Penned Up, UK Tour Review
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Penned Up is a new play by Danusia Iwaszko. It draws on her 15 years’ personal experience of teaching playwriting in prisons. It is a strong idea, showing how creativity, storytelling and the power of theatre can have a positive impact on rehabilitation. As the characters develop their stories, we see how the writing process helps them to voice their thoughts and feelings.
There are plenty of laughs in Iwaszko’s script – banter between the men, some workshop exercises that produce some good physical comedy, stilted delivery of the fledgeling scripts and recurring jokes about writing from an unlikely wit (How many writers does it take to change a lightbulb? NONE, I’M NOT CHANGING ANYTHING!).
Despite its strong premise, the play feels a little naïve and underdeveloped. Themes like sexuality, parental abuse, racial stereotypes and rehabilitation/reoffending were touched upon but felt a little glossed over. We only get a hint of the crimes that have led to the six prisoners’ incarceration, they are more representative of certain types than clearly defined characters with developed back stories. The focus is very much on the writing workshops and, when we do get a slight insight into the men’s backgrounds, it usually comes out of these workshops rather than in additional scenes away from the classroom setting. An exception is a touching scene between Muslim Mo (Shelley Mcdonald) and tutor Dorota that gave us a rare bit of real depth to his character. But generally, while we do see something of the influences and experiences that have led them to prison, I did not feel as if I was getting to know these men in anything other than in a rather superficial way.
A lot of emphasis was placed on Dorota’s teaching techniques, rather overshadowing the stories and personalities of the prisoners . The focus was very much on her checklist of “rules” for writing instead of the life lessons taken from the various stages of the writing process. With the exception of Scouser Ed’s boxing themed play and East End geezer Franky’s unintentional comedy heist, the prisoners’ stories did not offer much insight into the men behind the pen.
Although played with convincing cynicism by Chris Clarkson, a sub-plot involving prison guard Mike and his own writing aspirations felt like an unnecessary distraction. The play’s conclusion felt rather self-indulgent with the men all waxing lyrical with praise for Dorota’s brilliance, when some frank discussion between them as to what they had got out of the exercise would have been a more satisfying and thought-provoking ending.
The performances were a little stilted at times with a few fluffed lines and others lost to gabbled speech and poor diction. I watched Penned Up at Greenwich Theatre which is quite a large space needing stronger and clearer projection. The stand-out performances came from Liam Watson as Ed and from Heydn McCabe as Franky. Their characters were the most convincing and engaging and they were very watchable, even when reacting in the background. It’s perhaps unsurprising then that Ed and Franky’s plays were the strongest. As the outsider, tutor Dorota, played by Rebecca Peyton, convinced as the group leader and driver of the action. But her tone did come across as a bit condescending at times, and I questioned the directorial choice of her letting her frustrations show in an environment in which this would definitely not be advisable.
There is a lot going on in Penned Up. With so many characters, we don’t fully get to know any of them, yet the play does still feel like it could do with having 10-15 minutes cut from its running time. While the comedy elements are entertaining, the play misses the opportunity to fully explore the more dramatic aspects of the situation. There are definite highlights both in the writing and performances, although the play needs a lot more development if it is to really succeed.
Penned Up is touring until October 2025, with dates scheduled mainly around London and the South East. Find out more about tour dates and how to buy tickets here.
★★