HUGH BONNEVILLE: Downton to Darkest Peru - a behind the scenes tour

The actor, wit and gentleman pin-up gives a rare stage interview to the producer and director Paul Schlesinger. Those lucky enough to have seen Hugh Bonneville on stage know there are many more sides to this actor than the quintessential English aristocrat, Robert, Earl of Grantham, he plays so brilliantly in the ITV period classic Downton Abbey. The bemused conviction with which he played Ian Fletcher in the BBC comedy series Twenty Twelve and again in W1A revealed a terrific aptitude for comedy cemented by his role as Mr Brown in the trilogy of Paddington films. Hugh is about to reprise the role of Ian Fletcher in John Morton’s highly anticipated Twenty Twenty Six a six-part mockumentary series focusing on the chaotic organising committee behind this year’s World Cup.

Paul Schlesinger has produced and directed a stack of award-winning series on both radio and television including Power Monkeys (Channel 4), Funny Women (Sky), Still Up (Apple TV Plus), Twenty Twelve, W1A and People Like Us (all BBC). He regularly directs plays for the INK Festival and is one of our treasured trustees.

Hugh Bonneville will be signing copies of his childrens’ novel Roy Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room in the foyer after the show.

Buxton’s poetry is an average guy’s guide to the problem of making friends while grappling with sport, sit coms and social anxiety. The title refers to his collection of poems recently published by The Emma Press. Book signing afterwards.

CHILDRENS WORKSHOP - ENCHANTED BEACH with Esther Freud & Emma Chinnery FREE event

Meet the illustrator and author for a draw-along of the little dog and reading from the Enchanted Beach, with both writer Esther Freud and illustrator Emma Chinnery.

Drawing and story time will run for 45 mins.

Doors Open :13:00

Duration: 13:30 to 14:15

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

The beloved BBC Radio 4 comedy classic returns for a special one-off performance,

with an introduction by the multi-award winning creator and writer of the series, Jan Etherington. The inimitable Angus Deayton and INK’s guiding light Helen Atkinson Wood play the ageless husband and wife who, against some very tall odds manage to stay together, laugh together and love together. A rare chance to see, in the flesh, the two roles made famous on the wireless by Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam.

Book signing in the Foyer afterwards.

INK Sunday Funday is a special event running alongside the INK Festival designed for all ages, featuring a lively mix of family-friendly activites, storytelling, comedy, music, and interactive workshops. It’s a chance for audiences to experience the joy of live performance in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

Workshop - Adrian Poynton WRITING COMEDY

Writing Comedy - An interactive workshop to help progress your comedic writing skills for TV, film and stage. A fun dive into dialogue, situation and character within comedy writing.

Doors Open: 10:30
Duration: 11:00 to 1:00

Workshop - IMPROV COMEDY WORKSHOP with Joe McArdle

Improvisation Comedy Workshop with Joe McArdle. Ready to think fast, laugh hard, and unleash your inner comedy genius? Join award-winning comedian, writer, and master improviser Joe McArdle for a fun, and fast-paced improv workshop that will sharpen your wit, boost your confidence, and help you own the stage like a pro. Whether you’re a budding comic or just want to break free from overthinking, this session is all about quick thinking, big laughs, and zero pressure. Get out of your head and into the moment—because in improv, there are no mistakes, only punchlines!

Workshop Leader Joe McArdle is a twice BAFTA-nominated comedian, writer, and improviser who has made waves across stand-up, TV, radio, and film. A seasoned performer, he has toured the UK with his stand-up, delivering sharp, quick-witted comedy that leaves audiences in stitches. Off-stage, Joe is a prolific writer, crafting comedy for Channel 4, BBC, BBC Radio 4, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. As a co-writer for award-winning satirist Munya Chawawa, he’s helped create viral, razor-sharp sketches that have amassed over 1 billion views worldwide. His work spans theatre, radio, television, and film, proving his versatility in the ever-evolving world of comedy. With a deep understanding of what makes people laugh—whether on stage or behind the scenes—Joe is the perfect guide to help you boost your confidence, sharpen your comedic instincts, and embrace the unpredictability of improv.

Doors Open: 9:30

Duration: 10:00 to 12:00

Dead Ringers Jan Ravens and Jon Culshaw

An evening with Jan Ravens and Jon Culshaw - The Stars of Radio 4's Dead Ringers as part of the INK Festival in Halesworth. ​

Running time approx: 7.30pm - 9.30pm with a 20 minute interval

Drinks can be purchased from the bar to carry in to the Auditorium and the bar will be open during the interval

Carers go free.

Parental Guidance advised for under 13s.

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

Later Life Letter tells the story of Luke Wright’s adoption – the life he leads and the one he might have done. What’s it like to stumble across your birth mother on Facebook? How do you honour the parents who raised you while sating the desire to know where you come from? Is it telling that you married a social worker? The poet prince Luke Wright has a magical chemistry with words that has made him one of the best performance poets in the world. This frank account of what it means to be someone else’s child is his most personal poetry to date, told with wit that cuts like a knife and pathos that draws tears. Expect a little smattering of drum ‘n bass amidst the Sturm und Drang. Book signing in the Foyer afterwards.

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

Everything you want to know about sex on screen and stage is revealed in this illustrated presentation by Lucy Fennell, a top professional Intimacy Coordinator whose working life is spent ensuring actors are consenting and comfortable in scenes of simulated sex, nudity and shock moments of vulnerability. Find out how this relatively new role has evolved from someone who has worked at very close quarters on bodice-rippers such as Bridgerton, The Witcher, All of Us Strangers and True Detective. With audience Q&A’s.

Hickson-Lovence’s show includes readings from his verse-inspired novel About to Fall Apart. A journey through identity, masculinity, grief and survival told with humour, anger and hope. Book signing afterwards.

Workshop with Nicola Werenowska TELLING UNTOLD TALES

Led by award winning neurodivergent playwright & creative writing tutor, Nicola Werenowska, this creative writing workshop is for writers of all levels and all genres. Whether you have a burning story you’re keen to explore or an idea you’re not quite sure about, Nicola will invite you to discover and explore the stories that matter to you through a series of fun group and individual exercises, drawing on her own storytelling experience and on her current play STAR SISTERS about the lives of Jane and Anne Taylor, two Colchester sisters who wrote the lyrics to the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star nursery rhyme in 1806 in Colchester's Dutch Quarter.

Doors Open:10:30

Duration: 11:00 to 13:00

INKlings Day of Drama with MissAdventures Theatre Company!

Do you have a dramatic 6-8 year old that would love the chance to come and experiment with all things theatre? Do you have a little one at home in need of a boost in confidence and a fun, creative day with no pressure to perform?

MissAdventures Theatre Company are delighted to be joining INK Festival 2025 for the 4th year running, bringing their own brand of dramatic whimsy designed especially for ages 6-8 years.

With drama games, a huge collection of hilarious costumes, props & hats plus loads of theatrical stimuli to get the creative ideas flowing - this special workshop day will be jam packed full of theatre-making fun!

This class is the perfect gentle introduction to drama with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere but also great for those already used to flexing their theatrical muscles.

Send your young actors our way on Saturday 18 and/or Sunday 19 April from 10am - 3pm for a dramatic day of fun.

Date: Saturday 18 and/or Sunday 19 April

Venue: Holton Village Hall

Ages: 6-8 years Time: 10am - 3pm

What to bring: Comfy clothes, soft shoes, packed lunch, and water bottle.

Please click on the link and complete the registration form - your child's place on the workshop will only be confirmed on completion of the form

https://www.inkfestival.org/missadventures-registration

FREE

Any queries, please contact tor@inkfestival.org

Alistair McGowan - 3 in 1

Following the success of his Sony album reaching No 1 in the Classical charts, Alistair McGowan reinvents himself as a three-in-one master impressionist, comedian and classical pianist. He’s also something of a poet after publishing a collection last year Not What We Were Expecting. Expect the comedy and impressions for which Alistair is famous with musical gems by Debussy, Satie, Bryce Dessau and Amy Beach accompanied by a twist or two of very clever poesie.

“Alistair McGowan’s impressions are faultless” The Sunday Times

“He plays the piano splendidly” The Observer

“You don’t get to be a great impressionist without a feel for rhythm and rhyme and pitch. These are terrific, truthful poems” Sir Richard Stilgoe

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

Actor, director and theatre Renaissance man, Nick Hutchison, is a leading expert on the many weird and wonderful stagings of Shakespeare. His interactive talk explores how even the greatest plays have been altered, adapted and augmented across the centuries. He speaks from experience having directed, acted, or indeed, written about them. Nick works regularly with drama schools, universities and major theatre companies around the world.

A performance poet from Norwich. Her poetry is eclectic, mixing funny, intricate wordplay with a quirky performance style. Her debut spoken word album ‘We Met On The Stairs Of A Bungalow’ has had multiple tracks played on BBC Radio and is available on vinyl as well as all streaming platforms.

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

Suffolk Shorts presents a vibrant selection of outstanding short films by East Anglian filmmakers. This year’s programme is notably diverse, featuring a love letter to Dunwich captured on a single unedited Super 8 roll, a surprise party that spirals into chaos, a stop‑motion music video set in Halesworth, a charity shop comedy and an award‑winning coming‑of‑age drama.

Skelter Director: Max Morgan (11:00)

Filthy and Wrecked Director: Blythe Paynter (04:40)

Where r u mate Director: Ted Bracewell (13:10)

So Far, So Good Director: Beth Perkin (05:09)

Surprise Director: Dave Gardner (10:30)

Abby ’n Crabby Director: Olivia Stevens (01:58)

A Smile for Her Director: Daniel Keeble (07:15)

The Lost City Director: Amy Marie Gladding (03:15)

Easy Sell Directors: Ken Anglia, Ash Meshkati (07:10)

Last Night in Town Director: George Farrow-Hawkins (03:39)

Workshop with Rob John - Absolute Beginners

Two hours

Always fancied writing a play but didn’t know where or how to start? This practical hands-on workshop will give you some of the tools you might need to open up your first dramatic script. Everyone has to start somewhere. Here’s a safe, friendly place to take that first step.

Doors Open: 10:00AM

Duration: 10:30 to 12:30

Five of the Best from BBC National Short Story Awards

Di Speirs, latterly BBC Radio's Books Editor and founder and now chair of the BBC National Short Story Award, introduces a special showcase of work by five writers that reflects the sparkling variety of this challenging form. Now in its 21st year, the Award is the biggest and most prestigious prize for a single short story in the UK. Renowned for its celebration of short form fiction, this specially curated selection of excerpts from the stories will be read live on stage with a stellar cast. This is a brand-new collaboration with INK.

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Drinks can be purchased from the bar to carry in to the Auditorium and the bar will be open during the interval.

Carers go free.

Parental Guidance advised for under 13s.

SPECIAL EVENT - INCLUDED IN FESTIVAL TICKET

Chances are you’ve never heard of Paul Brown but he tells you all sorts of things whether you want to hear them or not. He has one of the most famous voices in the country but you wouldn’t know him from Adam. Is this a blessing or a curse? Paul is, of course one of the most successful voice-over artists in the world, describing everything from classy hatchbacks to luxury holidays via the usual terms and conditions. For a brief illustrated hour, Paul will explore the mystery of the voiceover in 3D. Steven Toast, eat your heart out.

Livingstone’s spoken word poems are reflections on cruel times and strange places. His ‘in yer face’ rhymes are scattered with dark wicked wit, adult themes and sinful laughter.

SPECIAL EVENT - included in festival ticket

There are travellers and then there are time travellers. No one, with the possible exception of

Dr Who, has careered through our past as madly as Sir Tony, first as the hapless Baldric in Blackadder and then as the Ulrika Jonsson of archeology in Time Team and latterly The Worst Jobs in History. Our patron saint Helen Atkinson Wood talks to him about his extraordinary life.

A review in words and song

A fundraising evening celebrating 10 YEARS of INK!
Featuring performances by Vinvent Franklin, Hilary Greatorex, Rob Gildon, Madeleine Holmes and Gretel Dowdeswell.

Bar and 'Salty Smackers'.

Directions to Henham Barns.The entrance is from the A12, north of the Southwold turning.

We’re looking for talented performers ready to bring fresh stories to life on stage. Whether you’re an experienced actor or new to the spotlight, this is your chance to be part of the vibrant energy that makes INK Festival unforgettable.

To download Auditions Sides please click here and select the POD/S you have been given.