"I've always said I'll stop just as soon as The X Factor stops. The X Factor stops I stop that's the deal."
It's Saturday night and the judges are gathering for their prime-time slot, feeding the nation their weekly fix. Except the harshest critics are sitting on your sofa and the mute button doesn't seem to work.
Frank, a recovering drug addict, Katie, his long-suffering wife and Rosanna, their next-door neighbour and X Factor addict, gather for tv and dinner on a Saturday night. The evening begins with football and banter but it soon descends into arguments and revelations. While Frank is a newly recovered addict battling with both his recovery and the suspicions of others, Rosanna festers in resentment against her husband who prioritised cocaine over family, Deanne is an alcoholic, and Katie is simply addicted to addicts themselves.
Written by Nick Grosso, the author of hit plays including Kosher Harry and Real Classy Affair, this character-driven play is full of piercing, dark humour and veils uncompromising truths behind quick fire banter. Portraying the devastating effects of addiction on lives and relationships, the characters must try to cope and carry on in the face of addictive lures.
Ingredient X is a tough, abrasive new comedy exploring the dynamics of different types of addiction in modern life, from The X Factor to Class A drugs.