# Is "Top Girls" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill (Methuen, 1982) is identified by: Methuen, London, 1982. UK Methuen 1982 is the true first; US printings and the Samuel French acting edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Methuen, London, 1982
- The first edition is the softcover playscript in wrappers, copyright page stating 'First published in 1982 by Methuen London' with no later-printing line; a simultaneous hardcover in boards was also issued and is the scarcer state
- Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1982
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Methuen |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Methuen, London, 1982 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Methuen, London, 1982. The first edition is the softcover playscript in wrappers, copyright page stating 'First published in 1982 by Methuen London' with no later-printing line; a simultaneous hardcover in boards was also issued and is the scarcer state. Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1982.

## Is this the true first?
UK Methuen 1982 is the true first; US printings and the Samuel French acting edition followed. The hardcover-in-boards state is scarcer than the standard wrappers issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1991 Methuen Drama Student Edition (added commentary by Naismith and Worrall) and later 'Churchill Plays' collected volumes are not the first edition. Watch for reprints carrying added printing lines or revised covers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Top Girls* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/top-girls
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.