 It was founded to present poets reading their work in an informal theatrical pub setting.The many authors to appear at Pentameters include Dannie Abse, Fleur Adcock, Kingsley Amis, George Barker, Ivor Cutler, Margaret Drabble, William Empson, Ruth Fainlight, Elaine Feinstein, John Heath-Stubbs, Adrian Henri, Michael Hamburger, John Horder, Michael Horovitz, Libby Houston, Black Gallagher, Ted Hughes, James Kirkup, Fran Landesman, Laurie Lee, Christopher Logue, Edward Lucie-Smith, George Macbeth, Roger McGough, Adrian Mitchell, Edna O'Brien, Brian Patten, Peter Porter, Vernon Scannell, Stevie Smith, Stephen Spender, Jon Stallworthy, Mitchell Symons, John Wain, Heathcote Williams and the psychologist R. D. Laing.The theatre has also played host to many performers at the start of their careers, including Robyn Archer, Joanna Dunham, Adrian Edmondson, French and Saunders, Nigel Havers, Celia Imrie, Cheryl Kennedy, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Jenny Seagrove, Pamela Stephenson and Alexei Sayle.