Ronnie & Clive

27th & 28th May 8pm £12.50/£8.50

From the team behind THE PAGEANT PLAY comes a brand new Northern comedy! The life of a disgruntled Northern teacher is thrown into disarray as he becomes embroiled in not one, not two, but three separate murder cases – all possibly spurred by his new friend. A darkly comedic northern farce about family, friends and Freshwater Koi Carp.

The Handbag Is Not Your Mother

29th, 30th & 31st May 7.30pm £12

What are you hiding in your handbag…?
We know you carry it everywhere.

Two women. Two handbags.

An unusual encounter in a Relate counselling waiting room. It starts politely—until curiosity takes over, and things go deep throat.

In this calm, quiet, and clean room, Pandora’s Bags burst open… and then—

※A handbag isn’t just a handbag. It’s your identity. Your culture. Everything you carry—whether you want to or not.

Little Lord Twinkleroy (WIP)

1st June 7.30pm £9

Oi mista! You me dad? Little Lord Fauntleroy is all grown up, disinherited (read: replaced by a younger model) and looking for a new daddy to brush his golden locks and finance his lavish (gay) lifestyle. Join Joe Pieri around the grand piano as he makes a real song and dance of the agonies of fading twinkdom.

Shake it Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show

2nd June & 7th July 7.30pm £13

Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for an age, so we thought we’d give him a hand. Using his language, your audience suggestions and our overactive imaginations, we create a brand new Shakespeare play live on stage! Join ShakeItUp Theatre for an evening of improvised Bard-based Bedlam. Every show is a classic Shakespeare would have been proud to write…. (probably).

“Quick witted, inexhaustible and absolutely hysterical.” *****

Wummy

3rd June 7pm £10

A whirlwind one-woman comedy play following a wannabe yummy mummy on her mission to have it all. Wummy is broke, flat-sharing and craving luxury. Her dream? “A Chelsea townhouse, husband, baby, nanny, and – most importantly – a bin hidden within a kitchen island!” Wummy attempts to manifest her dream life, but the universe answers her call with an unexpected bump in the road. Performed by Charis King, featured on BBC. “I would pay to watch Charis drink a cup of tea – let alone perform a show.” Sophie Winkleman (Peep Show). Direction and dramaturgy by Octavia Gilmore.

Julius Caesar

4th – 7th June 7.30pm £19.50/£16.50/£13.50

Rome 44 BC. A roaring crowd welcomes Caesar home. With his enemies dead, nothing stands between him and absolute power. This is his moment of triumph. However, a group of senators, alarmed by his ambition, conspire to kill him. With Caesar dead, will they restore balance, or will civil war tear Rome apart?

The Britpop Hour with Marc Burrows

8th June & 22nd July 7.30pm £10.50

The Britpop Hour with Marc Burrows
The Britpop Hour’ is a stand-up, musical and multimedia celebration of one of British music’s most iconic and enduring movements. Marking the 30th anniversary of the genre’s pinnacle: the 1995 Blur/Oasis chart battle, as well as coinciding with the reformed Oasis’ record-busting reunion tour, the show delves into the ridiculous stories, the OTT personalities and the enduring rivalries, all while celebrating some of the best music Britain has ever produced. 
 
Part warm, trivia-packed tribute, part send-up and part one-man rock ‘n’ roll party, ‘The Britpop Hour’ is written and performed by award-winning music journalist, author, comedian, musician and 90s refugee Marc Burrows (The Guardian, The Quietus, The Independent, Big Issue, New Statesman). Mad fer’it, do ya know what I mean?

Twidow Wankey’s Dirty Panto

9th June 7.30pm £15.75

Get ready for a hilarious night of laughter and filth as Twidow Wankey’s Dirty Panto is cumming to Hen & Chicken, London! – “Oh yes it f*!?ing is!”

This unscripted, improvised adult pantomime takes all of your favourite traditional pantomimes and flips them over for a good spanking in a riotous, unpredictable journey every night.
Audiences are in for a treat as they choose the direction of every twist, turn and nipple slip as they pluck items straight from Twidow Wankey’s dirty pile.

From outrageous improvised characters to disgusting humour, no two performances are ever the same. Join us for a night of banter, rude songs, and outrageousness as Twidow Wankey and friends take you on a journey through a world where literally anything can happen – and probably will!
Just don’t bring the kids.

Attempts on her Life by Martin Crimp

10th – 14th June 7.30pm £16.50

10th – 14th June 7.30pm £16.50

Attempts to describe her?
Attempts to destroy her?
Or attempts to destroy herself?
Is Anne the object of violence?
Or its terrifying practitioner?

A woman with various identities links 17 theatrical scenarios: she is the heroine of a film in one, a victim of civil war in another, an international terrorist, a porn star, and the subject of a conversation among friends. She is the living embodiment of Crimp’s underlying declaration that coherent identity in the modern world is little more than myth.

Not Quite Ready Productions presents a revival of Martin Crimp’s radical play ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE, which will challenge audiences with its bold experiments in form and content.

CW: Please note this production contains explicit content, including strong and discriminatory language, references to and possible depictions of death, murder, suicide, self-harm, violence (including sexual violence), child abuse, terrorism, pornography and drug and alcohol abuse. There will be flashing lights and loud noises.

Rosa Garland (WIP)

15th June 7.30pm £10.50

Rosa Garland is a critically acclaimed clown who likes slime. She is the brain and body behind the sell-out queer cult hit Trash Salad (Soho Theatre, Pleasance).

This is a new WIP for people who want to see what happens when a clown explores kink, but don’t necessarily want to date Rosa to find out. If you fancy her you should defo still come tho.

★★★★★ FringeBiscuit
★★★★★ To Do List
★★★★ EdFringeReview
★★★★ Telegraph

Such is Life

17th, 18th & 19th June 7.30pm £12

Our show features 4 Micro-Theatre plays about life’s biggest paradoxes: family, love, friendships, and work, and how to balance it all without losing your marbles! These sarcastic comedies are in Spanish for homesick Spanish-speakers in London; translation into English is provided as these struggles and laughs are universal, no matter where you’re from.

The Fisherman

20th & 21st June 7.30pm £11.50

The Fisherman, is a whimsical comedy set against the rugged, windswept shores of 19th-century Cornwall. Weaving together the salty charm of coastal life with nautical folklore, The Fisherman is a timeless tale of friendship, forgiveness, and the magic that lies beneath the surface of life’s storms.

The Room of Piss

22nd June 7.30pm £10.50

Come play! In the Room of Piss you MUST follow the rules, and nothing but the rules. We know that Piss should be Yellow and blood should be Red but nothing is as it seems in the world of kidney disease… Prepare to have your beliefs shaken in a vibrant whirlwind of colours and physical theatre performance. 

Warning content: This performance contains themes of chronic illness, including mentions of medical procedures, discussions of mental health struggles, and themes of mortality. Beeping sounds, swearing.

Tales of a Jane Austin Spinster

23rd, 24th & 25th June 7.30pm £16.50

When a Jane Austen heroine, unlucky in love, finds herself thrown into the modern world, she must set aside her customs to brave this new world of courtship. But the unsolicited pictures and lack of chivalry may be too much for her! Will she find love or retreat back into the safety of her pages? 

Spoons

26th, 27th & 28th June 7.30pm £12.50/8

“Dating, friends, work – what choices do you make when you don’t have enough Spoons?”

Spoons is a fast-paced, funny and deeply moving new play about trying to live a full life when your body won’t cooperate. It follows Tara—a smart, optimistic thirtysomething trying to navigate dating apps, sexist workplaces, and the UK healthcare system—all while battling chronic fatigue syndrome. With humour, heart, and a sharp eye on systemic injustice, Spoons explores what it means to keep going when the world keeps saying “just push through.” 

Clementine 3: The Rebellion On Ice Part 6 (The Movie) Now in Colour!!!

30th June 7.30pm £6

Miss Lady Clementine is BACK (due to unpopular demand!). She’s off to The Big City to find the best version of herself. But soft—revolution’s in the air. Will our fearless heroine keep her wits or lose her head entirely? 

Guardian’s Top Ten Comedy of 2023. Absolutely barnstorming performance’ – ★★★★ (Telegraph) ‘Remarkable’ – ★★★★ (The Guardian). ‘Delirious, demented stuff’ – ★★★★ (Chortle) Telegraph’s Funniest Shows at the Fringe and one of the British Comedy Guide’s Top Reviewed Shows

Mr Jericho/Old Sarah

1st – 5th July 7.30pm + 3pm Matinee on 5th – £17.50 (£13.50 under 25s)

A double bill of equally absurd and sublime 45 minute comic operas. Mr Jericho: the impoverished Earl of Margate and his son live in disguise, until a series of chance meetings that could change their fortunes forever. Old Sarah: tax collector Archibald struggles to reconcile his love for smuggler’s daughter with his duty to turn her father over to the Inland Revenue. Full of larger than life characters, hummable music, farcical situations and the obligatory happy ending it’s the perfect show both for people who have never seen opera before, and also for die-hard fans of Gilbert & Sullivan looking for something both fresh and familiar!

Bebe Cave: CHRISTBRIDE

6th July 7.30pm, 17th July 9.30pm, 19th July 3pm & 25th July 7.30pm £10.50

In the dark, desperate, deathly world of the middle ages, one (quite annoying) woman strives to find the light. Join CHRISTBRIDE, a female mystic in a world of male dullards, as she escapes from a life of monotony to a life of devotion. Expect fantasy, prophesies, miracles both real and fake and a mystical marriage in her bedroom to Jesus Christ our lord and saviour.

The writer and star of critically acclaimed 2024 fringe hit “The Screen Test” (‘Full of madcap ideas and caricatures…a riot from start to finish’ Broadway Baby) presents a work in progress of her debut character comedy show.

Presented by BIGHEAD Comedy

Horatio, In Thy Heart

6th, 7th, 8th & 9th July 9.30pm £11.50

Scrawled in the margins of Shakespeare’s play, Horatio draws his breath in pain and laughter to tell the story of someone fractured and jangled out of tune – himself. Is it weird to follow your situationship home for Christmas break? Can you keep your best friend safe when you swore a blood oath not to interfere?

BEN MOOR: A THREE THING DAY – WORK-IN-PROGRESS PREVIEWS

8th & 14th July 7.30pm & 20th July 3pm £10

“I have always found that arriving somewhere early allows more time to daydream.”

An artist has three things to do today.
His new show is opening later, but first he has a family meeting, and before that there’s a funeral.

A single day can encompass the past, present and future; friends, family and strangers; the ridiculous, the moving and the inspirational. 

Like life.

There’s talk of snacks, lies and videotapes; time, affinity and vertigo; good gullibility and unreliable phones.

This is a work-in-progress preview performance before the Edinburgh Fringe.

Ben Moor has been producing oddball storytelling shows for over 30 years. He is the creator of Elastic Planet and Undone for BBC Radio, and has appeared in Knowing Me, Knowing You, The IT Crowd and The Queen’s Gambit.

“Ben Moor, for my money, is the Ken Campbell/Spalding Gray of my generation, a natural storyteller who blurs the boundaries between comedy, theatre and performance art.” 

Maybe

10th July 7.30pm £5

What would it be like to live as the real you? Steven is well-behaved, well-intentioned and well… a bit of a pushover. An unexpected question from his partner prompts him to reconsider his life as a people pleaser. If you like playful stories about the struggle for connection, then this may be for you.

Atomic Cabaret

10th, 11th & 12th July 9.30pm £13.50

Atomic Cabaret is a one-woman musical cabaret performed by physicist and activist Lynda Williams, aka The Physics Chanteuse, that explores the political and scientific impact of living in an atomic world. From the Big Bang to the existential threat of nuclear weapons, the show blends scientific insight, political satire, song, scientific visualizations, and archival footage in a unique “Carl Sagan meets Sandra Bernhard” style of musical science cabaret. Atomic Cabaret commemorates the 80th anniversary of the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, inspiring reflection, discussion and action on the risks and ethics of nuclear technology. See Atomic Cabaret before it heads to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Histerical: History, improvised

12th July 3pm £7.50

A journey through time. A peak into the past. A glance into the future. Welcome to Histerical! A night where we bring you through the history of our world through a series of improvised scenes based on your suggestions. You’ve never seen history come to life quite like this.

Alex Prescot: Cosy (Edinburgh Preview)

12th July 7.30pm £11.50

Join “comedy equivalent of sunshine” Alex Prescot for a delightful debut hour that’s tailor-made for each audience. Expect a warm and fuzzy blend of joyful musical comedy and quick-witted improvisation. Don’t expect his notably absent double-act partner.

Previous Reviews:
★★★★★ ‘Incredibly talented’ BroadwayWorld

★★★★★ LondonTheatre1

‘Impressive improvisational talents’ Evening Standard

‘A very distinctive talent’ Chortle

The Cambridge Footlights Tour show 2025

13th & 14th July 9.30pm £11.50

“Why is performing comedy a way to feel terrible?
Although this question is rhetorical, the Cambridge Footlights will try to answer it. Follow five up-and-coming comedians on an odyssey of sketches, emotional torment and unplanned violence. It will be side-splitting in more ways than one…”

Katie McGarry: Letters You’ll Never Send

15th July 7.3pm £11.50

WHAT IS IT?

‘Letters You’ll Never Send’ is a live theatre event. An evening of juicy storytelling of revelations, secrets and healthy catharsis, from collected anonymous letters, performed by a bunch of incredible actors. 

Formed by Katie McGarry when she spent a summer writing 40 handwritten letters to people she knew, sealed them lovingly and then decided to NEVER EVER send them. Over her dead body! These were the things she could not say. The things that would shake the core of her relationships, hidden secrets she had kept for decades, things she never got to say to people she would never get to see again… Some heartbreaking, some hilarious and some downright cringeworthy. So she decided to create a show out of them – naturally. But she didn’t just want her letters… she wanted YOURS as well. So she reached out to the internet and lo and behold, the letters started flooding in. Letters to dead relatives, to mothers, fathers, wives, first loves, ex-friends and they DID NOT hold back… and a show was born! 

CAST: Katie McGarry, Nathan Lang, Jayne Edwards, Naomi Cooper-Davis, Alex Ratcliffe and Phoebe Ladenburg

Directed and Curated by: Katie McGarry

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You send us your letters. We read them out loud!

Write a letter to someone you know, someone you love, someone you’ve lost, a friend, a family member, a neighbour, an arch enemy or ex, someone you met once and never saw again and who you dream about, a boss or colleague… the list is endless. The letters will then be read and curated into an evening of secrets shared, performed by professional actors. 

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

• The letter must be ANONYMOUS. It must not contain your name, the names of people or specifics that could lead us to know who it is from. This includes workplaces, schools etc… Make it safe for you to share.
• Let it be true. Give yourself the opportunity to be free. Let this be your confessional.
• Letters to be posted in the google form (linked to our submission form). The google form has a setting which means we will not be able to see the email address or account you clicked in with, ensuring your anonymity

WE DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

• You can send as many letters as you like.
• By sending a letter, you consent to it possibly being read out to a public audience and waive your right to copyright.

LINKS:

WEBSITE: www.lettersyoullneversend.co.uk
Send us your letter: https://bit.ly/3EBbnvg

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lettersyoullneversend

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lettersyoullneversend

Dead Air

16th July 7.30pm £9.50

Since Alfie’s dad died, he’s visited everyone’s dreams but hers. Rude. Desperate to talk to him, she turns to AiR, an AI chatbot designed to reconnect the living with the lost. What starts as a simple conversation between daddy and his little princess spirals into chaos. Each chat uncovers more about her dad’s life—and death—than she ever bargained for. Was his death suspicious or is it just a glitch in the machine? A heartfelt and darkly funny dive into grief, technology, and the consequences of talking to ghosts.

Ready Steady Crooks!

17th & 18th July 7.30pm £12

The 5 star, OffFest nominated, comedy caper is back! Follow the hijinks of top-class cooks turned notorious crooks! Expect crime, wine, robbery and…gobbery? An absurdist, slapstick romp with a drizzle of dark humour. ‘Python-esque Brilliance’ ***** (ReviewsHub.com) ‘highly energetic and brilliant inventive in its zaniness’ (Ought To Be Clowns.com).

Baxter vs The Bookies (starring Andy Linden)

21st July 7.30pm £10

Baxter vs The Bookies

The bets are laid. We’re under starters orders. And we’re off! A one-man play about the fluctuating fortunes of Baxter, an ageing old-fashioned horse-racing tipster, pitting himself against the firepower of The Bookies. But he’s an anachronism in the modern world of computers stats, flashy websites and online gambling. He dreams of one day having a great win and bashing The Bookies, who seem to hold all the power. But let’s face it, no one ever beats the Bookies. Do they?

5 stars – Get Your Coats On – ‘A masterclass of thoroughbred character acting.’

4 stars – Northwestend.com – ‘Mesmeric, the hour passed in an instant, but will stay in the memory a lot longer.’

4 stars – EdFestivals – ‘One of those rare shows, where the charismatic character feels like they’re talking directly to you.’

Performed by actor Andy Linden (Mundungus Fletcher in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, John the Watch in Count Arthur Strong, The Dad in The Business, the Angry Neighbour in Not Going Out, Rome, Silo). Adapted from the short story collection ‘Baxter vs The Bookies’ by Roy Granville. Directed by Huw Thomas.

julie and tom get off their butt and go to the stage (wip)

25th July 9.30pm £7.75

julie and tom are a bit out of practice
so they are going to practice
come, it might be nice
you never know with clown show

CAMDEN FRINGE SHOWS at The Hen and Chickens Theatre

35 shows to choose from at this long running festival - not to be missed!