Fen
This public production is part of LAMDA’s 2026 Autumn Season II, and brings together our graduating MFA Professional Acting students and BA (Hons) Production and Technical Arts students, working alongside a professional creative team.
About the production
Against the flat, bleak landscape of the Fenlands, men and women are cramped into bitterness by grinding labour and economic oppression.
Fen is composed of brief, fiercely resonant scenes, carving with powerful humanity the desolate lives of the village’s men and women. Three girls sing of being hairdressers or housewives when they grow up. Angela makes her stepdaughter drink water from the kettle. The representative of a City corporation purrs and placates her way to buying a farm that has been in the same family for generations. Ninety-year-old Ivy dreams aloud of union struggles. But the hard spine of the play is Val, a thirty-year-old who finds herself caught between her children and her lover – happy in brief moments, yet tormented past hope.
Sophie Dillon Moniram is a director for theatre, screen and audio who has worked on multiple Olivier Award winning shows. Sophie makes theatre that is life affirming; that reminds us we are larger than the individual story we are living.
Recently she has worked as Resident Director on The Picture of Dorian Grey starring Sarah Snook – who won Olivier and Tony Awards for her performance.
Prior to beginning her directing career she trained on Mountview Academy’s Theatre Directing MA after studying Philosophy at Southampton University. She has since trained on the NT Studio’s Directors’ Course and was on attachment at The Old Vic Theatre as an Old Vic 12 Director in 2018. Through her attachment she developed a new play written by Omar El-Khairy. She has also worked at the Old Vic as Associate Director to Adrian Lester on The Greatest Wealth, a series of monologues celebrating 70 years of the NHS, curated by Lolita Chakrabarti.
She is passionate about international writing and diversity. Through her commitment to diverse new work, she directed Black Theatre Live’s national tour of a new play The Diary of a Hounslow Girl by Ambreen Razia (commissioned and supported by Ovalhouse). The show was nominated for Best Stage Production at The Asian Media Awards 2016. Following its success the production re-toured with House Theatre and was performed at Southbank Centre.
Caryl Churchill was born on 3 September 1938 in London and grew up in the Lake District and in Montreal. She was educated at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Downstairs, her first play written while she was still at university, was first staged in 1958 and won an award at the Sunday Times National Union of Students Drama Festival.
Caryl Churchill’s plays include: Owners, Traps, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, Cloud 9, Top Girls, Fen, Serious Money, Ice Cream, Mad Forest, The Skriker, Blue Heart, This is a Chair, Far Away, A Number, Drunk Enough To Say I Love You?, Seven Jewish Children, Love & Information, Here We Go and Escaped Alone. Music theatre includes Lives of the Great Poisoners and Hotel, both with Orlando Gough. Caryl has also written for radio and television.
Death and suicide, child abuse, Frank’s suicide attempt, graphic storytelling violence, abortion, supernatural, self-harm, miscarriage referenced, religious content, animal cruelty, graphic sexual passage, cigarette burn on Becky’s arm referenced, strong language, class and gender exploitation throughout
Special permission has been granted by the principal agents for the Japanese Businessman opening speech to be omitted from this production
Use of the “P” word will also be omitted
Booking information
Once you have booked a ticket, you will receive an email confirmation. Read up on our latest audience guidelines.
Members of the industry: Secure your complimentary seat by emailing the Box Office on [email protected]
Pricing and concessions
Tickets cost £14, but we have £7 concessions tickets available to Hammersmith & Fulham residents, schools, students, or people who are over 65, under 18 or are on Job Seeker’s Allowance. You’ll just need to provide proof of your eligibility when you collect your tickets at the Box Office. We offer a complimentary ticket for carers, to book please call the box office on 020 8834 0500. If you belong to our Pathways Programme or work with any of our Pathways Partners you are entitled to complimentary tickets. Please contact the box office to book.
Booking your tickets
Book your tickets online or by calling our box office on 020 8834 0500.
Industry booking
If you’re a member of the industry, please email [email protected] to book your tickets.
Group tickets
We’re pleased to offer discounted tickets to groups of 10+ people. Standard tickets are discounted to £9 per person, while under 18’s tickets are discounted to £5 per person. To book, please contact [email protected]
E-Tickets
There is no need to collect tickets. You will be send an E-Ticket via email which you can present on arrival.
Refunds
Unfortunately, all tickets are non-refundable.
Getting to LAMDA
LAMDA is a two-minute walk from Barons Court Station or a ten-minute walk from either West Kensington or Hammersmith Station. Please note, our nearest station, Barons Court, is undergoing refurbishment works throughout 2026. Find out more.
Accessibility
The public areas of our building are fully accessible, with lift access to all floors and accessible toilet facilities available for each theatre. If you have any additional requirements you would like us to be aware of, please contact box office on 020 8834 0500.
