It is one of two short plays written by Caryl Churchill which form the Manchester’s theatre’s latest offering, the other being If If Only. Margot Leicester in rehearsal for Escaped Alone (Picture: Joel Fildes) Margot, a familiar face on screen and stage, is part of a truly stellar cast for Escaped Alone which also includes Annette Badland and Maureen Beattie. In the play three friends are having what seems a pleasant chat in the garden when a neighbour interrupts offering nightmare visions about the end of the world.
Is she dreaming? Is she a portent of approaching doom? The women’s tranquil existence is thrown into chaos and their inner fears are revealed. “It is a bleak piece in many ways,” said Margot, “but so are the times that we are living in. There is so much anxiety about what it happening in the world.
We’re having elegant conversations about the end of days and then we go and put the kettle on and carry on as normal.” Margot describes Escaped Alone as a play “that speak to us all” with its warnings about global warming and threats to society. “We will have those moments when we might suddenly wonder if our grandchildren will have fresh air to breathe,” she said.
“Things are moving so fast, there is so much environmental degradation. It’s no wonder we can get quite panicky if we think about these things. “It can feel like we’re living in a very bad B-movie.
“That’s what this play does, it reveals those inner dialogues these women h.
