Synopsis

A teenage girl’s bedroom, illuminated by the glow of a computer screen. The sound of a modem dialling up echoes through the silence as Dani enters an online chatroom, seeking connection in a world that feels increasingly disconnected.

Dani, a 17-year-old struggling with an eating disorder, finds an unlikely friend in Tim, a middle-aged man recently released from prison for sex offences against children. As their relationship deepens both online and in person, Dani’s world becomes increasingly complex, navigating her fraught relationship with her mother Jan, and a budding romance with Lewis, another online acquaintance.

Prebble’s dialogue crackles with dark humour and painful honesty as she explores themes of isolation, addiction, and the human need for connection. Through Dani’s eyes, we see a world where morality is far more complex than simple black and white, and where the lines between victim and perpetrator can blur in unexpected ways. As the characters hurtle towards an explosive conclusion, The Sugar Syndrome asks: in a society obsessed with instant gratification, what are we willing to sacrifice for a moment of genuine human connection?