It’s 1688, Paris. 20-year-old Julie stands in front of a blazing convent. She’s just burnt it down and now she’s on the run. Dressed in a dead nun’s habit, she has the body of her young lover over her shoulder. The lover she’s just rescued from a life as a nun and who’s currently out for the count.

But that’s the least of Julie’s problems. Hot on their heels are her lover’s parents, her fencing master ex-boyfriend, her husband and the King of France.

Julie’s always lived on the edge - a blade’s edge. That's Julie D’Aubigny - a gender fluid, sword wielding, opera singing badass.

With an eye for a pretty face and a blade for an angry suitor, Julie lives life on her terms. Trained like a man but treated like a woman, she’s going to find her place in the world and no one will stop her.

Not even God.

But she’s just burned down some serious real estate - and he’s not going to forgive her that easily.

Set in a chillingly near-future UK, A New Eden follows Sarah, a senior MP and fierce defender of women's rights, as she faces the ultimate test: a government poised to strip reproductive freedoms under the guise of national survival. When Sarah’s own adopted daughter, Carrie, announces a pregnancy she doesn’t want, Sarah’s political convictions collide brutally with her personal world, threatening her career, her family’s safety and her soul.

Inspired by the real-world rollback of rights and rising global conservatism A New Eden, shines a light on the thin line between protection and oppression and exposes the insidious pressures to control women’s bodies in the name of “traditional values” and national interest.

A New Eden challenges us to ask: when governments tighten their grip, who stands for freedom and what would you sacrifice for choice, for hope and a future worth fighting for?

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.
ADDICT 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

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.

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 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
ADDICT delivers 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.

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.

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

When David is diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer, he tells his 6-year-old son Joe that Bad Mr Mole has made him sick. As David’s condition worsens, Joe decides he’s going to catch the bad mole and make his dad better again.

As David undergoes treatment he and Joe try to make sense of the changes that are happening in their lives with the help of family, medical staff and Joe’s teacher.

Bad Mr Mole is a short radio play and an exploration of the fears parents have for their children and the stories they create to shield them from the harsh realities of life, however devastating. It is also a story of triumph over hope and how that hope can be dashed in a single moment.

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.

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.