Escaped Alone and What If Only | Royal Exchange Manchester

You have to admire the Royal Exchange for daring to explore more niche theatrical avenues in recent years, as you are unlikely to meet many even outside of casual observers who are familiar with the work of Caryl Churchill. To take two of her more recent, and arguably lesser known plays, and pair them together in a single evening of performance is a bold move, and one that seems to have just about worked, certainly in terms of how they’re performed by this fabulously talented cast.

I specify the performances in particular because, for the most part, they are what drive these two miniature pieces of theatre. In some ways you could say that they are the saving grace, as the text isn’t always the most riveting, and at times felt pretty laborious. This is most markedly so in the first of the two, entitled Escaped Alone, which focuses on a group of four ladies, all neighbours, in their latter years, sharing a cup of tea and exchanging pleasantries in one of their gardens.

The main interest with this initial piece is the contrast between the more light-hearted, jovial conversational scenes between all four women, and the intervening internal monologues that individually explore far darker, more profound subject matter. With these, there’s a decent amount of food for thought, especially in terms of how we view the future and its possible outcomes. The lighting in particular, designed by Bethany Gupsell does a great job in helping us switch between the two, and this is well paired with Nicola T. Chang’s compositions.

It’s acted superbly by all four performers, especially by Maureen Beattie and Annette Badland, and it’s more their performances, individually as well as how they play off of each other, than the text itself, that keep us as an audience interested. In terms of its pacing, and direction by Sarah Frankcom, it feels remarkably stagnant for the majority of its short runtime, energy levels are rather low, and tension is lacking, although there is a good amount of humour, which generally lands well.

The second of the two, barely 20 minutes long in total, is a far more conceptual piece, that looks at a mix of prospective futures, between which our main protagonist has to make a decision in order to become “the Present”. Instead of there being any discernible characters or linear narrative, we are instead presented with an unnamed individual, simply named “Someone”, and the various physical embodiments of their unwritten future surrounding and overwhelming them.

It’s a fascinating concept, and though not a great deal really happens aside from our Someone being overwhelmed by the plethora of voices (portrayed wonderfully by a company of “featured elders”) pitching in and drawing her towards them, it does manifest itself on our collective mindsets in terms of how we view time, it’s passing, and the infinite prospective possibilities that lie ahead for us. That said, it isn’t necessarily the most clear or cogent play, as it’s over before it’s really had a chance to find its feet, and the content we do get feels pretty abstract.

All this aside though, this is another very well performed piece of theatre. Danielle Henry’s portrayal of the central figure was acted with solemnity, yet a great deal of fire and fervency. Bea Glancy’s playful depiction of childhood was endearing, albeit all too brief, and Badland’s introduction of the idea of our own future is fascinating, and she executed this beautifully.

The links drawn between these two plays, exploring the idea of time, its passing, and how as a society we are woefully unprepared for it, are actually rather clever, it’s just that the plays themselves aren’t particularly exciting to an audience, and there’s only so much one can enjoy about theatre that is so narratively inert.

Escaped Alone and What If If Only plays at the Royal Exchange in Manchester until 08th March.

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★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Johan Persson