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Discworld Stage Adaptations
Guards! Guards!: The Play
Adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, in this book the city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60 foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen. Defending the city is the underpaid and undervalued City Night Watch.
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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5418 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Briggs
119 books90 followersStephen Briggs is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy Discworld. He is also a narrator of many Discworld audiobooks
who graduated from Curtin University with a double major in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing before attending WAPPA and studying Broadcasting. Midway through his time there he decided he didn't want to be a journo and moved to Sydney to join RMK Voice Productions. Stephen has voiced countless campaigns and appeared in numerous professional plays. He has written and directed six short films, one of which, Whatever it Takes, satirises the Voice Over business.
Please note that there is a separate Stephen^^Briggs whose area of expertise is psychotherapy.
who graduated from Curtin University with a double major in Theatre Arts and Creative Writing before attending WAPPA and studying Broadcasting. Midway through his time there he decided he didn't want to be a journo and moved to Sydney to join RMK Voice Productions. Stephen has voiced countless campaigns and appeared in numerous professional plays. He has written and directed six short films, one of which, Whatever it Takes, satirises the Voice Over business.
Please note that there is a separate Stephen^^Briggs whose area of expertise is psychotherapy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 21, 2012
I've read virtually all of Terry Pratchett's books but Guards! Guards!, Men At Arms and The Fifth Elephant [all related to each other] remain firm favourites. Sam Vimes is your typical grumpy copper, Nobby Nobbs and Sergeant Colon always raise a laugh - and who can forget Carrot and his 'protectives'?
Pratchett's imagination is quite incredible. Don't know how he does it but wish I did.
Pratchett's imagination is quite incredible. Don't know how he does it but wish I did.
September 21, 2011
I don't read science fiction or fantasy. Some might say that Pratchett is a fantasy writer. I say that he is a humorous satirist. This is the book that started my love of his writing, with at least a giggle on nearly every page, and "the sentence" that made me want to read anything he writes... ever... for as long as he can, in the face of his early onset Alzheimer's. And this is True Satire, not mere parody, but human foibles on parade, entertaining screeds, and one book with a marvelous meditation on morality.
August 15, 2012
What can I say except that the Night Watch is one of his best creations in the Discworld realm. Vimes is a hoot (a drunken one), Nobby makes you a) want to check your wallet to see if it's still there and b) itchy, that scene with Colon and the arrow with the one in a million chance says it all about the man, and then there's Carrot. I don't think I've ever seen a more appropriate name to fit a character.
January 11, 2011
I am a major Discworld fan. The Ankh Morpork City Watch series is one of my favorite series, being a retired cop. Great characters.
August 14, 2023
Not typically the kind of book I would read. My son recommended it to me. Terry Pratchett is one of his favorite authors.
This one is one of many of Pratchett's books about a fictional world called Discworld. I am sure that I will read more of them. It was very funny and entertaining! What an imagination!
This one is one of many of Pratchett's books about a fictional world called Discworld. I am sure that I will read more of them. It was very funny and entertaining! What an imagination!
November 18, 2018
The characterisation was brilliant and the humour as ever perfectly on point.
The dramatisation of this was so well cast and it really brought the book alive.
I can see why Guards, Guards is many Pratchett fans favourite.
The dramatisation of this was so well cast and it really brought the book alive.
I can see why Guards, Guards is many Pratchett fans favourite.
March 26, 2017
40 of so books, different collections, some audio, it's pratchett, read and heard some as well, all. Dates wrong.
October 5, 2018
Hilarious! Love the metaphors.
August 31, 2019
Estuvo bueno mas que nada en la 2/3 para adelante cuando el ddragon se combierte en rey e intentan quitarle la corona. Y los personajes eran bastantes carismaticos.
January 1, 2022
I somehow feel a bit bad giving this ** as it's a well adapted play its just that the original Pratchett story itself is so meh and bearly even witty.
March 20, 2022
I loved my daily life in Ankh Morpork. Not that I loved the corruption and crime but I related to this in real life and I
August 15, 2023
Five stars
The actor playing Nobby nobbs is really good. heheeh
The actor playing Nobby nobbs is really good. heheeh
February 3, 2025
So much fun as always.
July 16, 2025
For these books I fell in love with fantasy.
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October 13, 2025people really do save the world from fire breathing dragons everyday and still feel like they’re pushing it when asking for bare minimum living improvements
November 22, 2025
vfunny, if you can understand ironic humour
February 25, 2012
Review originally published on my blog here, in March 1998.
This is the seventh of Pratchett's incredibly popular Discworld novels. It is quite remarkable how the standards of the series have been kept up; in my opinion, the first novel, The Colour of Magic, is the weakest. This is in contrast to the usual deterioration of science fiction and fantasy series as the series lengthens, especially for series like the Discworld which are more groups of linked works set in a common world rather than a planned sequence.
The plot is a simple one concerning an attempt to sieze power in the city of Ankh-Morpork by summoning a dragon to terrorise the population, then arranging for a hero to kill it and be crowned king, with the plotter as power behind the throne. The plan is foiled by the generally despised city guard, described as being not so much 'rank and file' as merely 'rank'. The plot is not particularly important, acting as a springboard to Pratchett's imagination.
As usual, the book is full of great jokes and references to popular culture (I like the guards' motto: fabricati diem, punc). Altogether, a fun, worthwhile read. This is probably not news to anyone; I read recently that Terry Pratchett makes up over 50% of the science fiction and fantasy sales of a leading UK retail chain, WH Smith.
This is the seventh of Pratchett's incredibly popular Discworld novels. It is quite remarkable how the standards of the series have been kept up; in my opinion, the first novel, The Colour of Magic, is the weakest. This is in contrast to the usual deterioration of science fiction and fantasy series as the series lengthens, especially for series like the Discworld which are more groups of linked works set in a common world rather than a planned sequence.
The plot is a simple one concerning an attempt to sieze power in the city of Ankh-Morpork by summoning a dragon to terrorise the population, then arranging for a hero to kill it and be crowned king, with the plotter as power behind the throne. The plan is foiled by the generally despised city guard, described as being not so much 'rank and file' as merely 'rank'. The plot is not particularly important, acting as a springboard to Pratchett's imagination.
As usual, the book is full of great jokes and references to popular culture (I like the guards' motto: fabricati diem, punc). Altogether, a fun, worthwhile read. This is probably not news to anyone; I read recently that Terry Pratchett makes up over 50% of the science fiction and fantasy sales of a leading UK retail chain, WH Smith.
January 5, 2016
In true Terry Pratchett form, this play adaptation was silly and playful and had me laughing and rolling my eyes. A quick easy read, but one that has me desperate to see it actually played out on a stage. Well done!
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February 16, 2016Excellent
I saw this in Brighton in 1999 and don't remember being that impressed with it. However this script is much funnier than I remember (there seems to be much more of TP's humour left) and I enjoyed reading it. Briggs' notes were very interesting as well.
I saw this in Brighton in 1999 and don't remember being that impressed with it. However this script is much funnier than I remember (there seems to be much more of TP's humour left) and I enjoyed reading it. Briggs' notes were very interesting as well.
November 17, 2010
Love Discworld!!
March 1, 2011
The first one I had read in the Discworld series, don't really remember it anymore, I remember it made me lolz muchly.
April 18, 2012
Brilliant - I love Constable Angua, she's fab! Constable Carrot is such a well written character I could almost invite him round for tea.
April 28, 2012
loved
May 9, 2012
Loved it, like all his books. Fascinatingly hilarious!
June 19, 2012
Pratchett turns out another in his matrix series. I love his mix of fantasy, social commentary, and political satire!
June 28, 2012
My first book of Discworld cicle.One of my favorite book.
July 25, 2012
Great read.
July 31, 2012
This book is the first i red in diskworld, so i felt in love with Pratchett!!!
Excuse me for my english:)) it's my foreign language:)
Excuse me for my english:)) it's my foreign language:)
August 2, 2012
My favourite discworld series
August 17, 2012
A great book by a fab author!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews