Ordinary Decent Criminal

Frankie’s just been sentenced to three and a half years in jail for dealing drugs. When he gets there, none of his fellow convicts are what they seem. 

And with his typewriter, his activist soul, and his sore lack of a right hook, he somehow finds his way into their troubled hearts, and they into his. 

In the unlikeliest of places, he discovers that the revolution is not dead. It’s just sleeping. 

A brand new play from the writer of the Fringe First winning England & Son and A Political History of Smack & Crack, Ed Edwards reunites with Mark Thomas to tell a tale of freedom, revolution and messy love. Directed by Paines Plough's Joint Artistic Director, Charlotte Bennett. 

Mark Thomas – Performer (Frankie) 

Mark Thomas is a comedian who has been performing for 35 years. How to describe his work? A mix of standup, theatre, journalism and the odd bout of performance art. He has won 8 awards for performing, 3 for human rights work and 1 he invented for himself. 

Ed Edwards - Writer 

Ed Edwards is an ex-offender and multi-award winning playwright. Ed wrote his first novel while awaiting trial on drugs charges. The novel was published the day he was sentenced to three-and-a half-years in jail, so his second novel (published by Fourth Estate) was written inside.  

Clean and sober ever since, Ed went on to write for Brookside, The Bill and Holby City and write original plays for BBC Radio 4. Ed currently teaches part-time at the University of Greater Manchester and writes for theatre. Ed’s play The Political History of Smack and Crack was a finalist at the Theatre503 Playwriting competition, appearing at Paines Plough’s Roundabout at Edinburgh Fringe and went on to tour nationally.  

Charlotte Bennett – Director 

Charlotte Bennett (she/her) joined Paines Plough as Joint Artistic Director alongside Katie Posner in August 2019. For Paines Plough Charlotte has directed My Mother’s Funeral: The Show by Kelly Jones (Fringe First winner 2024); Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me by Amy Trigg (winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting) which premiered at Kiln Theatre in May 2021 before embarking upon a UK tour of seventeen venues and returning to the Kiln in November 2022, and Run Sister Run by Chloë Moss (Sheffield Theatres/Soho Theatre). 

Previously she was Associate Director at Soho Theatre where she led the new writing department, developing artists and commissions and programming. For Soho Theatre she directed Whitewash by Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Happy Hour by Jack Rooke, curated a six-month off-site arts festival in Waltham Forest and led playwriting competition the Verity Bargate Award. Prior to this she was Artistic Director of Forward Theatre Project; an artists’ collective she founded. For Forward Theatre Project she made and directed new plays which toured nationally inspired by working in partnership with different communities around the UK and at venues including the National Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Northern Stage, Derby Theatre, Live Theatre and The Lowry. As a freelance director she has worked extensively for Open Clasp Theatre Company creating new plays inspired by women in the North-East and she held the role of Producer for theatre company RashDash for 4 years where she toured experimental new theatre around the UK. 

Age guidance:  16+ guideline 

Content warnings: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, scenes of violence, strong language/swearing, flashing lights, references to drug use and sexual references.