Lindsay Lohan only has one big speech in the David Mamet play that signals her West End debut, but she couldn't remember how it went, according to a review posted by the Daily Beast on Wednesday.
It was the first night of previews, but halfway through the second act of "Speed-the-Plow," the audience couldn't conceal their laughter as Lohan fought to grasp Mamet's sharp, trademark dialogue.
After her first audible prompt, which came shortly after the interval, the audience was patient. The second led to titters in the theater. Ironically for Lohan, the next line delivered by Richard Schiff (Toby from "The West Wing") was: "You have done a fantastic job!"
The laughter grew louder from that point.
She also seemed to rely on a book she held as a prop that may have had some lines from the script written in it, according to The New York Daily News.
The 28-year-old former child star's career began very strongly, starring in hits like "The Parent Trap," but has faded in recent years as alcohol and drug problems took over. Lohan, who grew up on Long Island, has been arrested twice for drunken driving and possession of cocaine.
She has been back and forth to rehab a half-dozen times, and served two weeks in jail after violating her parole.
Over the years, she has taken up the reputation of a hard-partying and unreliable star blazing through a nearly washed-up career.
Her move to London and offer to appear in the Mamet play had many people feeling that she had her addictions under control and her life was moving in a positive direction. But her notoriety wasn't enough to occupy the seats on opening night, unusual for theaters in the West End. Celebrities were also in very limited numbers, with former Australian soap star Holly Valance the only notable face in the crowd.
