'There was a fork in her face. An actual fork. He dug a fork into her face. A fork stood on end in her cheek. A fork.'

The smallest tremble. A smashed glass. The ripping apart of space and time.

Three couples. Thirty years. Mothers and daughters. Lovers, partners, husbands and wives. Babies, teenagers, birthdays, holidays, honeymoons, fireworks, near-misses, rain. This is a play about all of it.

A devastating and delicately woven piece about violence, love and loss, Phoebe Eclair-Powell's Shed: Exploded View won the 2019 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. Partly inspired by Cornelia Parker's stunning artwork Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, it was first performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2024, directed by Atri Banerjee.

About the Author

Phoebe Eclair-Powell's other plays include Dorian, Harm, Epic Love & Pop Songs, Fury and WINK.

Reviews

'A gritty and intensely moving account of domestic violence... it is honest, and raw, and left me in bits'

* Telegraph *

'A formally ambitious exploration of love and violence... Shed: Exploded View shatters and reassembles time, leaving us to pick through the wreckage... Eclair-Powell holds individual moments up to the light, inviting us to see the darkness thrown by seemingly trivial incidents... quietly devastating'

* The Stage *

'Love, loss and horrific male violence... a play that is as subtle as it is unsettling'

* Guardian *

'A bracing confrontation with the doom loop society seems locked in... Incisive about the relationships domestic abuse destroys, and women's attempts to shield each other from it'

* WhatsOnStage *

'A commanding exploration into the complexities of relationships, facing hard truths, and devastating moments of violence... heartbreaking and gut wrenching'

* Reviews Hub *

'An intriguing and fascinating play with a moving, tragic story at the heart of it'

* British Theatre Guide *

'An absolutely wonderful play... a searing examination of the cyclical nature of violence and the ways in which it permeates language and societal norms... Eclair-Powell's writing is sharp and incisive, unafraid to tackle difficult subject matter with honesty and nuance... just breathtaking... one hell of an experience'

* I Love Manchester *


Awards
Winner of Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2019.



Book Information
ISBN 9781839042744
Author Phoebe Eclair-Powell
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Weight(grams) 160g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 10mm