Review: The Royal Exchange Escaped Alone & What If If Only… one performance won out
- Helen Clarke
- Feb 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 7
MCRJourno
The Royal Exchange Manchester welcomes two plays into one theatre production - Escaped Alone and What If If Only - but is one more poignant than the other?
Featuring a high calibre cast and making the best use of the theatre-in-the-round experience, the Caryl Churchill pieces explore themes of grief, loss, and isolation through what seems to be the mundanity of life.
Starring Annette Badland - whose monologue is phenomenally moving, Maureen Beattie who captures the attention of the entire theatre with her dark and troubling role, Margot Leicester whose dialogue and delivery feels more like a conversation with a close aunt than a scripted performance, and Souad Faress who offers levity and comedic timing to an enseble any thespian would be hopeful to arrive at.
One would be forgiven for thinking they were about to witness the retelling of stories, the familiarity of old friendships and the necessity of maintaining relationships as you age when first sitting down at the opening of Escaped Alone.
Centered on three old friends and one new face, we are treated to frivolity and pleasant reminiscing as we learn a little about each character through clipped staccato expressions.
Each utterance leaves the audience short on every thought and swept into the next, quite like you would expect from friends keen to share their past with eachother.
The piece isn't what it seems however as we are jolted out of comfort with cut-aways and surprise tone changes via Bethany Gupwell's lighting design and pulled back into the present moment by Nicola T. Chang's sound and Sundeep Saini's movement direction.
Light-hearted and chilling in equal measure, Escaped Alone isn't simply the sharing of stories between old friends or a trip down memory lane, but is a homage to the unwavering bonds of friendship, fear, desperation and timing that bind people together.
Do not mistake this play as something only relatable to those in the autumn years of life - this piece is subversive in its style, warm in its dialogue and impressive in its cast.
What If If Only followed next, while a shorter play, similar themes of loss and the power of relationships are explored here but from rather a different lens.
While the first play favoured the past, this play favours the future - whichever future you can imagine it seems, and the thread is less clear here as the actors have a little more than half an hour to transport you into the world of 'Someone' - a grieving partner played by Danielle Henry.
Danielle gives a convincing performance accompanied by Lamin Touray who represents the all too difficult 'Present' moment - a moment where Someone is grief-stricken and alone.
A moment where any future is acceptable in the face of losing her partner, for which she'd give any hope of a future to get back.
Both actors are strong on stage and joined by members of The Royal Exchange Elder's Company the scene is believable if not completely coherent.
This piece is more one of interpretation, for those wanting to look a little deeper it leaves audience members with questions rather than answers - a chance for introspection.
A play that leaves you asking what if, if only... we'd have had more time.