Lily Allen dramatically shows off her bloodied face in new West End play The Pillowman

Lily Allen showed off her bloodied face as she bowed at the end of her press night debut at The Pillowman on Wednesday night.

The singer turned theater star, 38, recently made her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story and has returned to the stage in Martin McDonagh’s play.

She plays Katurian in the 2003 revival of the play, which follows the fiction writer as she is imprisoned by a totalitarian state.

After the press night show, Lily appeared to be jovial as she appeared on stage at the Duke of York Theater with her co-star Steve Pemberton.

Lily bowed to the crowd, displaying her character’s injuries as blood trickled down her face and stained her sweater, alluding to the production’s tragic end.

Star: The singer turned theater star, 38, recently made her West End debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story and has returned to the stage in Martin McDonagh’s play

Leading actress: She stars as Katurian in the 2003 revival of the play, which follows the fiction writer as she is imprisoned by a totalitarian state

Cast: After the press night show, Lily appeared to be jovial as she appeared on stage at the Duke of York Theater alongside her co-stars Steve Pemberton and Matthew Tennyson

She cut a casual figure in dark jeans and a blue baggy sweater for the show, while shaping her platinum locks into a choppy bob.

Lily seemed pleased with The Pillowman’s first press night as she flashed a big smile and waved to the crowd as she bowed.

She was joined onstage by her co-stars Steve, who plays Tupolski, and Matthew Tennyson, who stars as Michal, for the curtain call.

Lily is the first woman to play the Katurian, after David Tennant played the main character in the original 2003 Olivier Award winning play.

Speaking of the decision to cast a woman in the role, Lily shared The Telegraph: I think it will add an extra layer of horror because we are not used to seeing women beat up.

“It will be shocking, in that sense. I also feel that men don’t necessarily get the same c**p for their artistic output as women do.’

The Pillowman follows Katurian as she is brutally interrogated by the authorities after a spate of murders bears similarities to her short stories.

Critics were quick to give their reviews of The Pillowman revival, featuring The Telegraph awarding it three stars.

Debut: Lily bowed to the audience, showing her character’s injuries as blood trickled down her face and stained her sweater, hinting at some of the more gruesome moments in the play

Laidback look: She cut a casual figure in dark jeans and a blue baggy sweater for the show, while shaping her platinum locks into a choppy bob

To make a bow! Lily seemed pleased with The Pillowman’s first press night as she flashed a big smile and waved to the crowd as she took a bow

Critic Clare Allfree described the play as “suitably sinister” but as “deficient in psychological conviction” when she gave her review.

She wrote: ‘[The] the production lacks psychological conviction and a certain atmospheric sharpness, while Allen is all out to sea amid the play’s bold shifts in tone.

“I went expecting to be shocked and nauseated. Instead, I noticed that I often got a little bored.’

The black comedy “examines the artist’s role in society and asks what price we pay for freedom of expression,” according to a synopsis on the play’s website.

Speaking of The Pillowman’s discussions of censorship, Lily said the piece raises many questions about free speech and the internet.

Performance: She was joined onstage by her co-stars Steve, who plays Tupolski, and Matthew Tennyson, who stars as Michal, for the curtain call

Glam: Lily later changed into an elegant black dress with lace puff sleeves and sheer side panels when she attended the press night after party at Cafe At The Crypt

Brilliant: She made sure to turn heads in the breathtaking ensemble as she celebrated the play’s debut night

Big day! Lily paired her sensational ensemble with a pair of black heels as she stepped out of the Duke of York Theater after the show

The critically acclaimed stage play, directed by Matthew Dunster, also stars Daniel Millar and Rebecca Lee.

The production runs at the Duke of York Theater until September 2, and the highly anticipated opening night on Friday has already sold out.

The Pillowman has teamed up with PEN International, a global association of writers, for the West End run of the production.

In announcing the collaboration, they said, “We are proud to be working with this production of The Pillowman and participating in this ambitious project that supports many of the values ​​we promote, such as the need for tolerance, critical thinking and informed debate.’