Middle Child are pleased to announce the seven writers commissioned for Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival 2026.
Elle Douglas and Dan McGarry will each write a 70-minute play, Jamie Lee Falk and Aidan Thompson-Coates a 30-minute piece and James Hall, Nina Koshy and Emily Lidgard a five-minute monologue.
They were selected from 123 applicants, who responded to an open call for writers with “a meaningful connection to Hull”.
Middle Child will work with the writers to develop two drafts of their respective scripts, to be performed in rehearsed readings at Stage@TheDock from 18-19 July.
The festival programme will also feature a series of writing workshops, industry talks and social events across the weekend.
Elle Douglas
Elle Douglas is a singer and writer, originally from Newcastle now living in Hull, who was commissioned to write a children’s show with music for Durham Gala Theatre in 2023.
In Daddy’s Girl, her play for Fresh Ink, Jules has always looked after her dad, but when she falls pregnant, she questions whether her baby should be burdened with having a relationship with a man like him.
Elle said: “I am beyond excited and honoured to be part of Fresh Ink and to receive support from Middle Child through this important and much-needed new writing festival.
“I don’t know how I would have gotten another commission without this festival being an option for writers.”
Dan McGarry
Dan McGarry is a writer, actor and director originally from Hull, who runs Writing Doesn’t Have To Be Lonely, a regular showcase of new writing in Northampton.
His play for Fresh Ink, Lucky Numbers, follows a cleaner at Hull College who runs the lottery syndicate, but when their numbers finally come in, she can’t find the ticket.
Dan said: “Being part of Fresh Ink is an honour. I was here as an actor two years ago and was blown away with the level of work created.
“Middle Child are a company who passionately support new writing and whose ethos is intrinsically linked with my own. I cannot wait to share my work on this unique, supportive and important stage.”
Jamie Lee Falk
Jamie Lee Falk is a lifelong Hull resident and author of two novels, who discovered a passion for theatre after taking part in Hull Truck Theatre’s Playwriting Course.
This is her first commission as a playwright.
Her play for Fresh Ink, The Wreck, is set on a Hull council estate where four lifelong friends treasure a patch of woodland, which becomes threatened by developers.
Jamie said: “I’m utterly thrilled to have my first-ever play commissioned. This came at the perfect time and has given me the validation I needed as a writer.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Fresh Ink Festival and can’t wait to see my work on the stage.”
Aidan Thompson-Coates
Aidan Thompson-Coates is a Hull-born actor, writer and theatre-maker, whotook part in last year’s Middle Child Writers Group, which led to his piece, Hear Lies, being performed at Fresh Ink 2025.
He loves marrying comedic and playful tones with the raw, unfiltered human experience in his writing.
In his play, Kayfabe Babe, a talented female pro-wrestler finally achieves her dream when scouted to join the biggest televised wrestling promotion in the region – on one unfathomable condition. This is all she ever wanted, but at what cost?
Aidan said: “I am absolutely elated and so grateful to Middle Child and all those who have put their belief and trust in me with this commission”
“For over 25 years, the theatricality, storylines and larger-than-life characters in pro-wrestling have been a huge part of my life.
“I think it indirectly opened the door to me pursuing a career in the arts.
“To invite audiences into the world that made me want to tell stories, in my first commission as a playwright, and in my home city, feels full circle and I couldn’t be happier.”
James Hall
James Hall is a disabled multidisciplinary performer whose solo comedy shows have been performed at Edinburgh Fringe and Glastonbury.
Born in Grimsby and raised in Immingham, but made in Hull, James is 97% sure they are the only person that still claims they are from Humberside.
In The Power of Invisibility, Robbie scrambles to be transported to a paradise thousands of miles away as they count down the anaesthetic but instead find themselves on Spring Bank.
As their external life faces its own battle, their internal turmoil confronts the never-ending fight to be seen whilst having an invisible condition.
James said: “After attending the festival in 2024 and performing in 2025, I am excited to try and harness the festivals energy into this new piece of writing.
“The workshops that I attended during the festival have already helped shape me as a writer and it is a real privilege to learn from the absolute best under the guidance of Middle Child, to continue my growth in this art form.”
Nina Koshy
Nina Koshy is a master’s student from Hull, now studying Middle Eastern studies at Cambridge.
She spends her time outside of her degree writing prose and for the stage, as well as performing in university productions.
Nina’s monologue, Ten Pound Per Minute, follows the exploits of a young British Indian woman who decides to earn some extra cash offering custom sitar performances.
However, as her musical appearances grow more ambitious, the line between culture and performance starts to blur.
Nina said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been commissioned by Middle Child as part of Fresh Ink.
“It is such an incredible honour to have my work performed at the festival alongside some of the region’s most talented writers.”
Emily Lidgard
Emily is a writer from Hull who moved to Bristol to study English literature.
Although she’s now based there, Hull continues to shape her voice and the themes she gravitates towards.
In Please Don’t Make Me Explain This, Joan prepares for her nightly ritual: a swim on the Flamborough coast.
Haunted by her family history, Joan confides in us her obsessions, memories, and the fears she can’t shake.
Standing on the cliffs, she wonders whether the sea will free her or pull her under?
Emily said: “It’s a special opportunity being able to write a story set in the landscape I grew up in and to share it with the people who know the coastline as intimately as me.
“I hope Hull audiences resonate in some way with the play’s exploration of legacy, inheritance and how the past shapes us.”
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The writers were chosen by a festival selection panel including representatives from Wykeland Group, the National Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Back to Ours, freelance playwrights and local business people.
This year’s festival will also showcase short scenes and monologues by members of three Middle Child writers’ groups, including programmes to develop working-class and young writers for the first time.
Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival launched in 2024 as a two-day event in Hull’s Fruit Market, providing a platform to develop new theatre writers in the city.
Writers have since gone on to receive full commissions with the likes of Middle Child and Hull Truck Theatre.
Middle Child artistic director and chief executive, Paul Smith, said: “Between 2019 and 2023 there was a 30% drop in new plays being made in the UK. Fresh Ink is our direct intervention into this crisis, to make sure new voices in Hull can share their stories.
“In just two years, Fresh Ink has already proven the wealth of creative talent in our city, showing how vital it is that local artists are supported, platformed and nurtured.
“We’re delighted to return with a slate of new plays, from experienced writers to first-timers. Every story you see at Fresh Ink is made by and for the people of Hull, matching up to new work made anywhere in the world.”
Paul added: “While this is a festival that champions artists, our audiences also play a key role in helping to shape the future life of the work on show, ensuring theatre made in Hull resonates with the people who live here.
“Our workshops and talks programme brings the highest calibre of established artists to Hull to share their knowledge and shape the next generation of artists who begin their creative lives in Hull.
“Fresh Ink remains my favourite weekend of the year, always leaving me buzzing with a head full of ideas and a heart full of hope.”
Dominic Gibbons, managing director of Wykeland Group, said: “We’re proud to continue our support for Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival into 2026, which we co-founded with Middle Child and have seen grow year on year since its launch in 2024.
“We believe that culture sits at the heart of regeneration, and Fresh Ink was created to champion local voices, spark bold ideas and give writers at every stage of their career the chance to learn, grow and showcase Hull and East Yorkshire’s extraordinary talent. The festival provides a vital platform for this work to flourish at Stage@TheDock.”
“The success of the last two years of festivals demonstrates not only the calibre of writers taking part, but also the skill, care and professionalism that Middle Child bring to supporting both emerging and established playwrights. We’re excited to see the festival continue to develop and inspire even more artists in the years ahead.”
The full festival programme will be announced in June, with tickets for performances and workshops on-sale thereafter.
Find out more about the festival at www.freshinkhull.co.uk