Writers
Elle Douglas
Daddy’s Girl (70 mins)
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, 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.
Dan McGarry
Lucky Numbers (70 mins)
Dan McGarry is a writer and actor originally from Hull, who is currently under commission with the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, writing Bradlaugh: Rebel, Reformer, Rockstar, a political piece of gig theatre set in 1876.
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.
Jamie Lee Falk
The Wreck (30 mins)
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.
The Wreck is set on a Hull council estate where four lifelong friends treasure a patch of woodland, which becomes threatened by developers.
Aidan Thompson-Coates
Kayfabe (30 mins)
Aidan Thompson-Coates is a Hull-born actor, writer and theatre-maker, who loves marrying comedic and playful tones with the raw, unfiltered human experience in his writing.
He took part in the 2025 Middle Child Writers Group, which led to his piece, Hear Lies, being performed at Fresh Ink 2025.
In 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?
James Hall
The Power of Invisibility (Monologue)
James Hall is a disabled multi-disciplinary 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.
Nina Koshy
Ten Pound Per Minute (Monologue)
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.
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.
Emily Lidgard
Please Don’t Make Me Explain This (Monologue)
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?
Selection Process
Each writer was commissioned for Fresh Ink 2026 by our independent selection panel, through an open submission process.
Read a blog post about the selection process, from a previous writer who was on the panel.
Commissions
A commission is when a writer is paid to write something.
Find out more about the commissions that were available for 2026, including criteria, eligibility and fee for the writers.
Fresh Ink 2027
Applications for writing commissions at Fresh Ink 2027 will open in July, after this year’s festival.