Escaped Alone

Anne-Louise Sarks

Company:Belvoir Theatre
Venue: Belvoir Street Theatre
Year the project commenced: 2018
Year it became impossible: 2020
Audience not reached:20,000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
“I hope to some day be able to direct a production of this play. Although I doubt this version will come to life. The raw honesty of these four women, their capacity for endurance and humour and the apocalyptic reality Caryl created for us is a prescient warning that is more necessary than ever.” – Anne-Louise Sarks
‘Escaped Alone’ by Caryl Churchill tells a story in poetic monologues spoken by one of its characters, Mrs Jarrett. Her story and those of three others, Sally, Vi and Lena, all in their 60s and 70s. The women share the details of their lives over multiple scenes that take place in a garden on summer afternoons. It is a story of survival. It is both domestic and epic. In this planned production, the women were goddess-like in their overgrown garden setting, designed by Elizabeth Gadsby. Sarks and Gadsby had planned to fill the space with a garden that felt pure and real. Not realism, but the sense of a lush garden. Belvoir Theatre who were to present the production first ‘indefinitely postponed’ then officially cancelled the production. For everyone this was a very difficult and sad decision, especially for the Belvoir audience, as it was one of the most popular shows of the Belvoir programm. It was also to be a return for the great actress Judi Farr, who had for reasons of illness been absent from the stage for several years.
“I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” – Book of Job, Moby Dick
Playwright - Caryl Churchill 
Set & Costume Design - Elizabeth Gadsby 
Composer & Sound Designer - Clemmie Williams 
Assistant Stage Manager - Julia Orlando 
Lighting Designer - Paul Jackson 
Cast - Helen Morse, Heather Mitchell, 
Kris McQuade, Judi Farr

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