives, Here We Are is a surrealist satire of American high society, in which a group of friends attempt to enjoy a meal out together but encounter a series of increasingly strange events. First staged in New York in 2023, it is published for the first time alongside a run at The National Theatre featuring an all-star cast including Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock) and Rory Kinnear (Skyfall).

Sondheim is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential figures in twentieth-century musical theatre. Winner of multiple accolades - including eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Olivier Award, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama - he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. He died in November 2021 at the age of 91. Here We Are is his final work.

In addition to the complete book and lyrics, the published edition of Here We Are will also feature a substantial and revelatory essay by Ives on 'Writing with Sondheim'.

Copies of Here We Are can be pre-ordered now from https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/here-we-are, and will also be available to purchase at every performance at The National Theatre, as well as from other book retailers in person and online.

Matt Applewhite, Managing Director of Nick Hern Books, said, 'Nick Hern Books is proud to share the first publication of Stephen Sondheim's final work Here We Are with the world, and to honour the enduring legacy of one of theatre's all-time great voices. It's a fitting farewell from a writer who never stopped challenging the form - or us, his fortunate audience.'

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