‘An inimitable night of theatre.’
‘An excellent showcase for [Churchill's] talent and skill.’
‘A gem about grief and possibility.’
‘Carefully crafted, poetic, rhythmic language.’
ABOUT THE SHOW
An Obie Award-winner several times over, Caryl Churchill (Top Girls) is widely considered one of the world’s greatest living playwrights. In this world-first theatrical experience, Melbourne Theatre Company Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks directs two separate Caryl Churchill works: What If If Only, the micro-meditation on grief and possibility starring Alison Bell; and Escaped Alone, a visionary play starring Helen Morse, alongside Kate Hood, Debra Lawrance and Deidre Rubenstein, about afternoon tea and the apocalypse.
In Escaped Alone, a woman joins her three neighbours for an afternoon of swapping memories and sharing secrets, in between the telling of catastrophic events, bleak but blackly humorous. In What If If Only, a partner laments their lost love and conjures up countless possible futures, with and without love. In both works, the characters’ hopes, fears and dreams are palpable, visceral and remarkable.
Showcasing the dazzling alchemy of Churchill’s writing, these two short works are separate plays that share some deep thematic parallels. Their combination in Sarks’s hands promises a profound, surreal, funny and thrilling theatrical experience.
Accessibility
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Hearing Assistance
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Audio Described
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Tactile Tour
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Open Captioning
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Auslan Interpreted
Performance Type | Performance Date(s) |
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Audio Described
by Vision Australia |
Saturday 26 August at 2pm Tuesday 29 August at 6.30pm |
Tactile Tour
by Vision Australia |
Saturday 26 August, 2pm (Tactile tour commences at 1pm) |
Open Captioning
via screen |
Saturday 2 September at 2pm |
Auslan Interpreted
by Auslan Stage Left |
Tuesday 5 September at 6.30pm |
Escaped Alone Cast
What If If Only Cast
Creative Team
Learn more about Escaped Alone and What If If Only
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Feature
Endless innovation
In a career spanning six decades, Caryl Churchill has completely transformed the art of playwriting – and she continues to reinvent the genre with each new creation.
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Video
Escaped Alone and What If If Only roundtable
Director Anne-Louise Sarks and the cast of Escaped Alone and What If If Only take a break during rehearsals to talk about bringing these two dazzling plays to life.
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Programme
Escaped Alone and What If If Only programme
Meet the casts and creative team working on these two remarkable Caryl Churchill works and discover why Churchill has completely transformed the art of playwriting over her six-decade career in our immersive digital programme.
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Video
Escaped Alone and What If If Only in rehearsals
Take a sneak peek into the Escaped Alone and What If If Only rehearsal room.
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Video
Alison Bell on What If If Only
Actor Alison Bell stars in What If If Only, a micro-meditation on grief and possibility by Caryl Churchill.
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Video
Escaped Alone and What If If Only | Alison Bell Interview
Alison Bell chats to us about playing the lead role in What If If Only by Caryl Churchill and how this short piece really packs a punch.
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Video
Escaped Alone and What If If Only | Helen Morse Interview
Find out what Helen Morse admires most about Caryl Churchill’s writing and why playing Mrs Jarret in Escaped Alone is an incredible role.