Variations

16th December 7.30pm £16.50

A gripping collection of monologues, in an eclectic range of styles, from comedy to tragedy, that delve into the human experience. From a suicidal skydiver and a murderous teen to a ruthless businesswoman hunting a traitor and a woman with amnesia trapped in a café, each narrative bursts with raw emotion, leaving a lasting impression.

Comrie SF: Ultraviolet

17th December 7.30pm £10

Comrie is building a new show. It is going to be about perspective and duality, it will probably be based on Jekyll and Hyde probably. Comrie is a surreal multimedia comedian from Edinburgh. He won Stockholm Spirit of the Fringe 2022 and was a semi-finalist for the BBC Comedy Collective 2023. 

It would be lovely to see you there 🙂 thank you

It will be a one hour comedy show, followed by a short listening party of an electronic music album made by Comrie to accompany the show.

Previous praise:

‘Delightful’ – four stars Three Weeks

‘Leading the way in a new movement’ – four stars The List

Love Hunt

18th December 7.30pm £6.50

Forget foxes, bargains, or Jeremy – this is the biggest hunt of them all. And Amber’s armed and ready… After her terminally disappointing boyfriend Rob dumps her instead of proposing on their anniversary, Amber is forced to take matters into her own hands. Join her as she meets a host of strange characters (and Cilla Black) on her epic Love Hunt across the universe. This is a sweet, silly exploration of what it is to find love and (avoid self-awareness at all costs) in your mid-30s. 

Running Out of Time! - SOLD OUT

22nd December 7pm £13.50

Following their highly successful 2024 Edinburgh Fringe debut, the Milky Pigeons are heading to London for one night only. In ‘Running Out of Time!’, Conor and Arran race against a 45-minute timer, aiming to perform as many hilarious and fast-paced sketches as they can. Can they trust your fleeting attention spans? Come and find out! 

'Will truly brighten your day' ★★★★ Broadway Baby

Shake it Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show

6th January, 3rd February, 3rd March, 7th April, 5th May, 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.”  ★★★★★  London Theatre Reviews

The Bobby Kennedy Experience

13th January 7.30pm £16.50/13.50

The Bobby Kennedy Experience studies the life of the most famous man never to become President.

Robert Francis Kennedy, or ‘Bobby’ as he was affectionately known, was the younger brother of the most famous US President ever: John F. Kennedy (JFK).

Often referred to as the ‘runt’ of the Kennedy litter and the one least likely to succeed, Bobby would go on to prove himself to be a formidable force in America, as not only did he pick up the Kennedy project after his brother was brutally murdered, he emerged out of the political wilderness and crusaded for civil rights, 

climate change, alternative fuels and, finally, for the American Presidency itself.

But fate had a cruel plan for Bobby…

Reuniting the team behind Julie Madly Deeply and An Evening Without Kate Bush; The Bobby Kennedy Experience is a new piece of theatre made by Russell Lucas and Sarah-Louise Young.

People Do

14th & 15th January 7.30pm £12/9

Five people. Five stories. You’d be surprised what people do.

In a bar in Johannesburg, a father forces his son into his idea of manhood; in a barracks in Berkshire, an officer suppresses the fatal results of his negligence; in a stately home in Somerset, the mother of the (runaway) bride wrestles with her daughter’s doubts; in a community centre in Gloucestershire, an activist proposes an exciting new plan for the village; in a classroom in California, a devout mother confronts progressive ideologies.

A series of five dramatic monologues probing the characters’ breaking points, People Do exposes the lengths to which we’ll go to save our skin.

CW: discussion of suicide, homophobia, strong language and adult themes.

The Bloopers! An Improvised Musical Biopic

19th January 7.30pm £11.50

The improvised musical that transforms any character you choose into an Oscar-worthy biopic!

From We’re Gonna Be A Dad!, creators of Hercules: Myth and Murder…

“Not just mad but Operation Mincemeat mad!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – LondonTheatre1

“A brilliantly energetic show” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Everything Theatre

“All the right ingredients for a top-notch fringe theatre production” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Theatre & Arts Reviews

Hajar J Woodland: First Love (WIP)

20th January 7.30pm £8

Join Hajar J. Woodland for a work-in-progress performance of First Love – a funny but sincere love story that explores what it means to find love and your voice.

Single Use

22nd, 23rd & 24th January 7.30pm £8

A show about destruction, laziness, takeaways and recycling. 

Work in progress show written and performed by Verity Mullan, directed by Emma Jones.

Follow @SingleUseThePlay

Fig

28th, 29th, 30th & 31st January 7.30pm £13.50

“There really is nothing to do about it.”
Someone sneezed. Someone coughed. Someone’s life will never be the same again.
Fig is a kaleidoscope of absurdity and human interaction. With more than thirty characters, it explores the spaces where the mundane collides with the surreal.

Immerse yourself in this experimental work by Kate McCloud, where order and resolution are optional, and interpretation is yours.

Max Fulham

4th February 7.30pm £9.50

Max Fulham is coming to the Hen & Chickens to try some new ideas. Expect puppets and never-before-seen nonsense with his signature brand of stand-up comedy and ventriloquism. With viral success online amassing millions of views and a rapidly growing audience on the comedy circuit, Max is a performer not to be missed.

“Besides being charismatic and full of charm, Max is one of the best ventriloquists I’ve seen and believe me I have seen hundreds worldwide” Uri Geller

“Max is brilliant! He’s Old School meets NuSkool in the best and funniest way” Mel Giedroyc

Save the Princess

10th – 22nd February (not 17th) 7.30pm £18/15/12

Following a smash-hit run at the 2024 Camden Fringe, critically acclaimed theatre company The UnDisposables are thrilled to bring ‘Save the Princess’ back to the Hen & Chickens Theatre! This time, audiences can choose between a single or double playthrough – so brace yourself for an epic quest that’s twice the fun!

Princess Plum is about to be kidnapped…again! But this time, you have the power to change her fate. Grab a controller and get ready to play ‘Save The Princess’.

A mysterious glitch thrusts our damsel-in-distress into the unpredictable video game multiverse. Guided only by a cryptic prophecy, Princess Plum embarks on a wild journey to find freedom. With your smartphone in hand, you decide where Plum lands next. Will she face off in a ‘Red Dead Redemption’-style showdown, wander a cutesy-yet-creepy village akin to ‘Animal Crossing,’ or get dropped in the middle of a ‘FIFA’-inspired football pitch? Her path – and her fate – is up to you!*
Catch us on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for a two-act, double playthrough – meaning one ticket gives you two chances to save Princess Plum… or maybe cause a little more chaos…

With fifteen unique worlds and six possible endings, each playthrough promises a unique experience packed with side-splitting laughs and heart-pounding action in this interactive, choose-your-own-adventure spectacle.
From the nerdy, creative minds of female-led theatre company The UnDisposables and penned by Esther Joy Mackay (“a masterstroke of contemporary theatre” ★★★★★ – The Upcoming).

*Disclaimer: You don’t need to be as nerdy as us to love the show!

Totally Fine

27th, 28th February & 1st March 7.30pm £15

A therapist’s office. A one hour appointment. A therapist in therapy. But she doesn’t need to be there, no, not really? She’s just sick of them all, those leaches, the self indulgent vampires, slowly sucking the life out of her and boring her to a very dull, death. But everyone has really has overreacted. She is good, great, 100%, completely totally fine…