Star Stone saw first hand what it is like to be in the middle of a pile-on

This article was published in our ‘Stop The Trolls’ special for International Women’s Day 2025

A ONE-woman show about the true life experience of a woman being trolled online relentlessly for years is set to perform in London this summer after success in New York and at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Villain Era is a multimedia comedy show written and based on the life of Star Stone who in 2019 experienced overnight internet fame when she was cast in a Youtube reality show called Vegans versus meat eaters – where contestants find the non-vegan mole for a cash prize.

The video went viral, to over 17 million views and Ms Stone said she was painted as the “villain”, subjecting her to years of online harassment and trolling.

Ms Stone said: “I never thought I could be perceived as a villain so what that does is it makes you question your whole identity, thinking 100,000 people see me this way. But I’m not really like this so it can be very shocking to your system. I think that shockwave continued for quite some time. It never didn’t sting.”

Taking this experi­ence as inspiration, Ms Stone curated Villain Era over a five-year period – a show set to premiere in London in June.

“It’s a comedy. I think every challenge has something to teach us and if we can laugh at ourselves we have won,” she said.

“Truly the actual video itself is funny and is supposed to be something silly.

“It wasn’t at the time but the idea that such a small performance could have such a ripple effect to people in that way shows you the kind of pent up unresolved anger that a lot of people have and find outlets in these comments sections. “But on a serious note, it does make you concerned. People were calling my parents’ home which is detailed in the show, stalking me and finding my place of work.”

Star Stone has turned her experience into a new show coming to London this summer

“It is awful but it didn’t make me angry, it made me sad and scared.” Ms Stone said that the comments were often aggressive and focused through the lens of her gender. She said: “The show highlights how online trolling is dangerous and how it does affect your mental health.

“Everyone gets that by the end of the show because we inundate the audience with laughter but you’re seeing all the abusive language being used. Women are easy targets because of misogyny and the patriarchy.

“It’s ingrained in us and unfortunately it’s a social and cultural learning – we learn it over time through the way our societies are built. In Edinburgh when I performed the play I had a lot of tears, a lot of women sadly resonate with the play’s subject matter and recognise it within themselves.”

The show premiered in New York in 2024 and was played for a month at the Edin­burgh Fringe Festival last summer.

It was due to be at Camden People’s Theatre this month but has been cancelled.

The London premiere is in June at the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham.