Fresh Ink Winner 2026

Winner of Fresh Ink 2026

I was still on a high after seeing my five-minute play performed on the last night of the playwriting course at Hull Truck Theatre.  I was buzzing with fresh ideas and dreaming of writing a longer play and getting it on the stage. I was hooked, I had the playwriting bug and was desperate to write something else.

I had applied for a 30-minute commission with Fresh Ink, run by Middle Child Theatre, Hull. If successful, the play would be performed at the Fresh Ink Festival in July 2026. There were three categories available, two, seventy-minute plays, but these were for writers with previous experience. Two, thirty-minute plays open to new writers and three five-minute monologues.

Every night before I went to sleep, I whispered a silent prayer. Please let me win the Fresh Ink commission. Fingers and toes crossed, I drifted off to sleep dreaming of my characters on the stage.

A few days later, the email from Fresh Ink landed in my inbox. My heart raced as I tried to prepare myself for the disappointment. I told myself that this was my first try and that I could always apply next year when I had more experience.

I opened the email, my eyes scanning over the words.  My heart sank when I read that there had been 123 entries, 60 of which were specifically for my category. Ah, the thanks but no thanks…but, then I read on – the next line was highlighted:

I’m delighted to say we’d love to offer you one of our 30-minute commissions.

I think my heart actually stopped beating for a moment.

Overwhelmed, I burst out crying. I was delighted, excited, and I couldn’t believe it!

I’d won!

My first ever play, and I’d won a commission.

I quickly sent an email back thanking Matt and accepted the offer.

It was the end of October, and the winners wouldn’t be announced until January 2026. How on earth was I going to keep this quiet?

The following week, I nervously met with Matt at Middle Child to discuss plans for my play. I was aiming to write the first draft of my play ‘The Wreck’ before Christmas. I had plenty of time, but I wanted to get the first draft in so I could make any big changes that were needed. I was very new to playwriting, so I had a lot to learn and was eager to get it right.

I was then informed that there would be a photo shoot to announce the winners.  Ah, there it is – the fly in the ointment! Let me tell you, I have avoided having my photo taken since… well, pretty much all my life. I am not photogenic.  Am I the only person who actually looks worse when they smile?

Jeez, how will I get out of this one?

I’m socially awkward, you’ve probably got that already right? I much prefer to be hidden away, as far removed from the spotlight as humanly possible. At parties and meetings, I blend into the background and try to become invisible. I’m constantly on edge, looking for an escape route. Don’t get me wrong, I love meeting people, but I’m just not good at it. I always say the wrong thing and then spend the next forty years beating myself up for being such a twat! As a child, I would crawl under the buffet table with a book, my hand reaching up to grab the plate of pickled onions. I would stay there all night until it was time to leave, and my parents came to find me. ;/

Anyway, the photo shoot was weeks away, next year in fact, so I told myself not to overthink it.  I know, who was I kidding? With every passing day, the knot in my stomach grew tighter and tighter until we were almost there. The eve of the photo shoot…

I’ll share that with you next time, but for now, please queue in an orderly fashion for autographs. ;)