What Currency Press Pty Ltd does

Currency Press Pty Ltd is Australia's foremost publisher of the performing arts and its oldest active independent publisher, operating from its headquarters at Suite 310, 46-56 Kippax Street, Surry Hills, NSW. The company publishes and distributes play scripts, screenplays, professional handbooks, children's theatre titles, and performing arts general titles under its own imprint, alongside partner brands Nick Hern Books (UK) and the Currency House Books imprint. Its catalog spans over 1,400 plays, adaptations, screenplays, and theatre resources covering Australian and international titles, with exclusive performance rights administration for production licensing.

The business model is unit-pricing on physical books and digital formats (ePub, Mobi), with no subscription or licensing-as-a-service component. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer via the currency.com.au e-commerce storefront, support of local independent booksellers through the Australian Booksellers Association, dedicated Educational Book Suppliers for schools, a dedicated trade portal for booksellers, and UK/Europe distribution through Gazelle Books Services Ltd under territorial restrictions that limit certain titles to Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Africa. International partner Nick Hern Books supplies UK-origin play titles that Currency Press distributes in its core geographies.

The customer base spans four primary use-case segments: theatre industry professionals (primary), educational institutions, children's and youth theatre groups, and community and amateur theatre. The company complements book sales with supporting digital resources including the Not in Print Podcast, Cue the Chorus, Introductions, Verbatim Theatre interviews, and Syllabus Text Lists for educators, and it organizes the Australian Playwrights' Festival as a brand and community engagement initiative. Marketing channels center on the company website, Constant Contact email newsletter, and online content resources.

Name

Currency Press Pty Ltd

Legal name

Currency Press Pty Ltd

Website

https://currency.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Australia's oldest active independent publisher of performing arts books, scripts, screenplays, and educational resources, serving theatre professionals, educators, and community theatre groups across Australia, New Zealand, UK/Europe, and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Performing arts publishing
• Theatrical scripts
• Play publication
• Professional acting books
• Educational theatre resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Currency Press generates revenue through the sale of performing arts books, scripts, plays, screenplays, and professional handbooks. This includes both physical printed books and eBook formats (ePub, Mobi). Products are sold as one-time purchases with no subscription model mentioned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Currency Press publishes and sells performing arts books including plays, scripts, screenplays, professional handbooks for actors and directors, and arts policy papers. The company operates as Australia's foremost independent performing arts publisher, offering both print and eBook formats through direct online sales, trade distribution, and partnerships with international publishers such as Nick Hern Books.

Product overview

Currency Press is Australia's oldest active independent publisher and foremost publisher of the performing arts, operating as both a direct publisher of Australian and international theatre content and as a distributor for its UK partner Nick Hern Books. The product portfolio centers on published plays and scripts (spanning full-length plays, one-act works, children's theatre, young adult, and play collections), professional handbooks for actors, directors, and writers, performing arts general titles including screen classics and criticism, and Platform Papers on arts policy. Digital offerings include the Not in Print Podcast, online educational resources, and a trade portal for booksellers. Distribution extends through major ebook platforms including eBooks.com, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks, and Overdrive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nick Hern Books: UK partner brand for books distribution
• Currency House Books

Products and services

• Scripts and Plays Catalog of full-length plays, one-act plays, children's theatre, young adult plays, play collections, and screenplays available in print and eBook formats for theatrical production, performance, and study. Targeted at theatre professionals, educators, and community theatre groups.
• Professional Handbooks Catalog of professional development books for actors, directors, writers, and theatre practitioners covering acting and audition, directing and theatremaking, voice and performance skills, dance and movement, activities and games, and Shakespeare study.
• Platform Papers Series of policy papers and essays on arts and cultural topics published by Currency House Books under the Currency Press umbrella, including titles on Australian identity and arts policy.
• Performing Arts General Titles Catalog of Australian Screen Classics, biographies, theatre history and criticism, music resources, and general educational performing arts materials.
• What's On Stage Catalog section covering current theatre productions and contemporary stage works.
• Not in Print Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews and discussions on verbatim theatre and performing arts topics.
• Trade Portal Online ordering portal for booksellers and trade customers to purchase Currency Press and Nick Hern Books titles accounts.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nick Hern BookscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK partner publishing house that publishes international play titles alongside Currency Press. Nick Hern Books is a specialist UK publisher of drama and theatre, with titles distributed through Currency Press's Australian operations.
• Australian Booksellers AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurrency Press supports local independent booksellers by directing customers to find local booksellers through the ABA's find-a-bookshop tool.
• Currency HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrency House is a not-for-profit organization (since 2001) that promotes the interests of practitioners and researchers in the arts and humanities. Currency Press publishes Currency House's Platform Papers series, including titles like 'From The Heart: The Voice, the Arts and Australian Identity'.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Australian Booksellers Association: Industry association supporting independent Australian bookshops, through which Currency Press sells its titles. Ecosystem participant rather than a publishing competitor.
• Currency House: Australian not-for-profit arts organization whose Platform Papers series is published by Currency Press. Closely tied commercially through a publishing partnership rather than directly competitive.

Direct peers

• Dramatists Play Service: US-based publisher and licensor of plays for performance, education, and study. Directly comparable as a specialist performing arts script publisher serving professional and educational theatre markets.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): US non-profit theatrical publishing organization producing new American plays and resources. Comparable as a performing arts publisher serving professional theatre and educational markets.
• Nick Hern Books: UK-based specialist publisher of plays and theatre scripts — directly comparable in product focus (performing arts publishing) and an active commercial partner of Currency Press for international title distribution.
• Concord Theatricals (formerly Samuel French): Major US-based theatrical publisher and licensing house for plays and scripts. Comparable as a direct competitor in performing arts publishing and performance rights administration, operating at larger scale.

Regional players

• Playwrights Canada Press: Canada's leading publisher of Canadian plays and theatrical works. Directly comparable in product (play scripts, theatre studies) but operates in a different national market with its own performing arts ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Penguin Random House Australia: Australia's largest general trade publisher with a broad catalog including some Australian drama and theatrical works. Comparable as a domestic trade book publisher but operates across all genres rather than specializing in performing arts.
• Faber & Faber: UK/international trade publisher with a notable drama and play catalog including works by major playwrights. Overlaps with Currency Press in publishing plays, but as a much broader literary publisher.
• Bloomsbury Methuen Drama: Major UK/international publisher with a dedicated Methuen Drama imprint publishing plays and theatre studies. Comparable through its drama catalog but operates as part of a much larger general trade publishing portfolio.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/currency-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Currency Press Pty Ltd