YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE NORTH EAST TO TOUR THEIR ORIGINAL THEATRE SHOW ABOUT GROWING UP ONLINE

• Ten young people from across Northumberland have developed WIRED, a powerful, funny and honest exploration of their experiences, hopes and fears about technology. 
• Co-created with local artists from award-winning theatre drama company Mortal Fools, WIRED will ask how being constantly online shapes who we are and how we feel in 2026. 
• The show will come to three venues across the north east in March and April, before being filmed for national release as debates grow about the impact of AI and a social media ban for under-16s. 

A brand new stage show, set to tour the North East this spring, is putting the online 
experiences of local young people centre stage. 

Mortal Fools Ensemble Young Company will present WIRED, devised and 
performed by its cast of young people from Ashington and the Tyne Valley. The 
show will highlight their talents and dig into what it really means to grow up in a 
digital world – amid all the tension, pressure, drama, and connection that comes with it.  

​Audiences can expect an original soundtrack, bold set design and a powerful story 
that we can all relate to. This isn’t just a theatre show, it’s real talk about how social 
media, AI, and being constantly online shape who we are and how we feel in 2026. 
The production will come to Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub on Saturday 
21 March, Gosforth Civic Theatre on Sunday 12 and Monday 13 April, before a 
final show at Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 16 April. 

Touring the region at a time when the government is consulting on and considering a possible under-16s social media ban as part of broader online safety measures, 
WIRED is a relatable must-see for teenagers, young people and anyone interested in 
understanding the impact of life online. 

Mortal Fools Lead Practitioner and WIRED Director Scott Wilson said: “It has been 
such a pleasure to work with our Ensemble Young Company to produce WIRED. 
“For every passing generation, the presence of social media and the online world in 
our everyday lives – particularly through our phones – becomes more immediate and significant. WIRED explores both the connections and the challenges that young 
people find online, in a way that’s witty, emotional and unfiltered.” 

“I'm hugely proud of the work that the Ensemble group have put into developing the 
show. This is a completely original story, where everyone has brought their own 
experiences – the good, the bad and the ridiculous – to the table, and what they’ve 
created together is remarkable.” 

Zoe Lamming, Mortal Fools Practitioner and Dramaturg, said: 
“You can expect to be entertained, to have lots of fun, and to really enjoy hearing 
young people’s perspectives about what life is like online for them. It’ll make you 
think and it’s so heartfelt too; we hope you’ll find that it’ll connect closely to your lives and experiences.” 

Mortal Fools will work with Newcastle-based Meerkat Films to bring the production 
to the screen, ensuring it reaches more audiences across the UK. The filmed version 
will act as a resource for schools, youth and community groups, helping to foster vital conversations about life online and will be released later in 2026. For updates, 
audiences can subscribe to the Mortal Fools newsletter. 

Click here to find out more about WIRED and book tickets.