As You Desire Me

Synopsis

Elma is a singer in a sleazy 1930s Berlin nightclub. She was the victim of an appalling assault during the First World War and, as a result, lost her memory. A man appears and tells her that she is, in fact, the wife of an Italian aristocrat. A new life awaits her. But when she goes to Italy to pursue this dream, she finds unexpected problems and disappointments.

Our Review:

28 October 2005

If you happen to be going through an identity crisis, it’s probably desirable to steer clear of this head-spinning new version of Luigi Pirandello’s psycho-drama about an amnesiac 1930s Berlin cabaret singer in search of her true self who is pursued by louche stage door Johnnies every night and flaunts her body for a living but has become so confused after a vicious rape that she can’t work out who her real husband is. If that sounds a tad complex, it’s harder still trying to work out exactly who ‘L’Ignota’, the Deitrich-like entertainer with a permanent memory lapse, is supposed to be.

Typically, Pirandello ensures that things are deliberately confusing by getting you to see everyone on stage in a dozen different ways. An attempted anatomy of personal identity and a botched dissection of how the deceptive nature of perception can turn people you think you know into complete strangers, the play begins with a huge pop star projection of L’Ignota’s face, and then turns on Pirande...

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Latest User Review

82.43.2.2) - 17 January 2006:

saw as you desire me a couple of times... The script is great... and the part of Elma is really rich.. KST is a terrific actress, however, sometimes instead of simply letting it go & flow she thinks that she has to SHOW something, e.g. feelings, emotions, etc... which is a pity, cos that takes away joy from both: the artist and the audience... she should trust herself more and put all the insecurities aside... she's definitely got loads of potential and power, I wish she just simply let go and watched where it takes her.........I thought Bob Hoskins was absolutely amazing.. you'd never think that "there he is, this famous guy, etc"... when you watch him you totally forget that he too is a celebrity and you only see this dodgy man and have negative affinities with him... and only afterwards a thought comes to your head "hey.. wait a minute.. that was Bob Hoskins... wow!"... however, the rest of the cast was absolutely awful... I've not seen worst acting in ages.. high pitched voices, Spanish-soap-opera emotions and me!me!me!... that made me wonder how it did happen that these two amazing actors, KST and BH, agreed to work with those- worse than amateurs.. it's like seeing what TO DO and what NOT TO DO on stage... and what was the director thinking, if he was thinking at all?! ...

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