Who is Lulu, the protagonist of Frank Wedekind’s tragedies Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box, 1902)? Introduced and described as ‘the real beast, the beautiful wild beast’, Lulu experiences her rise, freedom and downfall alongside rich, paying men, only to end up murdered by Jack the Ripper. Desired as a femme fatale and femme fragile in equal measure, this character exists as an image that others conjure up of her. So who is Lulu? The victim of a machinery of desire and oppression, of captivity and liberation. But perhaps she herself is also an engine of dazzling effects.
Credits
A project by
Wiener Festwochen and Theater an der Wien
Music
Alban Berg
Script
Frank Wedekind, after the tragedies Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box
Concept, direction and choreography
Marlene Monteiro Freitas
Maestro
Maxime Pascal
Orchestra
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
With
Vera-Lotte Boecker (Lulu), Bo Skovhus (Dr. Schön), Edgaras Montvidas (Alwa), Cameron Becker (Maler) Anne-Sofie von Otter (Gräfin Geschwitz), Kurt Rydl (Schigolch), Katrin Wundsam (Garderobiere / Gymnasiast), Martin Summer (Tierbändiger, Athlet), Paul Kaufmann (Prinz, Kammerdiener) E Francisco Rolo, Henri “Cookie” Lesguillier, Ina Wojdyła, Joãozinho da Costa, Kyle Scheurich, Nina Van der Pyl, Rui Paixão, Tomás Moital
Light Design
Yannick Fouassier
Scenography
Yannick Fouassier, MMF
Dramaturgy
Armin Kerber
Research
João Figueira, MMF
Musical Assistance
Cláudio Silva
Choreographic Assistants
Andreas Merk, Hsin-Yi Hsiang
Executive Production
Joana Costa Santos, Soraia Gonçalves
Comission
Wiener Festwochen
Production
Wiener Festwochen, Theater an der Wien
In collaboration with
P.OR.K (Lisbon)
Residencies
O Espaço do Tempo (Montemor-o-Novo), Estúdios Victor Córdon (Lisboa), CN D Centre national de la danse (Pantin), Fabbrica del Vapore (Milão)
Born in Cape Verde, Marlene Monteiro Freitas is a dancer and choreographer. She studied dance in Brussels and Lisbon, followed by collaborations with Emmanuelle Huynh, Loïc Touzé, Tânia Carvalho, Boris Charmatz, among others. After establishing her first company Compass in Cape Verde, she now works with P.OR.K – co-founded by her – in Lisbon and collaborates with O Espaço do Tempo. Her oeuvre is characterised by unity of openness, heterogeneousness and intensity and includes such productions as Primeira Impressão (2005), A Improbabilidade da Certeza and Larvar (2006), Uns e Outros (2008), A Seriedade do Animal (2009), a solo Guintche (2010), (M)imosa (2011, in collaboration with Trajal Harell, François Chaignaud and Cecilia Bengolea), Paraìso, colecçao privada (2012), and De Marfim e carne – as estátuas também sofrem (2014), Bacantes – Prelúdio para uma Purga (2017). In 2017, she was distinguished by the government of Cape Verde for her cultural achievement. In 2018, she created Canine Jaunâtre 3 for Batsheva Dance Company and was awarded the Silver Lion award for dance at the Venice Biennale. In August 2020, MAL – Embriaguez Divina premiered in Kampnagel, Hamburg and in July 2021, her newest creation Pierrot Lunaire with Ingo Metzmacher was presented at the WienerFestwochen.