Caryl Churchill's 'Escaped Alone' staged at Piccolo Teatro Grassi in Milan

The Piccolo Teatro di Milano presents 'Escaped Alone', a new production by the Roman collective lacasadargilla, directed by Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli and Alessandro Ferroni, with visual artist Maddalena Parise. The play, written by Caryl Churchill (born 1938 in London), premiered in 2016 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Its title comes from the Book of Job and Melville's 'Moby-Dick': 'I only am escaped alone to tell thee'. The story follows four elderly women—Sally, Lena, Vi, and Mrs. Warren—who meet for tea in a garden. The set by Ferroni evokes a garden but with surreal elements: uneven turf emitting smoke and small explosions, hedges like trenches, and a LED wall showing AI-generated propaganda videos by Parise that contrast with the women's seemingly frivolous chatter. The directors chose actresses in their forties (Caterina Carpio, Tania Garribba, Arianna Gaudio, Alice Palazzi) rather than septuagenarians, using makeup, costumes, and movement direction by Marta Ciappina and Marco D'Agostin to suggest age. The play blends mundane conversation with apocalyptic monologues by Mrs. Warren, drawing comparisons to Beckett and Pinter. The production runs until February 8 at Teatro Grassi.