Funders Feedback.
I just wanted to say that Penned Up is a wonderful piece of theatre, all the friends that have seen it say the same. Thought provoking, funny, inspiring, all in equal measure. The acting was superb and one felt empathy with all the characters, even Fin in the end. I like to think that maybe they all had a positive outcome, eventually. Ben coming back was an example of how hard it is for people not to reoffend. Please pass on congratulations to all involved, it is what theatre is all about. Best wishesCouncillor D HCouncillor for Tollgate (Funders)Portfolio Holder for Resources I just wanted to say thank you for the tickets last night. My colleague, Olena and myself had a great evening and really enjoyed the play. I hope the rest of the run is as successful and thank you again,
Kind regards,
Clare(Funders)
“Great to see the show last week in front of a packed and really attentive audience! I loved that the actors were very real in their portrayals – completely believable and I found it surprisingly uplifting. Surprising for a prison drama which is often very grim, but here the basic humanity of people really came through and the fact that these people were human beings not caricature villains or ‘bad people’ was great. A really enjoyable, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting night out!”
Best
J.L.
Relationship Manager. Arts Council England (Funders)
Local business supports touring arts performance to help ‘give people a voice’ UFAC-UK | Local/Web News | The HAL Company (Funder)
Newmarket-based international animal nutrition and feed manufacturer UFAC-UK attended the Suffolk opening night of a powerful new play it is sponsoring, throwing light on the challenges, second chances and unexpected bonds experienced by prisoners behind bars.
Penned Up, from award-winning playwright Danusia Iwaszko, started its tour, taking in venues across East Anglia as well as Oxfordshire, Lancashire and London, on September 10 at Bury St Edmunds’ Theatre Royal. The compelling play welcomes theatre-goers to the world of HMP Ditchfield, where a group of prisoners are tasked with writing and staging their own plays. What follows is a witty, raw and thought-provoking exploration of creativity, second chances and the power of storytelling. It shows how the men learn that theatre is more than words on a page, it is a way to reclaim their voices.
During the opening night, UFAC-UK’s managing director Robert Jones and commercial manager Richard Jones represented the business as sponsor, and were delighted to meet the cast and writer Danusia, along with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk Tim Passmore, on stage after the performance.
Danusia draws on more than 15 years' experience of teaching playwriting to prisoners to explore what life is actually like behind bars, using this as the inspiration behind Penned Up, a play that has been described as Porridge meets Brassed Off! It is produced by The Hal Company, a charitable organisation providing playwriting workshops to prisons, as well as to women’s refuges, for the homeless, people recovering from drug and alcohol, the elderly, for MIND, and with special needs groups.
Robert Jones comments, “While at UFAC-UK we have an international presence, our roots are very firmly based on supporting initiatives in the local communities we operate in, particularly here at our base in Suffolk. When we became aware of the work of The HAL Company, and Danusia’s workshops to groups of people eager to grasp new opportunities, we were delighted to get involved and offer our support. From our own agricultural-based industry, we know how farming can inspire prisoners to grasp the opportunity to have a second chance and build a new lifestyle, and the creative industry of theatre mirrors that.
Danusia has thrown light on how we can help inspire that change, whether through the creative arts, or simply understanding and offering an opportunity for rehabilitation. We know our industry can also play a key role in helping that rehabilitation, as can others, and this all starts with societal changes to help provide those opportunities that we can take for granted. This powerful play really opens up that conversation, and hopefully will reach a far wider audience as the tours continues throughout September and October.”
“I was just listening to Woman's Hour on R4 and really, really loved listening to Danusia talking about her play Penned Up and her work in prisons and wanted to reach out to tell you what an inspiring interview it was to listen to. I resonated with so many of the things she said - how opportunities like these give people hope and enable a chance for creative rehabilitation and embracing new paths - I found also that giving the guys the opportunity to help others to enjoy the workshops empowered them to take responsibility and pride in their work and enjoy working as a part of a team.”
I'm planning to see your play at the Arcola as I am London based, and wanted to say best of luck with the tour.
All the very best,
Emilie