Melbourne Theatre Company’s captivating double bill featuring two distinct and powerful works by the legendary playwright, Caryl Churchill, premieres this Friday 11 August at the Southbank Theatre.
Caryl Churchill is a multiple Obie Award-winner and widely celebrated as one of the world’s greatest living playwrights. Escaped Alone and What If If Only are presented side-by-side for the very first time, offering audiences a profound and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
Escaped Alone is a visionary play starring Helen Morse alongside Kate Hood, Debra Lawrance and Deidre Rubenstein, exploring afternoon tea and the apocalypse. What If If Only is a micro-meditation on grief and possibility, starring Alison Bell. Both plays are directed by Melbourne Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Anne-Louise Sarks.
In Escaped Alone, four women gather in a garden, engaging in conversations that intertwine personal anecdotes with the telling of catastrophic events, resulting in a darkly humorous yet poignant exploration of survival and resilience in the face of terrifying circumstances.
On the other hand, What If If Only delves into the realm of loss and acceptance, as a partner contemplates a world without their loved one, painting a vivid picture of life, death, and the complexities of letting go.
“I am incredibly honoured to present two of Caryl Churchill’s brilliant works, What If If Only and Escaped Alone together for the first time.” said Sarks. “Caryl Churchill’s use of language has a rhythm and musicality akin to great poetry, often affiliated only to Shakespeare’s works.”
“She has this ability to elevate the domestic while grounding the epic, capturing the absurdities of everyday life and revealing to audiences new possibilities and alternative ways of seeing and being. Churchill’s writing across both works invites audiences on a timely thematic journey of survival, resilience, loss and acceptance,” said Sarks.
Director: Anne-Louise Sarks | Featuring: (Escaped Alone) Kate Hood, Debra Lawrance, Helen Morse, Deidre Rubenstein, (What If If Only) Lucy Ansell, Alison Bell, Steve Mouzakis, Anna Francesca Armenia, Iopu Auva’a, Sepideh Fallah, Jalen Ong, Tomas Parrish | Set & Costume Designer: Marg Horwell | Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson | Composer & Sound Designer: Jethro Woodward | Voice & Text Coach: Geraldine Cook-Dafner | Assistant Director: Brigid Gallacher
Escaped Alone | What If If Only
Southbank Theatre – The Sumner, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Season: 11 August – 9 September 2023
Information and Bookings: www.matc.com.au
Image: Helen Morse, Deidre Rubenstein, Kate Hood and Debra Lawrance in Escaped Alone – photo by Pia Johnson