Interview With The Playwright

We were thrilled when the playwright of HARM, Phoebe Eclair-Powell, agreed to do a Q and A with Mitch and Murray Productions. Enjoy!

Can you tell us about your conception of HARM?  Was it a slow burn over time or were you galvanized to write it rather suddenly?

I wrote HARM during one of the covid lockdowns in the UK. It was a very nerve-wracking time, of which I spent most of my life on social media, or doing the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron which is a must for any blocked writer. It immediately all came to me and I pretty much wrote most of it in one big word vomit. But then Lynette Linton and Deirdre O'Halloran from the Bush Theatre in London really helped me hone what the idea was about - that fine line between following someone on socials, to following them in real life.

Your protagonist’s descriptions of people are so vividly and viscerally drawn in HARM. Was the intention always to write it as a one-woman show and what are the unique opportunities of the solo show format?

I always only had her voice in my head, no one else. I think this play is about loneliness and one woman's descent into a parasocial relationship so it was always going to be just her, and her thoughts, even if it involves other characters, they are always seen through her lens. It also might have been me thinking about theatre in a covid landscape and how monologues became one of the only ways to tell a story for a while. I think solo shows push a performer and are always a real treat for an audience - they require utmost connection.

Social media is a core element of this piece. In the play, you brilliantly refrain from black and white declarations on the subject. What are your thoughts on social media in 2026 and has your perspective shifted since writing the play a few years ago?

I feel even more torn about social media, the rise of AI terrifies me, but my addiction has only gotten worse since I had a kid and find myself doomscrolling. However, it's not all bad - I find social media is a more accurate way to learn about the news and events from around the world. It's a very double-edged sword, it's controlled by all the wrong people (I am off X because duh) but Instagram I truly feel has kept me informed and connected to global events in a really inspiring and important way in the past few years.

The protagonist in Harm is curiously nameless, simply called WOMAN. Can you give writers and audiences any insight into this choice?

The voice in my head just never had a name, nothing felt right. Some actors who played her gave her a secret name just to help them in the role. but to me she is slippery and her real name is the one she hides behind online Sadbitch11...her true self. 

The play is ferociously funny but also confronting and dark at times (right up our alley). Any words of advice for writers trying to walk the comedy/drama tightrope?

I think humour allows you to guide your audience to the really truly dark places. I would always watch for the first laugh from the audience in the show and know that then they were on the protagonist's side and would follow her anywhere. You need humour to foster a connection, which in turn allows you the freedom to push the limits of your audience's tolerance for truth.

Lastly, the play weaves themes of urban isolation and gentrification into the narrative. Vancouver is a fast-growing city often stereotyped as a lonely and expensive place for young people.  Any words for the millennials and younger in Vancouver who might be curious about seeing HARM?

Growing up in London, and southeast London which has changed a lot over the past few years really made me aware of the shifting landscapes of a city and how it can affect the mentality of those struggling to find community and place. I think if you've ever felt both part of something and yet so outside of it at the same time, this play is for you!