Caryl Churchill: Escaped Alone

lacasadargilla & Piccolo Teatro

Caryl Churchill, one of the greatest living English playwrights, turns to the joyful scandal of aging womanhood in a world of perpetual youthfulness. The UK premiere of a visionary new production by acclaimed Italian companies Piccolo Teatro and lacasadargilla.

In a quiet suburban garden, three vivacious old friends sit together, talking of neighbours, cats, and small regrets. A neighbour is invited in and darker secrets emerge, punctured by unseen horrors beyond the fence. A singular account of the deep unease that our world produces at every moment of our lives.

Balancing on the edge between the familiar and the catastrophic, its fractured conversations reveal both the absurdity and fragility of modern life.

★★★★★ “Caryl Churchill’s magnificent play unleashes an intricate, elliptical, acutely female view of the apocalypse. Revolutionary.” – The Observer

In this new production Churchill’s vision and razor-sharp text is reimagined through a distinctly Italian lens – one that blends theatre, video, and soundscape to create an experience that feels both domestic and otherworldly. 

Caryl Churchill has influenced generations of writers. One of Europe’s greatest playwrights, she puts experimentation with verbal communication at the heart of her work. From Top Girls to Cloud Nine and Serious Money, her works have continuously inspired theatre companies across the globe.

lacasadargilla sold out at The Coronet Theatre in 2024 with Churchill’s Heart’s Desire, “an enticing and peculiarly profound hour” – The Guardian

At once poetic and political, this contemporary classic remains one of Churchill’s most daringly original works.

Presented in Italian with English surtitles.

Written by: Caryl Churchill

Translation: Monica Capuani

A project by: lacasadargilla

Directed by: Lisa Ferlazzo Natoli and Alessandro Ferroni

Cast: Caterina Carpio, Tania Garribba, Arianna Gaudio, Alice Palazzi

Dramaturg: Margherita Mauro

Soundscapes and scenic concept: Alessandro Ferroni

Movement dramaturgy: Marta Ciappina

Set design: Marco Rossi and Francesca Sgariboldi

Visual environment / image dramaturgy: Maddalena Parise

Lighting dramaturgy: Luigi Biondi

Lighting adaptation for London: Omar Scala

Costumes: Anna Missaglia

Research assistance: Marco d’Agostin

Assistant director: Angelica Azzellini

Production: Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa, Teatro di Roma – Teatro Nazionale

With the support of: The Italian Institute of Culture in London, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and of Idra Teatro / Wonderland Festival

Post Show DISCUSSION

We will be hosting a post-show discussion with professor Paola Bono, Italy’s leading expert curator of the works of Caryl Churchill, after the performance on Friday 08 May. Free for ticket holders.