Martin Crimp’s Attempts on Her Life is a gift to drama classes around the world: a script so sharp it could cut through a water drop, an unspecified number of cast members and absolutely no stage directions whatsoever. Oh, and themes. Lots of themes.
The National Theatre Drama School’s production of Attempts on Her Life is a competent and interesting rendering of this complicated, contradictory work, with more than enough ingenuity in the delivery to give shape to what might otherwise be a blur of confusion.
In Attempts on Her Life, an unspecified number of narrators describe (and narratively interfere with) the many lives and incarnations of a woman called Anne, or sometimes Anya. There are few consistent details about Anne, except that she is probably white, and she is strong. She is also, variously, a lover; a cult leader; a world traveller; a terrorist; a victim of war; a porn star; an artist; a model of car; and an attempter of suicide.
Matthew Adey’s versatile but minimal set allows the performers to shine individually, as do their elaborate theatre greys (whiteface, turtleneck and braces). For an ensemble work, the quality of the performance was remarkably consistent. While there was the occasional less-than-polished moment here and there, each performer managed to deliver good work in various scenes. While every line is quite as crisply and cleanly delivered as one might hope, and the work often fights to escape a distinct staginess in the delivery – the dreaded singsong Theatre Voice is not absent – in general, this is an enjoyable performance.
Tanya Dickson has done a laudable job with this work, making good use of her cast’s talents – here a turn on the guitar, there a section doubled up in Hebrew – and the flexible set is used well to create a variety of largely distinct settings for the work’s seventeen scenes. Attempts on Her Life is a fascinating work, and this is a good way to see it.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
The National Theatre Drama School
Attempts on Her Life
Directed by: Tanya Dickson
Set and Costume Design by: Matthew Adey
Lighting Design by: Rob Sowinski
Vocal Coach: Leslie Cartwright
Movement Consultant: David Harford
Image by: Sarah Walker
Featuring Music by: Jahman Davine
Performed by: Michaela Bedel, Catherine Bennett, Jahman Davine, Lucienne Di Tempora, Andrew Iles, Ross MacPherson, Lauren Mass, Shoshannah Oks, Johnathan Peck, Karl Sarsfield, Jessica Tanner and Gareth Trew
National Theatre, St Kilda
5 – 13 July
