Reviewed by Paul Treasure
Editor Note: This show formed part of a 2-show evening "Two Churchill Plays" - however Theatre Reviews Perth are only able to review Escaped Alone due to other conflicts of interest.
Caryll Churchill is not an easy playwright. She is challenging. She stretches and plays with what makes a play and how we perform it. She is challenging for the audience. She is certainly challenging for the actors. When I heard that Melville Theatre were tackling a Churchill, I was intrigued and a little nervous. When I learnt that director Lucy Eyre had managed to gather together four of Community Theatre’s best actresses to fill the roles, the nervousness quickly turned to nervous anticipation.
The play is set in Sally’s backyard as three friends Sally (Suzannah Churchman), Vi (Caroline McDonnell), and Lena (Natalie Burbage) are having afternoon tea. They are interrupted by an acquaintance, Mrs Jarrett (Susan Lynch), walking past, so they invite her in. Mrs Jarrett is somewhat preoccupied as she has just found out that the street her house is on may have been flooded. As the three friends chat inanely, we follow Mrs Jarrett’s thoughts as she starts ruminating on various catastrophes, real and imagined, historical and in the possible future, before her attention is drawn back to the everyday chit-chat of her three acquaintances. Lynch, as Mrs Jarrett, managed the balance well, switching from the contemplative and vaguely terrified demeanour of her monologues, as she listed in gruesome detail terror upon terror, to bored and disapproving as she listened to the others prattle on about nothing. This inane banality is just a mask, however, as each of the other three ladies has also experienced their own catastrophes. Each of them in turn drops the mask for a moment as they outline their own horrors. With actresses of this calibre, it is hard to imagine them putting a foot wrong. Their monologues were all superbly and authentically delivered, especially Churchman’s near-hysterical retelling of why she hates cats.
Lucy Eyre’s direction was interesting and well thought out. There were a number of scenes that were played differently from what I would have thought the script demanded, and counter to how Churchill is usually played. For example, the ladies actually listened to each other in the banter scenes rather than talking over each other, and the monologues seemed a lot more thoughtful than the stream of consciousness the writing would initially suggest. But this is part of the joy of seeing good directors tackling plays by great writers. A good director makes choices, and Eyre’s choices were all valid and intriguing, and drew us into the world of these characters a lot more than the alienating approach that is often taken with Churchill.
The set design by Eyre herself was simple, clever, and evocative. Giving the impression of the cosiness of a British backyard, while remaining open enough to give an indication of what is happening outside. The brilliance of the design is highlighted in the final moments of the play as the three friends rapidly cope with the next catastrophe. The lighting design by Lars Jensen was very evocative, allowing each shift in mood to complement the action onstage. Myles Wright’s sound design was impeccable, adding to the overall effect without ever overpowering, except in the crucial final moments where the sound design needs to take over, which it did admirably. From a technical point of view, the star of the show was the very impressive visual design by Dylan Randall. Randall’s projections on the rear wall, and occasionally the side wall, dominated the stage during Mrs Jarrett’s monologues. His projections were clear and effective, sometimes overpowering the brain with too much visual imagery, which is exactly what the projections need to be for this play. If you haven’t been overloaded with visuals by the time the play flips back to the garden, then the projections weren’t enough. While there may have been was just a hint of someone getting hold of a new toy and having a really good play with it, I don’t think anyone would criticise Randall for doing so, and if he did, it was to the play’s advantage.
The play itself is a little less than 10 years old (and it is fantastic to see such relatively new works by major writers hit Community Theatres so quickly), but ten years ago was pre-Covid, and the message of the play is easily more poignant now than when it was written. This is Churchill tapping into her prescience and producing writing that is even more relevant a decade later. Or maybe this is Churchill as Cassandra, warning us of the signs that we steadfastly refuse to listen to until it is too late. In the end, it comes down to who is better off, Mrs Jarrett who has managed yet again to escape alone, or Sally, Vi, and Lena, who at the very end must literally pull together to survive.
Escaped Alone is a challenging and thought-provoking play and Lucy Eyre and her team have brought together an intriguing production. This will not be a show for all audiences, Churchill never is, but if you enjoy watching really good performers at the top of their form who are willing to stretch their talents to the limits, and enjoy being challenged by a writer and made to think, then this is definitely the play for you.
Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.
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