Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - Escaped Alone and What If If Only are thought provoking pieces with sensational acting delivered by a world class cast

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On Wednesday, we were invited to the Royal Exchange, Manchester to see Escaped Alone and What If If Only. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this double bill...

I was first inducted into the world of Caryl Churchill back in my university days, where I studied Top Girls, a play that delves into the lives of women in business, the roles available to them, and what women had to overcome to succeed. The ideas of ambition, influence and politics as central themes for females were groundbreaking when this play came out, and though there has been some movement in the right direction, the preconceived roles of women in the world and in theatre still have a long way to go. Caryl Churchill is admired profusely for her award winning, gritty yet hilarious and heart-warming work, and even has a theatre named after her in the University of London! So, when Royal Exchange Theatre announced a Caryl Churchill double bill, I knew I had to attend and finally see some of her work performed live.

Royal Exchange Theatre present two short plays, separate in story, but connected by Caryl Churchill’s signature triumph – women. Escaped Alone immediately puts itself on a pedestal by having all four characters as an elder generation of women. How fabulous to recognise and celebrate a whole wealth of life lived, and the life still to be discovered, enjoyed, and shared. That’s exactly what these women do, as we see them gossip openly together, whilst inwardly still trying to figure out how to exist in this world with all their private fears and neurosis. As we discover hidden depths of these women, who are fiercely entertaining, we are allowed glimpses into their private turmoil of loneliness, OCD, guilt and loss, and catastrophising, highlighting that we never stop second guessing ourselves or growing. We are forced to face the difficult truth that these women who seem carefree and happy on the outside are hiding themselves in plain sight, and how after a lifetime of serving others, with age, they can exist only the frayed edges of their loved ones world. Yet these women do not go down without ensuring we feel their authority through a lifetime of lessons and experiences that we should embrace, explore, and absorb. One thing is for sure, you’ll never look at a gathering of wizened ladies having afternoon tea in the same way again.

Escaped Alone delivers political affairs beautifully wrapped up in a fantastical world, by the most unsuspecting of people. This combination is so masterfully brought together, ensuring its superpower lies in its unexpected nature. A story of human connection in the throws of impending doom, juxtapositions are everywhere as these women navigate their demons on a beautifully sunny day in a lush garden. Though, as time goes on, it does seem that perhaps this haven of peace is not so much a safe space as a fake space, somewhere they can come together to pretend everything is ok.

With both pieces directed by Sarah Frankcom, Escaped Alone sees iconic actresses Annette Badland as Vi, Maureen Beattie as Mrs. Jarrett, Souad Faress as Lena and Margot Leicester as Sally. If that line up alone doesn’t get you to the theatre, then what will?! Each character is given the respect they deserve, enabling hearty and complex monologues to be delivered, adding a layer of intrigue to the story. It was a privilege to watch such esteemed performers coming together, and to witness the brilliance at play as each of them escaped alone. The dialogue in this play has a certain rhythm and heartbeat to it, which at first feels irregular, but it doesn’t take long before you are tuned in and matching their pulse. It is naturalistic, quippy, quirky, overlapping, with clipped words, half-finished sentences, two or three conversations or topics crashing over each other with beautiful synchronicity, blending into one cohesive piece. As each actress breaks out to show us what is going on inside, behind the talk of old jobs, hair cuts and decorating, there is a gear change and you can feel the theatre holding their breath.

Annette Badland as Vi, talks of her estranged relationship with her son with such longing, despair, and regret, that you feel every word. You can picture what she is reliving in her head. Her controlled volume, the controlled emotional breaks in her voice, and her precise stresses make her delivery so well crafted, that I was in awe. Maureen Beattie as Mrs. Jarrett displayed a building rage at the world, catastrophising and fantasising of the countless ways the world could end. Funny yet bleak, unnerving yet understanding, the way in which she switched from one thought to the next was triumphant to watch and thought provoking to say the least. Souad Faress as Lena showed us how someone can be surrounded by people yet entirely alone. Her monologue was a difficult watch because it was so painfully real, you just wanted to reach out and reassure her. She drew me in entirely. She was at odds with the world, preferring her own company but being deemed anti-social because of it, and she was so full of conviction, it really made me think. Who are we to decide what ‘normal’ interaction is.

Margot Leicester as Sally expertly allowed us to believe she was trying to make us laugh, then just as we did, pulled the rug from underneath us as we began to realise the full extent of her cat phobia and OCD. I can’t even begin to fathom what this speech must have looked like on paper, but the delivery was so real, so natural, with one sentence, one thought, bleeding into the next at breakneck speed, building the pressure and the panic to boiling point. It was outstanding. Escaped Alone is a thought provoking, excellent piece of theatre, delivered by a world class cast.

What If If Only takes a unique and intriguing journey through grief, loss and how to manage life after death. As we see Someone alone in their home, buried deep in memory, confusion, and the inability to fully accept their loss, they pray for a sign. Something. Anything that will show her He is still there. Somehow. Some version of Him still exists. And so she talks. She talks and talks but there is no response. Until there is. Future. Or perhaps more accurately, many futures. The many futures that could happen, infinite in choice, in possibilities. Futures that have Him. Futures that don’t. And as one Future pleads to be brought to fruition, Someone understands. She can’t. She can’t ever have that future because He is in it, and He died. So therefore, many of her possible futures died along with Him, so all she has in now. Enter Present. Present shows her what she does have, what she can control, and bringing Him back is not, and cannot be a part of now, because He is gone. He can never be present. As a child appears, we are left to decide who or what this represents, and it seems everyone in the audience had a different opinion, which I absolutely loved. And isn’t that the glorious point? That we all have shared experiences, such as grief, death loss, but the reality of those shared experiences are unique to each of us, as individual as our thumb print.

Escaped Alone runs for just short of an hour, and following an interval, What If If Only is around 20 – 30 minutes long. We are transported from one piece to the next by the dramatic lifting of the grassed park area of the first piece, to discover the hidden home of Someone, for the second. A sofa and armchair are brought on to complete the scene. Just as I thought the acting from Escaped Alone was an impossible act to follow, Danielle Henry arrived. My goodness, what a show stopping performance! She embodied grief. She showed the parts we never talk about but all face, and it was raw, it was wild, it was unapologetic and it was brilliant. Anger, hope, confusion, regret, love, all conveyed expertly, often without words and through a cry or a stammered jumble of noise. The unpredictability of her own emotions rang so true and you could see the layers and depth of the work that had been put into this piece. Completing this cast are Annette Badland again, this time as Future, Lamin Touray as Present and Bea Glancy as Child. They collectively brought us hope, fear, the beginnings of acceptance, each adding their own brand of brilliance to the show. What If If Only also incorporates members of the Royal Exchange Elders who blend effortlessly with this seasoned cast.

This Caryl Churchill double bill is perhaps one of the more unique nights at the theatre I’ve ever had and certainly felt different, and that is a meant in a complimentary way. The acting tonight was sensational. The pieces were poignant, thought provoking, and wove a rich tapestry of emotive tension around our being, leaving each of us to find our own resolution.

WE SCORE ESCAPED ALONE AND WHAT IF IF ONLY...

Escaped Alone and What If If Only is on at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 8th March 2025.