Does writing – and in particular playwriting – have the power to transform lives for the better? That’s certainly the case made by Danusia Iwaszko. And she should know: Penned Up, her new work, which played a one-night engagement at Greenwich Theatre before touring, draws on her extensive experience in prisons including Whitemoor, Highpoint and Belmarsh, where since 2008 she has run playwriting workshops with inmates.
The show opens in a prison classroom, simply evoked with scaffolding poles and notice boards in Madeline Roberts’ effective set. On the noticeboards are pinned the questions the budding playwrights must answer: Who am I? What do I want? Where am I? What time is it? What are my obstacles? How do I overcome them?
There’s Finlay (Gier Madland), the world-weary Scot who softens through his writing. Mo (Shelly McDonald), the closeted Muslim in love with another prisoner, finds the courage to admit who he really is. Ed (Liam Watson), the energetic Liverpudlian, learns that violence isn’t the only path. Ben (Ashton Owen), an openly gay man on the brink of parole, is the object of Mo’s secret longing. Franky (Haydn McCabe), the hardened East-Ender, is sweet on the teacher. Jermaine (Ntabiso J Bhebhe) is forever in the wrong in the eyes of prison warder Mike Hudd (Chris Clarkson).
And then there’s Dorota Tokarska (Rebecca Peyton), a very thinly disguised Danusia Iwaszko herself. As Dorota leads the classes, we learn in turn what each prisoner’s struggles are, and how they might be eased – or at least faced – through drama.
The dialogue is sharp, the characters engaging, and it feels authentic – the voice of someone who’s been there, ticked the box and got the T-shirt. I enjoyed myself. Yet I couldn’t help noticing those questions on the noticeboards and wondering whether the play might have been more affecting if they had been at the forefront of Iwaszko’s own writing process.
As I watched – and enjoyed – the play, I kept thinking how much more compelling it would be if one of the inmates were the protagonist, rather than the workshop leader. A reluctant participant, slowly won over by the group, would have provided richer conflict and greater emotional payoff. As it stands, too much of the dramatic tension rests on the sceptical warder, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Still, this is a lively, entertaining evening with plenty of laughs. With some reworking, it could become not just enjoyable but deeply moving. Clearly a work in progress, I look forward to seeing how it develops.
Writer/Director: Danusia Iwaszko
Cast: Rebecca Peyton, Liam Watson, Ashton Owen, Shelly McDonald, Heydn McCabe, Geir Madland, Chris Clarkson, Ntabiso J Bhebhe
Dates: 13 September then touring
Running time: 135 minutes (incl. 1 × 15-minute interval