Jonny the seagull’s pet human, Irene, is struggling with life and her inner demons. When a tragedy turns her life upside down, can Jonny save her from the dangers and more importantly from herself

Jonny the seagull watches over his “pet” human Irene, a homeless beachcomber, as she struggles with her life; isolated from the community she belongs to and trying to find freedom. When “Lucy” falls from the cliff top above, Irene’s world is thrown into chaos. When Irene witnesses a young man, Gavin, at the incident and who then returns to the scene of the crime to secure her silence, he triggers painful memories from her past. As two police officers seek to discover what happened to Lucy, they suspect Irene knows more than she is willing to reveal and that her fragile well-being is at risk. Can Jonny protect his Irene from the intrusion to her life and more importantly save her from being overwhelmed by the trauma from her past.

The Seagull\\\'s Eye is an absurdist play dealing with poverty, mental health, homelessness and isolation but shows the transformative power of love and tolerance, even in the bleakest of circumstances and from the most unlikely sources.

31 WORDS. TWO LIVES RUINED.

John can take or leave social media – until his tweet goes viral. Then the trolls attack. With pride dented and seeking revenge, John creates an alter-ego to expose his abusers with devastating consequences.

A powerful, thought-provoking play for our times that taps into the dark side of social media with resonance for anyone who has ever posted online. Addict is an explosive, 60-minute rollercoaster ride portraying the power and perils of social media and its potential impact on mental health. It challenges the anonymity social media provides to those who spread toxicity and hate to turn the social terrifyingly anti-social. So, hold on tight and don’t forget to breathe.

From emerging playwright Tony Voller, who was triggered by his own experience of a social media backlash, Addict explores the consequences of posting online through the eyes of paramedic John who catapults from ordinary guy to overnight sensation when his tweet ignites a viral storm. But not everyone ‘likes’ what he has to say. As John gets sucked deeper into his darker online world his real-world life falls apart with alarming speed. Creating an alter-ego, John arranges a meeting with an abusive troll which ends in violence and John is arrested. As he awaits trial, his life devastated, John questions whether he is the criminal or the victim.

BROADWAY BABY ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Utterly compelling, unsettlingly relatable and a must-see offering at this year's Fringe. A must see.
Addict introduces us to the central character of John, who, after a tweet (or whatever it is we're meant to call them these days) goes viral, slips into the murky world of social media addiction. A spiralling set of circumstances, actions and missteps lead John further down the rabbit hole, and we see just how damaging leading a double life (online and actual) can be.
Craig Barclay's natural and effortlessly conversational style retains a skilful theatrical delivery as he swaps seamlessly between the likeable John and his enigmatically dangerous alter ego Joe; a masterful performance from a superbly skilled actor.
The writing is nuanced and delicate but pulls no punches as it dissects the loathsome nature of the necessary evil that has become a part of everyday life, and the direction keeps the subject material from becoming too downbeat with many well-honed and unexpected moments of comedy.
I don't want to write too much more about Addict as it is a show that will be better experienced first-hand, but in short, this is an excellent piece of work. Utterly compelling, unsettlingly relatable and a must-see offering at this year's Fringe.
Reviewer: Ben Humphrey

THE WEE REVIEW ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Powerful one-man play about the dangers of social media addiction
When seemingly-upstanding paramedic John becomes addicted to social media following a viral tweet he posts, he has little idea of how much this compulsion will consume him, as his plans to take revenge on a misogynistic tweeter threatens not only his health, job and relationship, but also his freedom.
This one-man play is a powerful depiction of one man’s descent into social media addiction and how it has devastating consequences for all aspects of his life. Playwright Tony Voller charts a clear trajectory of John’s decline, beginning with how his initial chasing of the high of getting likes develops into an unhealthy fixation on exacting revenge against the tweeter who threatens his girlfriend. Voller not only uses this structure to effectively depict the sheer extent of right-wing toxic masculine views amongst Twitter users, but also to show how easy it is for an outwardly-progressive man like John to start exhibiting some of these views himself.
Craig Barclay gives a fantastic performance as John, switching between multiple characters and accents at speed and propelling himself across the small stage to physically reenact precarious physical actions to do the work of an ensemble cast. In particular, he impresses in his transitions between John and his online persona, going from sensitive Scot to macho Cockney by not only changing his voice but also his body language from stillness to swaggering without missing a beat. In addition, Barclay manages to equally embody all the facets of John’s character, from his early stability to the gradual revelation of his own toxically masculine elements and his mental deterioration.
The dual strengths of the script and lead performance are what make Addict an unmissable and powerful play about an ever-growing contemporary social issue affecting many not only in Britain, but worldwide.
Reviewer: Adam Thornton

NORTHWESTEND ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Motovoho Productions deliver an exceptional piece of storytelling which will have you at the edge of your seat.
This new piece of writing hooks you into the addictive dark side of social media use. Where the line between what’s virtual and real, can disappear within the space of 174 characters of a simple Tweet.
Written by Tony Voller, Addict is structured and based around the five stages of addiction which demonstrates the psychological impact and behavioral changes as addiction takes hold. In this case, triggering a freefalling snowball effect of when reality is blurred upon the creation of an online alter ego.
Likeable Paramedic John unexpectedly becomes a Twitter sensation after a tweet challenging a misogynistic comment made against a female MP goes viral, turning John into an overnight hero.
Amongst all the likes and comments is the expected attacks from trolls who make toxic and highly offensive misogynistic comments about John’s girlfriend. John creates an alter ego to expose his abusers accumulating in an uncontrollable, devastating crescendo.
Performed by Craig Barclay as John, whose engaging style of storytelling is conversational. Enriched with gestures and natural pauses, providing space to allow the brilliant writing to breathe.
Barclay holds the audience in the palm of his hand as he describes how his world starts to fall apart around him as the grip of the online world squeezes him tighter and tighter.
Reviewer: Gill Lewis

EDFRINGE REVIEW ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Fresh, modern and an excellent watch

Addict presents a Black Mirror-worthy technology-based fall from grace. It's dark, it's witty and it holds a powerful message. Presented in 5 stages, each representing the stages of addiction, actor Craig Barclay presents a tale of the dangers of chasing a social media-induced dopamine rush. With constant mention of how much traction his Twitter post has received, we are reminded of how easy it is to chase pointless numbers, instead of living in the real world.
His accents are impressive and varied, and his tone changes completely between characters in an unnervingly brilliant way. The descriptions of Twitter trolls are accurate, complete with remoaners, stop the boats and THOSE accounts boasting the St George's cross as a header.
The switching of his cap from forwards to backwards to represent the main character’s alter ego is effective. The role of the alter ego demonstrates the dangers of the anonymity social media, and why trolls are able to spread hatred.
After his tweet defending a misogynistically mistreated MP goes viral, John receives a malicious reply from a troll. Mark, stop the boats anti tree hugger arsenal forever, had stated that women always want it and threatened to rape John’s girlfriend.
As the performance progresses, John becomes increasingly addicted to his Twitter account and to befriending Mark, slowly morphing into his bigoted alter ego. As his life derails in front of his eyes, and he remains in denial about his addiction, he hatches a plan to finally meet Mark, his new online pal. Upon meeting, chaos descends, ultimately ruining John’s life completely. His identity crisis as he flip flops between professional John, psycho John, and evil alter ego Joe, this play ends with John as the shadow of the man he once was. It's fast paced, it's shocking and it's fresh.
A remarkably professional performance, soundtracked by Twitter dings and the clutching of a mobile, this descent into madness aided by social media is troubling. I cannot help but be struck with how easily this chaos could unfold, making the point of the play abundantly clear.
Fresh, modern and an excellent watch, but be wary of distressing themes of sexual assault and addiction.
Reviewer: Bronwen Morgan

The story of Artemisia Gentileschi, a young prodigy discovered in 16th Century Rome, exploited by her mentors and collectors who used her notoriety to become one of the world’s celebrated artists. Our heroine’s journey is shown using the modern tropes of celebrity culture as employed in TV talent and reality shows, together with a Greek chorus representing those who watch her rise and fall, to show the perils of fame and the toxicity of power.