Penned Up at New Wolsey Theatre

Photo: Luke Witcomb

Review by Catherine Larner.

It’s the education wing of HMP Ditchfield. Slouched over tables, rocking on plastic chairs and fiddling with their Bic pens and A4 notebooks are six prisoners who have agreed to take part in a writing class.

They’re fidgety, confrontational and lacking concentration, and have signed up solely to get away from their cells, but their teacher is experienced and determined. She wants them to tell their stories, to express their hopes and dreams through drama, and she has eight questions she wants them to consider to craft their own play.

She begins by asking them to ponder ‘who am I?’ and ‘where am I?’.

In the audience, we found ourselves asking the same questions.

Is this a piece of theatre or have we all stumbled into a creative writing class by mistake?

The eight questions are each written on coloured paper sheets like a Mondrian composition, fixed to the chequerboard of metal poles forming the writing room. They act as an ever-present backdrop to the play, directing the storytelling and urging the prisoners to reclaim their voices.

In addressing each question, Dorotta, the teacher, devises exercises enabling the prisoners to create effective dialogue, action and stage direction, as well as discover the authorial voice.

It’s fascinating and engaging and, though it rather overwhelms as a device, I found it inventive and entertaining. It takes a little while to get to know the men as individuals though, and their backstories ultimately feel a little sketchy and superficial. Their personalities aren’t as important here as the process, it seems – storytelling is our hero.

As the men read scenes from their plays to the class, we are introduced to the career criminal, the accidental killer, the drug dealer, and how they’ve experienced issues of racism, sexuality, parental abuse, literacy, reoffending.

There’s a lot going on but it’s tackled lightly and sensitively.

The characters are affectionately presented. All the men are spirited and engaging in different ways and the banter, the puns and joke-telling keep the mood light and pacey.

‘Penned Up’ is described in the blurb as a cross between ‘Porridge’ and ‘Brassed Off’ and, though these seem dated comparisons, they do highlight that this is a play of joy and laughter, while still gently reminding us of the causes and effects of crime.

It was written by Danusia Iwaszko who has spent the last 15 years teaching playwrighting to marginalised groups, including prisoners, and there was certainly a sense of authenticity to the production.

‘Penned Up’ is full of humour and hope and I very much enjoyed it.

I left feeling entertained, challenged, inspired and uplifted, and also wondering whether I might write my own drama by answering eight questions…

Penned Up is at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich until 19 September.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE

Also showing at The Quay Theatre, Sudbury on 20 September 2025. Click HERE for details.