| The Pin | |
|---|---|
 Alex Owen (left) and Ben Ashenden (right) | |
| Medium | Theatre; Radio; Television |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 2013 – present |
| Genres | Double-act; sketch comedy; surreal humour |
| Website | http://www.thepincomedy.com |
The Pin is a comedy double-act composed of Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen. [1] They wrote and starred in a BBC Radio 4 show of the same name from 2015 to 2019. [2]
The double act met at the University of Cambridge, where they joined the Cambridge Footlights. Whilst members, they co-wrote and performed the sketch show ‘Good Clean Men’ with Joey Batey, Joe Bannister, Mark Fiddaman and Simon Haines, [3] [4] and they co-wrote and performed in two international tour shows: 2010's 'Good For You,' [5] directed by Liam Williams and Daran Johnson, and 2011's 'Pretty Little Panic' [6] directed by Keith Akushie and James Moran.
'The Pin' was originally the title of a show written and performed by Ashenden, Owen, and original member Mark Fiddaman in their final year at Cambridge in 2011. [7] After graduating, the three moved to London and started developing shows at the Invisible Dot comedy club [8] [9] [10] to take to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. [11] The Pin became a duo when Fiddaman left to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford. [12]
Their shows at Edinburgh have garnered great critical acclaim from the likes of The Guardian , [13] [14] The Sunday Times , [15] [16] The Daily Telegraph , [17] [18] [19] and more. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]
In 2015 the pair's debut BBC Radio 4 series aired, called "The Pin", with four 15-minute episodes. It is characterised by self-referential humour and breaking the fourth wall, with each sketch followed by brief commentary. It was followed by a second series in 2016, and a third series in 2017, this time in the 6.30 pm slot, with half-hour long episodes. A fourth series was broadcast in 2019.
In 2021, they guest starred in an episode of BBC comedy Ghosts. [26]
The pair wrote and starred in a new play The Comeback at the Noël Coward Theatre in London's West End which opened on 8 December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic (with a socially distanced audience). The run was due to end on 3 January 2021, however due to the London Tier 3 restrictions announced by the government, the run was paused after 16 December 2020. It reopened on 7 July 2021 and ran until 25 July 2021.
The Pin was the 2013 winner of London Sketchfest's prize for 'Best Act,' [27] [28] and the first series of their Radio 4 show won them the award for 'Best Comedy' at the 2016 BBC radio awards. [29]
There were nominated for the South Bank Sky Arts Award 'Breakthrough Act' 2021. [30]
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