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The Pen Theatre | New theatre venue in SE15 1TR

02/06/2026

📢 BENJI IS BACK 📢

BENJI WATERHOUSE

MADSPLAINING

10th & 24th June 7:30pm

16th & 29th July 7:30pm

NHS psychiatrist, award-winning comedian and best-selling author Dr Benji reveals the weird and wonderful history of mental illness, and his professions long, proud history of sometimes making things worse.

Think straitjackets, Sigmund Freud and performing lobotomies without an anaesthetic – and sometimes, even a medical degree.

And crucially, are we any better at treating madness in 2026?

‘Funny without turning patients into punchlines’ ★★★★★ (Telegraph)

‘Humane, hilarious and eye-opening’ (Guardian)

‘The Adam Kay of mental healthcare’ (Times)

23/05/2026

🥁The line-ups for Scratch Number 3…

⏳30 MINS EACH 🥑

Fri 29th: Sarah Woolfenden, Maria Ansdell, Jay Bennett
Sat 30th: Henry Whaley, Samira Banks, Haris Ackermann

Come to one or both nights! This month each artist presents 30 minutes - half a show! 🫨 The group are really starting to cook up some delicious material as they develop six unique pieces - imaginative, bold, and importantly true to them as an artist.

Come join and be part of this special process! After the show we will ask for your feedback to help shape their work 🙏 Thank you to everyone who came and contributed last time - your notes have been assimilated 🌋.

✨ THE PEN SIX ✨
Maria Ansdell · Sarah Woolfenden · Henry Whaley · Jay Bennett · Haris Ackermann · Samira Banks

Six artists spanning clown, drag, character comedy, musical comedy, stand-up and puppetry.

As the shows grow, so do the nights:
10 mins · 20 mins · 30 mins · 45 mins · and finally a full festival of six one-hour shows 🎪

🎟️ Single Night — £10 (£8 students)

📅 Dates remaining:
29 May · 30 May • 26 Jun · 27 Jun · 23 Jul · 24 Jul · 25 Jul

Ticket link in bio 👆

21/05/2026

It’s Scratch Number 3 🎶 !!!

This month each artist presents 30 whole minutes - half a show! 🫨 The group are really starting to cook up some delicious material as they develop six unique pieces - imaginative, bold, and importantly true to them as an artist.

The 6 x 30 mins are split over two consecutive nights:

Fri 29th: Sarah, Maria, Jay
Sat 30th: Henry, Samira, Haris

Come join and be part of this special process! After the show we will ask for your feedback to help shape their work 🙏 Thank you to everyone who came and contributed last time - your notes have been assimilated 🌋.

✨ THE SIX ✨
Maria Ansdell · Sarah Woolfenden · Henry Whaley · Jay Bennett · Haris Ackermann · Samira Banks

Six artists spanning clown, drag, character comedy, musical comedy, stand-up and puppetry.

As the shows grow, so do the nights:
10 mins · 20 mins · 30 mins · 45 mins · and finally a full festival of six one-hour shows 🎪

🎟️ Single Night — £10 (£8 students)

📅 Dates remaining:
29 May · 30 May • 26 Jun · 27 Jun · 23 Jul · 24 Jul · 25 Jul

Ticket link in bio 👆

19/05/2026

Join us for the launch of the very first edition of The Pen Zine — Issue 001 👾💄🧚‍♀️🧵👓!!!!!!

SAVE THE DATE:
⏰ 7.30pm on Thu 28th May
📍The Pen Theatre

Created by legendary comedic artist/artistic comedian .whyte Hannah Whyte, curated by Associate Director Tom Greaves and printed and bound by .zines Harry Gammer-Flitcroft, this zine is a comedic cornucopia, an archival mélange, a feast of fun made by some of the brilliant artists who’ve performed at The Pen since it began in 2022.

Free entry for all 🙌 Expect a big ol’ party featuring a cabaret of performances from artists and writers featured in the zine, including:

ji
angh

Can’t wait to launch with y’all 🚀 See u there!

30/04/2026

📣📣🔥🔥 AMELIA BAYLER IS BACK 🔥🔥📣📣

AMELIA BAYLER

IT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME

Wednesday, 22nd July 7:30pm

Amelia Bayler (Best Newcomer Scottish Comedy Awards, Finalist, Musical Comedy Awards) is bringing a work-in-progress to the Pen Theatre!

With her original bangers ‘she’s on a one-woman mission to make musical comedy cool again’ (Rolling Stone) and ‘blending rave and Brat aesthetics, there’s a Fringe hit here’ (One4Review.co.uk).

★ ★ ★ ★ - BROADWAY BABY

★ ★ ★ ★ - EDINBURGH REVIEWS

“She embodied the corrupting influence of a secondary music teacher gone mutant” - British Comedy Guide

“RISING STAR OF THE SCOTTISH CIRCUIT” - SKINNY

‘Infectiously catchy’ (Skinny).

Come and hear about a transformative year featuring a break-up and a spicy new job!

Expect new ear worms and lots of hilarity.

***** (TheWeeReview)

**** (BroadwayBaby)

As featured on BBC Short Stuff, Channel 4 and BBC Sounds.

29/04/2026

📣 NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

Dan Lees & Tom Penn

THE SONIC JOY ORCHESTRA

Friday, 15th May 7:30pm
Dan Lees and Tom Penn: The Sonic Joy Orchestra

Award-winning duo Dan Lees and Tom Penn present The Sonic Joy Orchestra, an explosive blend of clowning and musical joy.

These two clowns set out to summon music so divine it could make the heavens quake. Not for the faint hearted.

Winner Malcolm Hardee Award 2022

★★★★★ “We laugh and laugh and don’t stop.. an absolute riot.” Beyond the Joke

★★★★★ “Further evidence of contemporary clowning’s huge crossover potential’ Fest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “Dan Lees and Tom Penn could take over the world” - The Scotsman

25/04/2026

The Pen Six delivered their second Scratch last night and it was a joy to watch 👀

These 20-minute pieces made one thing clear… the work is growing, y’all! Not by chance, but through real commitment to the process - a small ecosystem of artists feeding each other’s ideas and pushing things further.

Huge thanks to the audience who stayed, engaged, and offered such generous feedback. That input is now part of the mix as these pieces evolve.

And a big shoutout to Alice Motta whose playful, embodied workshop this month helped unlock the ‘material’ 🧶🎈

Next up: 30-minute sets across two nights
📅 Fri 29th / Sat 30th May
🎟️ Tickets in bio

22/04/2026

🔥 IT IS THE END OF DANES! 🔥

📣 NEW SHOW BY 📣

DANE BAPTISTE

THE END OF DANES

21st & 22nd May, 7:30pm

Dane Baptiste returns to the stage in South East London, his old stomping grounds!

New material from a mature comic who has dealt with a number of adverse issues in his life as a father.

The old Dane is no longer with us, but a new, and hopefully emotionally improved Dane Baptiste replaces the young comedian!

Dane Baptiste has been a pioneer; the first black British award recipient in Edinburgh; the first to write a
sitcom on the BBC in 20 years, maybe one of the first black Britons to open for Bill Burr, among many other accolades.

But that’s the old Dane, now he’s back as a father, partner and chronic worrier about the state of the world! But he’s still funny, and bringing the jokes back to his native South East London, where all the best things in London are.

The apocalypse might be here, but Dane has the best medicine to help soothe our fears!

15/04/2026

The Pen Six are back for their second Scratch ✌️

This time each artist is presenting 20 minutes of material. They’re shaping up to be 6 unique, wildly different pieces. Comedic, imaginative, bold, hitting many a spot.

Come join and be part of the process! After the show your feedback will be genuinely welcome and help shape their work 🙏

✨ THE SIX ✨
Maria Ansdell · Sarah Woolfenden · Henry Whaley · Jay Bennett · Haris Ackermann · Samira Banks

Six artists spanning clown, drag, character comedy, musical comedy, stand-up and puppetry.

As the shows grow, so do the nights:
10 mins · 20 mins · 30 mins · 45 mins · and finally a full festival of six one-hour shows 🎪

🎟️ Single Night — £10 (£8 students)

📅 Dates:
26 Mar · 24 Apr · 29 May · 30 May
26 Jun · 27 Jun · 23 Jul · 24 Jul · 25 Jul

Tickets in bio 👆
https://shorturl.at/qPAz6

14/04/2026

The Pen Six are back for their second Scratch ✌️

This time each artist is presenting 20 minutes of material. They’re shaping up to be 6 unique, wildly different pieces. Comedic, imaginative, bold, hitting many spots.

Come join and be part of the process! After the show your feedback will be genuinely welcome and help shape their work 🙏

✨ THE SIX ✨
Maria Ansdell · Sarah Woolfenden · Henry Whaley · Jay Bennett · Haris Ackermann · Samira Banks

Six artists spanning clown, drag, character comedy, musical comedy, stand-up and puppetry.

As the shows grow, so do the nights:
10 mins · 20 mins · 30 mins · 45 mins · and finally a full festival of six one-hour shows 🎪

🎟️ Single Night — £10 (£8 students)

📅 Dates:
26 Mar · 24 Apr · 29 May · 30 May
26 Jun · 27 Jun · 23 Jul · 24 Jul · 25 Jul

Tickets in bio 👆
https://shorturl.at/qPAz6

Address

Unit 22 The Penarth Centre, Penarth Street
London
SE151TR

Telephone

+447814428479

Website

http://www.thepentheatre.com/

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