HighTide Festival Theatre is one of the UK’s leading producers of new plays, and the only professional theatre focused on the production of new playwrights. Currently they read and consider around 1000 scripts a year, from which they then work with 100 playwrights on a range of development opportunities, from workshops to full productions. Under Steven Atkinson, Artistic Director since 2007, HighTide have premièred major productions by playwrights including Ella Hickson, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Nick Payne, Adam Brace, Beth Steel, Laura Poliakoff, Luke Barnes, Vickie Donoghue, Lydia Adetunji and Joel Horwood.