Lily Allen’s debut in the revival of Martin McDonagh’s play The Pillowman has received lukewarm reviews from critics after opening night at the Duke Of York Theater on Wednesday.
The singer has taken on the gender-swapped role of Katurian in the 2003 revival of the play, which follows the fiction writer as she is imprisoned by a totalitarian state.
But despite ditching her typically classy looks for a more bloodied and bruised look, critics weren’t too impressed with the revival.
One wrote that they were “a bit bored” watching the show, while others called her talents too “limited” for the complex character.
Lily had a bloodied face as she bowed at the end of her press night debut after starring opposite Steve Pemberton and Paul Kaye in the play, taking on the role previously played by David Tennant in the 2003 original.
Didn’t like it? Lily Allen’s debut in the revival of Martin McDonagh’s play The Pillowman has received lukewarm reviews from critics after opening night at the Duke Of York Theater
To enrol The TelegraphClaire Allfree awarded the show three stars, writing, “[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 times gave the play a paltry two stars, while Clive Davis wrote, “Can Allen be up to the task?” It’s true that she didn’t disgrace herself in that hugely popular supernatural thriller, 2:22: A Ghost Story.
‘But here her limitations become more apparent. There is little variation in her voice and gestures; at times she seems almost a spectator at her own ordeal.
“It’s Steve Pemberton and Paul Kaye—as the sadistic Tupolski and Ariel, respectively—who grab your attention.”
However, The evening standard Nick Curtis awarded the play four stars, writing, “Allen, who made an impressive stage debut in Dunster’s running 2:22 A Ghost Story, is compulsive to watch: drawn, intense, angular.”
“But this show requires juggling emotional states that she can’t quite muster.”
In the meantime The stage awarded the show three stars, while Sam Marlow wrote, “There’s a pale emptiness about Allen that may be intentional, but makes her hard to deal with.
Stunning: The singer has taken on the gender-swapped role of Katurian in the 2003 revival of the play (pictured at the play’s press night after her performance)
McDonagh looks at the myth of the tortured artist and the notion of creative immortality, rather than questioning it, but by mischievously refusing to commit to a point of view, he repeatedly undermines his own arguments, with the result that the piece feels thin and vague.”
To write for Theater maniasaid Alex Wood: “As in her West End debut 2:22 A Ghost Story (also directed by Dunster), Allen does well on stage – sincere, eloquent and never overly maniacal in a role that could easily slip into theatrical scenes in the wrong hands.
“She definitely has better material to work with here than she did on her freshman internship outing, to the extent that you can follow a pretty clear character arc as Katurian goes from bewilderment to confident catharsis.”
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.
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.
Dramatic! Lily had a bloodied face as she bowed at the end of her press night debut after starring opposite Steve Pemberton and Paul Kaye in the 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.
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.
The production runs at the Duke of York Theater until September 2, and the highly anticipated opening night on Friday has already sold out.