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# Free screening of Steve Coogan's The Penguin Lessons coming to Ipswich
- URL: https://www.ipswich.co.uk/free-screening-of-steve-coogans-the-penguin-lessons-coming-to-ipswich/
- Published: 2025-03-04T14:41:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T15:19:41.000Z
- Description: Cinemagoers can sign up now for the special preview of The Penguin Lessons on 17 March, a month ahead of its official release – for free.
- Author: Oliver Rouane-Williams
- Tags: News, Events & Things To Do, Entertainment & Leisure, #article, Omniplex Ipswich, #Import 2026-03-16 14:45

**Why it matters:** The free screening at Omniplex Ipswich at the Buttermarket Centre offers cinemagoers the chance to see the highly anticipated comedy-drama starring Steve Coogan before anyone else, without spending a penny.

![Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Ipswich](https://storage.ghost.io/c/29/1e/291e4b7f-e551-4458-b546-61963954b22f/content/images/2026/03/1737639631-new-buttermarket-centre-no-scaffolding-1.jpg)

Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Ipswich Photo: Oliver Rouane-Williams (Ipswich.co.uk)

**The details:** The special showing, part of National Lottery Open Week, will begin at 18:00 at Omniplex Ipswich in Buttermarket Shopping Centre, IP1 1DT.

**What's being shown:** The Penguin Lessons follows a disillusioned Englishman who takes up a teaching post in Argentina in 1976\. After rescuing a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life changes unexpectedly.

**For context:** The preview is made possible through Escapes, supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery funding, which provides free screenings of independent films, cult classics, and new releases throughout the year.

**Behind the camera:** The film comes from the director of The Full Monty and the writer of Philomena, and also features Jonathan Pryce alongside Coogan.

**The bottom line:** Free tickets can be claimed through the [Escapes website](https://escapes.cinematik.app/events/the-penguin-lessons-2025-03-17?ref=ipswich.co.uk), with the Ipswich screening being one of 108 participating cinemas nationwide showing the film.

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