Drama that predicted smartphone crisis hits London

With sound design by Radiohead producer Jim Warren, the ‘Super Connected – Come To Life Tour’ hits theatres, schools and cinemas this May, in an electrifying live experience that fuses together the album and film drama in a multimedia exposé of how tech companies fuel digital addiction in families.

With a career spanning 26 albums released independently with no corporate backing, Tim is taking on the tech billionaires who profit from digital dependency.

Based on the true story of a teenager’s addiction to social media, Tim directed the feature-length film in 2019, with narration from Stephen Fry and SFX from the Harry Potter team. Completed during the early days of the pandemic, it was shelved during the lockdowns, when our dependence on screens made it impossible to release a film that criticised their dangers. Now, in 2025, after the success of Netflix’s Adolescence, the film’s warning about the dangers of screen-use and social media arrives at a time when its message has never been more urgent.

Praised as “ground-breaking” by The Times, the live events also offer post-show ‘Screenless Socials’—where parents share and reflect on raising children in the digital age, while in a smartphone-free space. Actress Kate Alderton, who stars in the film and directs the live events, said “The result is a dialogue between Tim, the film and us as the audience, as we journey through the complex relationships we have with our screens, our desire to be watched, to hide, and to be seen.”

Super Connected tells the story of one family’s struggle to navigate life on their side of the screens while Big Tech profits on the other. The film will be screened exclusivelyon the tour and is not available online.

Tim Arnold said, “Big Tech’s biggest deception is that their services make us come to life. But the truth is we, as human beings, together, make each other come to life. And this tour is to help us remember that.”

Tim has partnered with Health Professionals for Safer Screens, a campaign group of doctors backing the Safer Phones Bill, which aims to make addictive social media algorithms illegal—an issue central to every song on the Super Connected album. Dr Becky Foljambe, founder of the group, said, "Tim’s work reflects where professionals and creative arts collide to inspire and empower parents and children."

This year, Tim celebrates one year living smartphone-free.

Supported by Help Musicians and Arts Council England, the tour has also teamed up with UK-based charity Delay Smartphones, who campaign to raise awareness about the harms caused by smartphones.

Arnold will perform the album live alongside its accompanying feature film, in which he also stars. Musician and performance artist Sarah Kershaw will accompany Tim for the live shows. Suitability: 14+

At its core, Super Connected reimagines the silent movie format, with Tim Arnold performing live and on-screen simultaneously, immersing audiences in a multi-sensory journey that blends cinematic storytelling in a blistering tour-de-force rock concert. Kate Alderton, the show’s director and the film’s lead actress, facilitates the interactive ‘PhoneFreeze’ ritual, where audience members can place their phones into lockable pouches, allowing them to fully disconnect for the duration of the performance to benefit the full multi-sensory experience.

After each show, a ‘Screenless Social’ gives audiences the chance to meet and discuss the experience, free from screens or digital distractions. The shows are already being referred to as happenings.

Despite growing demand, plans to release the feature-length film on streaming platforms are not being considered. Arnold explains:

"It’s rare these days for a film to only exist as a shared experience. Most entertainment is distilled into content we consume alone. Super Connected is about stepping outside our solitary filter bubble to experience more together, in the real world. This film has work to do in the real world before it joins the digital landfill! I’m so excited we get to do this tour, thank you Help Musicians and Arts Council England!”

Tickets for Super Connected Live at The Cockpit Theatre on 6th June are on sale now, available from www.superconnected.technology