Buddies in Bad Times’ 2017-18 season closes this May with LULU v.7 // aspects of a femme fatale, an irreverent deconstruction of one of Western drama’s most provocative and problematic figures – Frank Wedekind’s Lulu. LULU v. 7 is the culminating production in an ongoing interrogation of the work and the character, co-produced with the red light district and created by Susanna Fournier, ted witzel, and Helen Yung.

A young femme fatale fucks her way across Europe and through a series of lovers who all wind up dead, until she meets her own end at the hands of Jack the Ripper. This is Lulu, an iconic character who keeps us asking questions about sexuality, pleasure, shame, and consequences. Based on German playwright Frank Wedekind’s 1894 play, this blood-soaked adaptation tears apart a classic text to create a viscerally sexy and energetic treatise on art, sex, and death in the 21st century.

the red light district has been developing LULU as part of the Buddies Residency Program since 2014, with more than 100 of the city’s most exciting writers and theatre artists involved in this process of collective deconstruction. Episodes of LULU have been presented at the Rhubarb Festival & videofag (Toronto), the Camden People’s Theatre (London), and as part of a residency at the Institut für Alles Mögliche (Berlin). the red light district has been reimagining classic texts since 2006, and audience members will remember them for such works as the Summerworks hit, the marquise of O–, the RESISTIBLE rise of arturo UI, and  THE MISANTHROPE (or why contempt is sexy).

LULU v.7 is the result of a long-term collaboration between co-creators Susanna Fournier (take rimbaud, the Empire Trilogy), ted witzel (Shakespeare in High Park’s All’s Well That Ends Well, the marquise of O–), and Helen Yung (The Youth/Elders Project), who bring together their distinct practices to stage vital and complex theatrical conversations ignited by Wedekind’s text in the various manifestations of LULU.

This production features a powerhouse cast, many of whom are no stranger to the Buddies stage: Valerie Buhagiar (We are Not Afraid of the Dark, Scorched), Buddies’ founding artistic director Sky Gilbert, Chala Hunter (The Supine Cobbler, The Stronger Variations), Richard Lam (Of Human Bondage, Spoon River), Christopher Morris (Botticelli in the Fire/Sunday in Sodom), Craig Pike (Body Politic), Khadijah RobertsAbdullah (Bang Bang, Prince Hamlet), and Rose Tuong (Shakespeare in High Park’s Hamlet and All’s Well that Ends Well). LULU v.7’s creation team is rounded out with audio-visuals by Wesley Mckenzie (Trompe-La-Mort, or Goriot in the 21st Century, A Line in the Sand), lighting design by Oz Weaver (It’s All Tru, Freedom Singer), and stage management by Sandy Plunkett (The Fish Eyes Trilogy, The Silicone Diaries).

LULU V.7 // ASPECTS OF A FEMME FATALE

Previews: May 1st + 2nd
Opening Night: May 3rd
Closing Performance: May 20th
Runs: Tues-Sat 8pm, Sun 2:30pm
Tickets: PWYC – $40
Box Office 416-975-8555 or buddiesinbadtimes.com
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto ON

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors, and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats. Reach out - bryen@thebuzzmag.ca