Dark, sublime and stark - a reality drama

After reading the tabloid's titillating reports and references to her scantily clad scenes, it would appear that Anna's British stage debut performance is an entirely sex-driven production. To some extent it is, not in the naked "Page 3" sense but a more sensual, monstrous and dark production. Sexuality is traded and not understood, sympathy is gained and lost. Upon delving into the minutiae of all of the characters lines, a play, which displays horror and tragedy, is formulated.

From the first moment Anna starts to sing the song which precedes all but one of the five Acts, the sorrow and despair in her voice is present. There is some sort of urgency to meet the stranger walking by. Lulu's personality switches each emotion on and off as quickly as each husband or lover leaves her grasp. As one lover falls into her bewitching spell, which she doesn't realise she is casting, her current husband with much chagrin, learns of her sexual behaviour and promiscuity. Leaving a trail of madness and murder in her wake, she flees the scene of each devastation without a final denouement.

Anna's performance is nothing less than superb. She covers emotion after emotion - despair, joy, anger, loneliness, excitement, sadness, frivolity - with ease and shows that the character of Lulu is one she can perfectly illustrate. She demonstrates many of her talents - her singing, her dancing (no sign of the recent injury which delayed the opening previews), her timing, her sexuality, her innocence and her professional attitude and experience. Added to this, the main cast consisting of Alan Howard, Oliver Milburn, Tom Georgeson, Johanna ter Steege and James Hillier combine to make this a production which really brings life (and death) to Nicholas Wright's adaptation.

Alan Howard's role as Lulu's initial and original lover, is both commanding and humorous. He has a brooding presence, which engulfs the entire building as well as engulfing Lulu's entire early life. Once he disappears from Lulu's life, so she slides downhill, running from one country to the next before meeting her horrific fate and demise.

Tom Georgeson's and James Hillier's roles bring some colourful and humorous dialogue to their characters, whilst Johanna ter Steege's role is almost entirely dour, filled with humiliation and tragedy. Her final Act monologue is both lustrous and breath taking - after an unsuccessful suicide bid she is murdered whilst watching her unconsummated, but often declared, true-love Lulu brutally "finished off". This is the point in the play where Lulu's sexual monster meets Jack the Ripper's murdering violent monster.

The Almeida's new venue is both intriguing and unique. Built inside an old coach station as part of the new King's Cross regeneration project, there still exists the seedier side of the area's past by way of the "video shop" at the corner of the road leading to the building. Whether the entrance, foyer and bar areas are finished I couldn't decide. If they are, then they most certainly are one of the most barren, industrial workshop-like theatre areas I have seen. Chipboard, timber and a concrete floor make it seem like an unfinished TV DIY show.

Thankfully the actual theatre area is more complete - but not that much. The seats are incredibly small, tightly packed and uncomfortable, the stage very low and close to the front rows. When all the steel shutters/distressed mirrors and interior walls are mechanically folded and packed together, it does reveal a very large stage area, which Act by Act grows and grows until the full stage is displayed right to the very back of the old coach building.

To conclude, this adaptation and production of Lulu is very satisfying. If someone were to see this who did not know anything of the story or characters beforehand, they would still find some moral elucidation in the plot and feel some of the emotion generated by a wonderful ensemble. As the play's central character, Anna gives Lulu a personality, which throws so much life into the production. If this is the magical standard that Anna generates from only her second theatrical venture, then I cant wait to see what her next two will confirm.