The national theatre – Attempts On Her Life

Attempts on her life was by far the best play I’ve ever viewed and to write this review is a true honor. To describe this play in words would do it no justice, too many words would taint it and too little would leave you lost. This play has managed to arouse passions inside me that I’m almost too embarrassed to express. Attempts on her life was the manifestation of the beauty of the human mind, its function and the talent and creativity it has to offer the world. The collaboration of Martin Crimp’s compelling dialogue with Kate Mitchell’s vivid vision and direction concocted a genius masterpiece. A play made ten years ago still held so much relevance to date and regardless of whether it did this or not the play can not fail to entertain you, engage you and hold your attention to the nth degree. Attempts on her life held no boundaries, it explored theatre and discovered it in a completely new light; the exploration of the world through many different communicative forms is what keeps you intrigued in this intense two hour interval free play. The play lacks all conventionalism; no acts, no characters, eleven cast members, seventeen scenarios and one name.
Confused?
You should be.
The play commences with the opening of two very heavy, screeching screen doors separating horizontally, they reveal to us eleven people dressed in black, with the motif colour of red accessories. The characters are engaged in a chatty, fast paced dialogue which sounds as though they are creating a pitch to a director, novelist or playwright. The eleven cast members are creating the protagonist of their piece a non smoking, tragic, terrorist, porn star named Annie, who later transforms into a car, a mobile phone advert, the center of a press conference, an artist, a serial suicide attempter; Anya, Anoushka Annie.
Still confused?
You still should be!
The stage is occupied by cameras and film props, a projector screen, an organ, an ashtray, a red dress which is suspended from the ceiling and many other props. The most crucial prop is the projector screen, which most of the plays stunning moments are displayed on. With the heavy dependence on the film and camera work a common questioned arises — Is Attempts on Her Life theatre? In Attempts on Her Life everything that is displayed on the projector screen is filmed live on the stage, nothing is pre– recorded. The viewer has the ability to watch the screen, which is hung in the top left hand corner of the stage or watch the action taking place on the stage this is what I believe allows the play to qualify as theatre; the audience has its choice in what it wants to view and everything before them is taking place live.
The play deals with issues such as the superficiality of a fast paced, capitalist, globalised world and what better way to communicate this than through media communication? The play makes humor of the consumer relationship between the person and the world and informs us that all is not as it may seem.
There are some amazing scenes in the play, particularly the scene which acts as a car infomercial for the New Annie. The host of the advert is a Polish girl who churns out a great script in Polish persuading the audience to purchase the New Annie. On the other side of the stage stands an English translator, who translated the Polish persuasive script in to English. This scene is by far the most genius of the play, the acting of the girl who hosts the commercial in Polish is amazing, her timing, body language, stage and screen presence is flawless she states, ‘The new Annie doesn’t get sticky with chocolate or sperm, it doesn’t get stuck in traffic’
Ultimately I could say too much, I could say too little but what I will say is; if you get the opportunity you must watch this play.