The Penny Dreadfuls

The Penny Dreadfuls are a British sketch comedy troupe consisting of comedians Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, often supported by Margaret Cabourn-Smith. The troupe are best known for writing and performing The Brothers Faversham and The Penny Dreadfuls Present..., comic plays on BBC Radio 4.

The Penny Dreadfuls
The Penny Dreadfuls (L-R): Thom Tuck, Humphrey Ker, David Reed.
MediumTheatre, Radio
Years active2006–present
GenresSketch comedy
Notable works and rolesThe Brothers Faversham (2008-2009) The Penny Dreadfuls Present... (2010-present)
MembersHumphrey Ker
David Reed
Thom Tuck

History

Early history and Fringe shows (2006-2010)

Ker, Reed and Tuck first met as students at the University of Edinburgh through the student comedy troupe The Improverts in 2001. They performed together for the next four years before forming, along with founding member Jamie Anderson, The Penny Dreadfuls. In 2006, they made their debut appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with their Victorian-themed sketch show Aeneas Faversham. The show's executive producer was Idil Sukan[1], while its associate producer and technical director were Steve Greer[2] and Neil E Hobbs[3] respectively. This group would go on to produce each Fringe show for the troupe for the next four years: Aenas Faversham Returns in 2007, Aenas Faversham Forever in 2008, The Never Man in 2009, and The Penny Dreadfuls in 2010.

TV & BBC Radio (2007-present)

The troupe appeared on television in 2007 with a sketch in BBC Three's Comedy Shuffle. They then made the transfer onto radio in January 2008 with their own show, The Brothers Faversham, guest starring Miles Jupp and Ingrid Oliver. The four-part series was a fictional biography following the life and demise of one of the Faversham brothers. A second series, More Brothers Faversham, was broadcast in October 2008 and later broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Following on from this shift towards narrative comedy, in 2009 they wrote a comic retelling of the story of Guy Fawkes for the Afternoon Drama slot on Radio 4. While they returned to the sketch format for their 2010 Edinburgh Fringe show. their radio comedy followed in the vein of Guy Fawkes, writing a new historical comedy every year (except 2010 and 2013) for BBC Radio 4.

In 2011 Margaret Cabourn-Smith played a supporting role in Revolution, and became a regular fixture in most subsequent The Penny Dreadfuls Presents... plays. From 2012 onward, each play in The Penny Dreadfuls Presents... series was credited solely to Reed.

Radio episodes

All episodes star Ker, Reed, and Tuck.

The Brothers Faversham (2008)
# Title Written by Guest Starring Original airdate
1 "Horatius" Ker, Reed, Tuck Ingrid Oliver, Miles Jupp 11 January 2008
2 "Theseus" 18 January 2008
3 "Leonidas" 25 January 2008
4 "Augustus" 1 February 2008

More Brothers Faversham (2008)
# Title Written by Guest Starring Original airdate
1 "Titus" Ker, Reed, Tuck Ingrid Oliver, Miles Jupp 5 October 2008
2 "Maximillian" 12 October 2008
3 "Marcus" 19 October 2008
4 "Perseus and Lucius" 26 October 2008

The Penny Dreadfuls Present... (2009-present)
Title Written by Guest Starring Original airdate
"Guy Fawkes" Ker, Reed, Tuck Kevin Eldon, Miles Jupp, Andrew Pugsley 5 November 2009
"Revolution" Richard E. Grant, Sally Hawkins, Margaret Cabourn-Smith 9 July 2011
"Hereward the Wake" Reed Marek Larwood, Justin Edwards, Margaret Cabourn-Smith 26 December 2012
"Macbeth Rebothered" Greg McHugh, Susan Calman, Margaret Cabourn-Smith 13 December 2014
"Odyssey" Robert Webb, Lolly Adefope, Margaret Cabourn-Smith 25 October 2015
"The Curse of the Beagle" Margaret Cabourn-Smith 30 July 2016
"Le Carré On Spying" Miles Jupp, Mark Heap, Margaret Cabourn-Smith 8 July 2017
"Don Quixote" Sylvester McCoy, Amanda Abbington, Vivienne Acheampong 25 August 2018
"Hadrian's Beard" Tony Gardner, Mina Anwar 31 August 2019
"Richard III Rebothered" Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Celeste Dring 13 April 2020

Awards
Year Award Category Nominee Result
2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Three Weeks Editors Award[4] Aeneas Faversham Returns Won
2008 Brighton Festival Fringe Latest 7 Best Comedy Award Aeneas Faversham Forever Won
2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Total Theatre Award Aeneas Faversham Forever Nominated
gollark: Have you heard of "inflation"?
gollark: (I don't really support this and it is a terrible idea please do not implement this)
gollark: Extra source of revenue for the government.
gollark: THIS IDEA COULD NOT POSSIBLY FAIL.
gollark: Better idea: 1$ per vote!

References
  1. Dibdin, Thom. "The Penny Dreadfuls: Aeneas Faversham Forever review at Bedlam Theatre Edinburgh | Review | Theatre". The Stage. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  2. "The Penny Dreadfuls". Steve Greer. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. "Aeneas Faversham". The Association of Lighting Designers. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  4. ThreeWeeks Editors Awards 2007
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