Shelagh Stephenson’s daring and thoughtful new play

1799 - On the eve of a new century, the house buzzes with scientific experiments, furtive romance and farcical amateur dramatics. 1999 - In a world of scientific chaos, cloning and genetic engineering, the cellar of the same house reveals a dark secret buried for 200 years.

An Experiment with an Air Pump was joint recipient of the 1997 Margaret Ramsay Award and premiered at The Royal Exchange Theatre Company, Manchester in February 1997. Due for a major London production in autumn 1998. Her previous play The Memory of Water won the 1996 Writers’ Guild Award for Best Original Radio Play and the 1997 Sony Award for Best Original Drama

SHELAGH STEPHENSON

Shelagh Stephenson (1947-2021) was a British playwright, screenwriter, and actress. She was born in Northumberland, England and studied drama at Manchester University. Stephenson’s work as a playwright includes plays such as "The Memory of Water," "Five Kinds of Silence," "An Experiment with an Air Pump," and "A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes." Her plays have been produced in the UK and internationally, and have won numerous awards including the Laurence Olivier Award and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

Stephenson was also a successful screenwriter, having written for popular TV series such as "Holby City," "Doctors," and "Inspector Morse," as well as for the films "Pristine Christine" and "The Escort."

In addition to her work as a writer, Stephenson was an accomplished actress and appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including "The Bill," "Shameless," and "Death in Paradise." Stephenson passed away in 2021 at the age of 73.