Lulu

Lulu, written by Frank Wedekind
– considered by many to be the founder of German Expressionist Theatre – is a
tragedy about the rise and fall of its eponymous femme fatale as sex, greed
and materialism rip apart civilised society to leave bare a pathological
underbelly and the artificialities of bourgeois values. As an actor Wedekind
struggled to develop a vocal delivery that could match the physical language he created, and compliment the highly stylised and often absurd dialogue of his
plays. This cast have similar problems but what the actors lack in vocal
delivery they make up for in song, dance, mime and sheer creativity.

The set, designed by Heidi Smith, is charming.
Consisting simply of an arch with drawn curtains like a circus tent, it allows
the eccentrics and eccentricities to come and go without losing sight of the
meta-theatricality that’s so crucial for the play to succeed. Director Rachel
Snider uses colour and costumes to creatively represent the play’s symbolism:
red balloons are burst to imitate gunshot wounds; a toy rocket and hand-held
planets conjure up a vision of flight. Snider’s training at Jacques Lecoq
Theatre School, and as a magician’s assistant, shines through as characters
transform into animals and don unsettling masks. The entire production has a
wonderful playfulness that creates an uncomfortable and intentionally confused
combination of exaggerated sexuality and childish innocence.

Music is provided by a live cabaret band fronted by
singer Wendy Rose Bevan. Bevan slinks demurely on and off stage in an outfit
that would fit neatly into a Galliano fashion show. As narrator she provides a
structure to the episodic nature of Lulu, her tragic and
beautiful voice highlighting a perversely seductive quality in an otherwise
brutal play. It’s a shame that so much of the humour lies dormant in the
dialogue as the cast excel in other areas, but credit must be given to Snider
who prevents the production from ever losing its energy. Despite the cast’s
sometimes flat and characterless vocal delivery, Snider successfully visualises
the internal emotions of each character in this witty, playful and inventively
pantomimesque production of Wedekind’s controversial and provocative
play.

– James Magniac