The Atlantic

<i>Escaped Alone</i> Finds Comfort at the End of the World

Caryl Churchill’s newest work explores the solace of community amid an apocalypse.
Source: Brooklyn Academy of Music

The cosiness of the setup of Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone is entirely disarming. Mrs. Jarrett (Linda Bassett), walking down the street, sees an open door leading into a garden, sitting in which are three women she’s seen before. They invite her to join them, and the four begin amiably conversing about topics big and small: family members, lost keys, personal maladies. The only thing missing from this gentle English scene is tea, which sits on the ground on a tray but is never touched. Perhaps because there’s something unspeakably nasty in the water.

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