In 1883 he made a great success as Brother Pelican in "Falka", and the following year came what "The Times" called "his first triumph", as Spalding in "The Private Secretary", a role that he repeated several times. In 1892, Penley created the title role in "Charley's Aunt", which played for a record-setting 1,466 performances in London, and in revivals of the play. He retired from the stage in 1901 and managed the Great Queen Street Theatre until 1907. He was also one of the proprietors of "The Church Family Newspaper".