The Fresh Ink Festival 2026!
- Jamie Falk
- Jul 27
- 4 min read
WOW!!
The Fresh Ink Festival was the best experience of my life!
It’s Thursday, and I'm still buzzing with excitement after the weekend. I wanted to try to capture just how amazing it was, but I needed to rest for a few days first. It was a hectic and stressful week, but it was utterly amazing!
For those of you who have read my recent posts, you’ll know that I was one of the winners of the Fresh Ink Festival run by Middle Child Theatre in Hull. The festival is for new writers, who are commissioned to write a second draft of a script-in-hand stage play. There were three categories: a seventy-minute play, open to experienced playwrights; two thirty-minute plays; and three monologues. I was chosen to write a thirty-minute play, ‘Save the Wreck,’ and it was performed, along with other pieces, at the festival this weekend.
I’ll take you through the day:
It was 3 am and I couldn’t sleep. I was nervous, excited and hoping everything would go as planned. I tossed and turned, and at 6:30 I got up, hoping I could make it through the weekend. I have a chronic illness, and for me, this was a lot. I run on fifty per cent energy, so I need to pace myself. A good night’s sleep would have helped!
I was super excited as I got ready that morning, but I also had a worrying knot in my stomach, something I was dreading with a passion.
Meet the writers!
Urghh! The seven writers, including myself, were to be interviewed briefly…on stage…in front of an audience!
I know, right? Torture.
Ok, I get it was part of the programme, and I secretly knew that I would have to get better at this if I wanted to be seen as a writer. This year was all about pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and this certainly did that.
The time came, and my legs were visibly shaking as I walked onto the stage. Thankfully, I was with Aiden Thompson Coates (who wrote Kayfabe Baby, the other thirty-minute play); he is my anxiety twin, so we struggled through it together.
It actually went ok; I mean, I can’t remember much of it, as I tend to zone out when I reach a certain point of anxiety, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought and I was sure it would be easier the next day – (It wasn’t)
The moment came to head to Stage@theDock to watch ‘Save the Wreck,’ and as I headed down the steps to the amphitheatre, all my friends and family met me; it was so lovely having them there, cheering me on, excited, wanting to share this moment with me. It was a special moment and one that I’ll remember for a long time.
I just hoped they liked the play!
We sat, and the play began. I think it was at this point I stopped breathing. A few lines in, the audience laughed, then again, and I began to relax. There was a heartfelt moment about Shannon’s dad, who has dementia, and as Dave delivered the line, I heard a lady behind me say, "That was beautiful." I was so pleased that others had felt the emotion. The line was written for my dad, who had Alzheimer’s and sadly passed now, but hearing those words felt like he was there with me.
The play ended with a report by Peter Levy (BBC Look North presenter), and the audience erupted into cheers. I looked around and saw all those smiling faces, and it just made me so happy, proud and overjoyed.
People came up to me throughout the day to say how much they had enjoyed ‘Save the Wreck ‘, and it was so nice meeting and chatting with so many new friends.
This was the best experience of my life, and I shall always be grateful to the Middle Child team for giving me such a wonderful opportunity, for believing in me and for supporting me throughout. They are the most beautiful souls that I have ever had the privilege to meet - caring, supportive and utterly fabulous!
So, what now, you may ask?
This process has helped me so much as a writer, moving from writing novels to playwriting, and it has improved my confidence and belief in myself dramatically.
I’m going to extend ‘Save the Wreck’ to a 70–90-minute full-length play and am hoping to get it further commissioned. There are so many more antics the four characters get up to, not forgetting the badger!
I’m also starting a seventeen-week advanced scriptwriting course with John Yorke in September as I am writing a six-part comedy drama for TV. I aim to finish the final draft of my middle grade vampire novel too – I’m going to be busy, but I’ll keep you posted.
I want to finish by saying a huge thank you to all at Middle Child, Fresh Ink, Matthew May for all your dramaturgical support and guidance throughout, Paul Smith, Sarah Penney, Jamie Potter, and the whole team.
To my fabulous actors :who brought my words to life, Ruby Ana-Masson, Charlie Blanshard, Corey Rylands, Noor Sobka and Maureen Lennon, for being a brilliant director. I loved working with you all.
A huge thank you to Peter Levy and the team at the BBC studios.
Well done to all the amazing writers, and I wish you much luck for the future. I loved watching every one of your plays – you are just fab!
Photos: Studio Blue Creative for Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival
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