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Penned Up
22 September 2025 @ 7.30pm
About Penned Up
Can words be the great escape?
Welcome to HMP Ditchfield, where each week, a group of prisoners are tasked with writing their own plays. From boxing rings to the Brazilian rainforest, from tragic pasts to wildly imaginative futures, these men learn that theatre is more than words on a page – it’s a way to reclaim their voices. But as creativity collides with authority, tensions rise, secrets unravel, and laughter turns 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, who uses her more than 15 years experience of teaching playwriting to prisoners to explore what life is actually like behind bars.
Think Porridge meets Brassed Off – both a laugh riot and a gut punch.
Supported by Arts Council England, Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Community Foundation, Synergy Theatre Project, The Drapers’ Company, Menagerie, St Giles.
Tickets
Please see important booking information below.
Booking information
Ticket prices:
Standard – £21.00
Concessions – £17.00
All prices include any booking fees
Dates & times:
Monday 22 September 2025 at 7.30pm
Age guidance:
16+
Location:
The Theatre
About The Theatre Chipping Norton
The Theatre Chipping Norton, sometimes called The Theatre, Chipping Norton or Chipping Norton Theatre, is a theatre, an arthouse cinema, a gallery and a concert hall in Chipping Norton.
The theatre has has 217 seats, including stalls and a balcony. It is a resource for the community, and it is also a professional venue, welcoming over 55,000 customer visits every year.
It is something unique, but it is also different things to different people. It is the cause and subject of many arguments and debates; and a fair amount of acclaim and affection. It is complicated and a little eccentric.
It is not a little theatre. It likes to make a big noise.
Discover more about The Theatre Chipping Norton, including travel, access and venue information.
