INK Festival has announced its 10th anniversary programme, celebrating a decade of short-form storytelling with new commissions from Richard Curtis and Esther Freud. The festival runs from 16 to 19 April 2026 in Halesworth, Suffolk, presenting its biggest programme to date.
Over four days, audiences can enjoy 70 new short plays selected from more than 1,000 submissions. The works will be staged in hour-long pods across Halesworth, performed by over 50 professional actors and directors in venues ranging from theatres to outdoor and pop-up locations including a Food Larder, Bowling Club, Scout Hut and Community Bus.
Richard Curtis contributes Portrait, following a famous actress who hires an artist to paint a birthday gift for her husband. Esther Freud’s Signs and Whispers explores a couple whose journey home from a magic show is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious figure from their past.
These pieces form part of the INKredibles initiative, which invites well-known writers to create new short plays exclusively for the festival.
Alongside the main programme, INK will host headline events featuring talks, performances and screenings. Highlights include appearances from Alistair McGowan, Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Luke Wright and Di Spiers, as well as conversations with Hugh Bonneville and Sir Tony Robinson. The festival will also showcase work from the BBC National Short Story Award and screen short films from the 2025 Suffolk Short Film Festival.
A free schools’ day on 20 April will open the festival to hundreds of students, offering access to new writing and theatre. Additional workshops and community events aim to support emerging creatives and engage local audiences.
Artistic Director Julia Sowerbutts said, “It’s hard to believe all those years ago what began as a tiny showcase of 15 shorts has now grown into the world’s biggest carnival of new short plays. Yes, ten festivals is a lot of festival. But INK has never just been about that.”
Associate Director James Christopher added, “Because these plays are short you never get bored. That doesn’t mean they lack ambition, wit, talent and twists. What makes INK so unique is the magic mix of performers and art. There really is something for everyone.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
