In his tower on an island in the river, Martuni weaves, masturbates and keeps fit.
His only distraction from the monotony? The horny suitors on his dating app: Reaper longs to be a dog at the foot of Martuni’s bed; Page wants to rescue Martuni in a hot air balloon and save him from the war, drought and environmental collapse; Shepherd invites himself round for sandwiches and trifle.
Will Martuni be lured outside? Or will the curse of his social anxiety and narcissism keep him imprisoned forever?

The Gentleman of Shalott is a queer adaptation of Tennyson’s C19th poem The Lady of Shalott, influenced by Theatre of the Absurd. Both thought-provoking and funny, the play explores themes of isolation; social media-induced anxiety; neurodiversity and our unwillingness to confront the climate crisis. It asks: if we can’t meet anyone in real life, who do we pretend to be and what lives do we pretend to lead?

The Stage listed it in 'Best things to see at the Edinburgh Fringe' – “provocative and insightful”; "Watkins proves a provocative and insightful voice on the queer theatre scene."

Paul T. Davies in Fringe Review: "beautifully crafted piece, unlike anything else I've seen at the year's Fringe... echoes of the great Samuel Beckett... Watkins gives an extraordinary performance, complex and entertaining... beautifully intelligent... Gothic masterpiece."
London Pub Theatres STANDING OVATION AWARD for OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION VALUES; also finalist for ‘Most Innovative Play’