Attempts to describe her? Attempts to destroy her? Or attempts to destroy herself?

Is Anne the object of violence? Or its terrifying practitioner?

Martin Crimp’s 17 scenarios for the theatre – shocking and hilarious by turn – are a roller-coaster of late-20th-century obsessions.

His classic play Attempts on Her Life is being produced by Unifaun Theatre Productions at St James Cavalier as part of Spazju Kreattiv Theatre Season next week and in the first half of November.

It will be directed by maverick Californian director Dave Barton, best known in Malta for his direction of Sarah Kane’s Blasted, and choreographed by Sandra Mifsud.

The verse is very poetic and the imagery is brave and rooted in today’s society. It puts today’sobsessions in front of the audience

From pornography and ethnic violence to terrorism and unprotected sex, Attempts on Her Life’s strange array of nameless characters attempt to invent the perfect story to encapsulate our time.

Unifaun artistic director Adrian Buckle thinks Attempts on Her Life is a strange play in that it has no characters and no definite storyline.

“In a way it is like Pulp Fiction, where differenti storylines form a tapestry of a single reality. Attempts on Her Life talks about a woman named Anne, or Anoushka, or Anya.

“Her age varies throughout the play from little girl to woman in her 40s. We see many aspects of Anne. In one scene she is a terrorist, in another a victim of ethnic cleansing and a refugee. In another she is a porn star, in another she is an innocent teen; in another yet, a car.

“Anne is never present on stage. What we learn about her, we do through the words of others, who could be her parents, her neighbours, her lover, her oppressor.”

Asked what this play is about, Buckle answers: “It’s about women. It is a feminist play written by a man, in that it portrays different women, their strengths and their weaknesses and bares them on stage.”

Indeed, Attempts on Her Life is a different offering to what we are used to from Unifaun. “I always wanted to do some physical theatre,” Buckle explains.

“After watching John, a DV8 production, at the National Theatre in London I became obsessed by the idea. John impressed me so much with its raw narration and movement that I immediately called director Dave Barton, who is an expert in avant-garde physical theatre, and asked him if he would be interested in coming to Malta to direct a play for us.

“Many scripts were considered, but finally the choice fell on Crimp’s play because it offered so many possibilities. The verse is very poetic and the imagery is brave and rooted in today’s society. It puts today’s obsessions in front of the audience and allows the audience to form its opinion on what it is seeing.”

Asked if audiences would accept such a production, Buckle replied in the affirmative. “It is not as though we are the first doing it. Theatre Anon have done some excellent physical theatre. As have Rubberbodies Collective. Dù Theatre Company had a great success with Forget-Me-Not some years ago.

“What is new about Attempts on Her Life is that it combines imagery, movement and spoken word effortlessly into one sinewy piece. It is a new departure for Unifaun, yes, but one that we intend to pursue, especially if successful.”

• Attempts on Her Life is being staged at St James Cavalier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and November 5-8, 12-14 at 8pm.

Tickets may be booked through www.unifauntheatre.com or e-mail boxoffice@kreattivita.org or by calling 2122 3200.