JAMES WALSH is moved by an exhibition of graphic art that relates horrors that would be much less immediate in other media
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Churchill in Manchester
PAUL FOLEY recommends an extraordinary double bill that packs a punch and leaves you reeling
A STAKE IN THE FUTURE: Annette Badland and Danielle Henry in Carly Churchill's What If If Only
RON JACOBS welcomes the translation into English of an angry cry from the place they call the periphery
GUILLERMO THOMAS recommends a useful book aimed at informing activists with local examples of solidarity in action around the world
HENRY BELL is provoked by a book that looks toward, but does not fully explore the question of who gets to imagine the shapes of cities to come
MATTHEW HAWKINS surveys the upcoming programme of contemporary dance in Glasgow, and picks some highlights
‘Chance encounters are what keep us going,’ says novelist Haruki Murakami. In Amy, a chance encounter gives fresh perspective to memories of angst, hedonism and a charismatic teenage rebel.
Escaped Alone / What if if Only
Royal Exchange Manchester
IT may seem absurd to describe two short plays as epic. But Escaped Alone, running at just under 50 minutes, and What If If Only which doesn’t even hit the half-hour, are exactly that.
These extraordinary plays by Caryl Churchill pack such a punch you leave the theatre rolling like a boxer. They are full of ideas, inventiveness and thoughtful insights.
Churchill sets us the challenge “to make of it what you will.” It’s like standing in front of a Braque masterpiece and trying to interpret what it means. The plays need a great director and former Exchange artistic director Sarah Frankcom is the perfect choice. Her skill at understanding how to present them, without irrelevant distractions, is excellent.
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