Lindsay Lohan in ‘Speed-the-Plow’: Is it any good?

Here at Attitude HQ, we’ve been excited for months about the prospect of Lindsay Lohan treading the boards in London, in an almighty comeback which not only proves her fundamental acting talent, but also shows the Hollywood bigwigs that she’s still got it. So, a staff trip ensued.

The first thing to point out is that Speed-the-Plow is an unusual play. If you’re an ardent theatre-goer, you may be aware of David Mamet’s work, or have some idea of the style for which he’s renowned. If your last trip to the theatre was Les Mis with your mum five years ago, then you may find this work a little bizarre. Debuting on Broadway in 1988 with Madonna playing Karen, the role now taken by Lindsay, it’s a satire on Hollywood, but it’s so focused on basic, slightly manic dialogue that you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s a deeper meaning at play. There isn’t. It’s also startlingly short, though, clocking in just short of an hour and a half, so even if you don’t like it, it’s not an ordeal.

The first and third acts are carried by her co-stars Richard Schiff and Nigel Lindsay, but it’s in the central second act when Lindsay comes into the fore and steals the show, in what is practically an extended monologue about how taken her character, secretary Karen, has become with a script she read that afternoon at the film company she’s temping for. Here, LiLo was hard at word and doing a great job; she seemed at ease with her dialogue and immersed in her character – even if we did let out a few giggles when she delivered the line: “I know what it is to be bad. I’ve been bad.”

The Attitude boys were in good company at the Playhouse Theatre, with a mixed crowd who all seemed equally as supportive of (or at least curious about) Lindsay’s performance. I’m not ashamed to say we waited at the stage door afterwards for almost as long as we’d spent watching the play. Lindsay emerged after an hour or so, and motioned her appreciation to the waiting crowd – including an eager American girl who was swigging Echo Falls straight from the bottle and quickly became our new favourite friend.

Seeing Lindsay in Speed-the-Plow is an experience, and this was all part of it. We hope that it’s also the beginning a new chapter for her – a revival, a renaissance – in what still deserves, and promises to be, a long and illustrious career.

Speed-the-Plow runs at London’s Playhouse Theatre until November 29.