Torn is a modern contemporary play at the Royal Court Theatre in London written by Nathaniel Marthelo-White. The play is about the Brooks, a mixed-race South London family that was grouped together by Angel, the lead character and the black sheep of the family. She brought her family together for a one night event in order to talk about the unspoken topics between them. For instance, Angel was abused by her stepfather but the family chooses not to acknowledge it and instead considers her a liar. The tension rises as the dialogue exposes more secrets between the family members.
The dynamic tension within the family is visualized with the use of the illustrated chairs that are composed in a distant but closely tied manner. The setting of the play consists solely of a circular intervention platform in which the chairs mimics. The implications of what lies beneath the surface could be tied together from one rooted source as shown through the image of a family tree doubling as cracks on the floor. The single most foreground chair represents Angel, the black sheep, feeling outcast by the family.
