This production is recommended for ages 12+.
Performance dates
7 - 11 October 2025
Run time: 2hrs 15mins
Includes interval
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Can words be the great escape?
Welcome to HMP Ditchfield, where every week a group of prisoners are challenged to write their own plays.
From boxing rings to the Brazilian rainforest, from painful pasts to wildly imaginative futures, these men discover that theatre is more than words on a page — it’s a lifeline, a way to reclaim their voices.
But when creativity clashes with control, tensions rise, secrets unravel, and laughter gives way to rebellion.
Witty, raw, and full of heart, Penned Up is a powerful celebration of storytelling, second chances, and the unexpected bonds that form behind bars.
Written by award-winning playwright Danusia Iwaszko, drawing on more than 15 years of experience teaching playwriting in prisons, Penned Up offers an unflinching look at life inside.
Think Porridge meets Brassed Off — a laugh riot and a gut-punch in equal measure.