Lindsay Lohan has given the first UK interview to the BBC ahead of rehearsals for her West End debut in David Mamet’s Speed The Plow, which will open on September 24 for a 10-week run at The Playhouse theatre.

The 28 year-old, who earlier this year was the subject of an Oprah Winfrey-produced docu-series, sat down with Will Gompertz to discuss her move from the New York to London, and to set the record straight that she won’t be returning to her tardy ways when it comes to rehearsing and performing in the show.

“I want to be known for my talents and the work that I create”, the troubled actress confided. Asked how long does she think it will take to salvage her reputation, she went on “However long it does take, I’m willing to work on it”. She went on to tell the BBC arts editor how she feels lucky to have the opportunity to appear on the West End, “There’s a different standard to acting here. It seems more prestigious, a bit more serious and that’s something I really want to experience”.

The past few years have been difficult for child star Lohan, who has been “on set since the age of five” and became loved by the public after starring in films such as The Parent Trap, and later in oft-quoted teen comedy Mean Girls.

A series of rehab stays for alcohol addiction – her sixth and most recent occurring last summer – halted her acting career, with production companies weary of Lohan’s flakiness, having gained a reputation for not turning up on set citing transparent reasons such as “dehydration” and “heat exhaustion” for her frequent absences.

The once promising young star also ran into trouble with the law – from shoplifting to assault and traffic violations – Lohan was in court almost as frequently as she featured in US tabloid magazines, but says she is adamant that she is taking control back, through the power of social media.

“The benefit of something like Instagram is I can use that to my advantage and I can say ‘look, this is what happened’ and make light of the situation because it was actually kind of funny”, Lohan said, referring to an incident where she was photographed by paparazzi with cuts on her body, with accompanying reports suggesting she had purposefully cut herself – when in fact she had fallen off her bike.

“Producers see that and I don’t need people having that perception of me”, she concluded.

We’re rooting for you Lindsay, don’t let us down!

Watch the full interview below.