Hull Playwriting Festival returns this weekend

Two days of bold new plays, writing masterclasses and theatre-making talks come to Hull’s Fruit Market this weekend.

Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival will showcase early drafts of new plays by local writers in a marquee on Stage@TheDock.

Meanwhile workshops and talks from award-winning, internationally-renowned writers and theatre-makers will take place in a pop-up space on nearby Pier Street.

Jim Norris’ play No Scrap, No Chips follows Hessle Road rag and bone men as they reunite on the horse and cart.

Jim said: “The play is a tribute to the men I worked with on the cart over the years of my childhood. “Storytellers, agitators, fighters and, in a way, poets. Just poets who would take my head off if I was cheeky to them.”

Noor Sobka has written Colonel Gaddaddy, a 30-minute comedy about a young girl who learns her dad is a dictator. Noor said: “The themes of the story are particularly important, given that financial hardship and fascism are ravaging the world. “I think weird situations and people do gravitate towards me, so I resonate with main character Amira in that respect.”

Samuel Sims and Jay Grainger have also written a 30-minute play together, Everyone We Know Has Kids, about the challenges of queer parenting. They said: “We wanted to write a piece that prompts conversations about those of us who can’t have children, where the audience might come away with questions, not necessarily answers, reflecting the reality for many like us. “When we’ve opened up in our own life and wanted others to know how we feel, the response has often been silence, awkwardness, or cliched advice, because most people are only used to talking about the needs of those with a family, not those without.”

Workshops include How to Write Across Media, with Hull playwright and EastEnders writer Lydia Marchant, as well as How to Write Plays that Change the World, with Winsome Pinnock, the first Black female British playwright to be produced by the National Theatre.

Talks include How I Explore Transfem Rage on Stage with playwright Tabby Lamb and How I Act in New Plays with Peaky Blinders star Samuel Edward-Cook.

All events are ticketed at £3-10 pay what you decide, with some events free, such as the sharing of short plays by the Middle Child Writers’ Group.

Paul Smith, artistic director of festival producers Middle Child, said: “Fresh Ink was our favourite weekend of 2024, with two joyous days bringing people together to celebrate big ideas and bold new writing.

“We’re delighted to return for a second year, thanks to our ongoing partnership with co-founders Wykeland and the support of the J F Brignall Charitable Trust, University of Hull and Hull City Council.

“This year’s line-up is incredibly exciting, platforming plays by established and emerging writers, brought to life by a company of brilliant actors and supplemented by a workshop programme led by some of the sector’s most interesting artists.

“Fresh Ink’s second edition comes at a moment of continued challenge for the arts and new writing in particular. We’re proud to once again invest in new voices and untold stories, proving that ambitious, locally relevant work is the beating heart of the UK’s renowned theatre scene.

“Many of last year’s featured plays have already secured full commissions, proving that Fresh Ink shapes stories that will soon be seen on major national stages.

“We’d love to see you there, watching some plays, learning some new skills and soaking up the sunshine.”

Fresh Ink: Hull Playwriting Festival is produced by Middle Child and sponsored by co-founders Wykeland, supported by J F Brignall Charitable Trust, Hull City Council, the University of Hull, Hull Truck Theatre and Garrick Charitable Trust.

Visit freshinkhull.co.uk for more information about the festival and to book tickets.