大象传媒

The Animal Tamer invites the audience to view the inhabitants of his menagerie.

Lulu is posing for the Artist, observed by her lover Dr Schon. Left alone with her, the Artist tries to seduce Lulu. Her husband, the Professor of Medicine, surprises them and collapses from a heart attack. Lulu is now a rich widow.

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Lulu and the Artist have married. She is disturbed to learn that Schon has become engaged. Schigolch, like Dr Schon, is in some way involved in Lulu鈥檚 past 鈥揾e pays her a visit and she gives him money. Schon came across Lulu as a child, selling flowers outside a cafe, and brought her up to be his mistress. Now that his wife is dead, (possibly poisoned by Lulu), he wants to be free of her so that he can make a second, respectable marriage. The Artist is horrified to learn that his relationship with Lulu is just an arrangement of convenience for Schon, and kills himself. Schon hopes to avoid a scandal and Lulu assures him that, regardless of his other plans, he will marry her.

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Schon鈥檚 son, Alwa, a composer, has created an entertainment in which Lulu will perform. He has fallen in love with her, as has the Prince. From the stage, Lulu sees Schon together with his fiancee in the audience and refuses to continue her performance. Having created a public furore, she forces Schon to follow her dictation and write a letter breaking off his engagement.

Schon and Lulu are now married but she continues to attract admirers, including the Countess Geschwitz, a Schoolboy, an Acrobat and the Servant. Schon ostensibly leaves for work, but returns to discover the mysterious Schigolch is in his home, together with the menagerie of admirers, including his son, Alwa. Disgusted at the state to which she has reduced his life, Schon attempts to force Lulu to shoot herself, but she shoots him instead and is arrested.

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An orchestral interlude depicts the time that passes during Lulu鈥檚 trial for murder, her subsequent imprisonment and commitment to hospital with suspected cholera.

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The Countess Geschwitz allows herself to be infected with cholera and takes Lulu鈥檚 place in the hospital. Schigolch brings Lulu secretly back to Schon鈥檚 house, where the Acrobat threatens to denounce her to the police. Alwa makes love to Lulu and they resolve to flee to Paris together.

Lulu and Alwa are at a casino where most of the guests have invested in Jungfrau Railway shares and are excited by their sharp rise in value. The Marquis tries to blackmail Lulu into working in a brothel. Both the Acrobat and Schigolch attempt to extort money from her. Lulu and Schigolch plot to dispose of the Acrobat by using Geschwitz as bait.

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There is uproar as the news spreads that the Jungfrau shares have collapsed. In the general confusion, Lulu and Alwa make their escape.

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In London, Lulu is working as a prostitute and sharing living quarters with Schigolch and Alwa, who is syphilitic. They hide when she returns with her first client (an echo of the Professor of Medicine). Geschwitz appears, bringing with her the image of Lulu made by the Artist. A second client (the Artist) is interrupted by Alwa and attacks him. The third client (Dr Schon) is Jack the Ripper. Lulu argues with him over money. He butchers her and leaves Geschwitz for dead.