Review: WHO KILLED MARILYN?, Emerald Theatre
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
On 4 August 1962, one of the greatest icons of the 20th Century passed into legend. Marilyn Monroe had apparently ended her life with an overdose of barbiturates. However, conspiracy theorists would not allow her troubled soul to rest in peace. Monroe was a symbol of raw sexuality moulded by the Hollywood dream machine. She was also a prized companion of the rich and powerful. But could she have been murdered by forces unknown. Did her dalliance with powerful men prove to be her undoing? This new play, written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, aims to shed new light on a maze of facts, theories and half-truths. The Emerald Theatre is secreted under Waterloo Bridge and emits a distinctly cool vibe. Think 50s jazz club with velvet seats and dark corners punctuated by dim lighting. So the atmosphere was perfectly set for the play's subject matter and historical context.
The story opens with Monroe (Pixie Lott) returning to the scene of her death. She narrates her life in a series of flashbacks that jump between a spiritual and physical presence. By the mid-50s, Monroe had broken big in the movies with a string of commercial hits. But her private life was rapidly turning into a train wreck. Her marriage to baseball hero Joe Di Maggio (Henry Proffit) was both short lived and abusive. A longer union with playwright Arthur Miller (Ben Dilloway) failed to provide the happiness she craved. A slow drift towards the era’s great power brokers seemed inevitable. President John F. Kennedy (Mars Sams) quickly falls for Monroe’s charms whilst brother Bobby (Paul Kane) is similarly smitten. Mafia supremo Sam Giancana (Martin Hancock) sees a tryst with Monroe as a valuable bargaining chip with the Kennedys.
A well written play reveals nothing new and re-packages existing conspiracy theories into bite-sized portions. Although endlessly fascinating, there are no new angles to explore. In many respects, the play asks the wrong question. It's not about 'who' but 'what' killed Marilyn. Maybe she did have affairs with JFK, Bobby Kennedy and Sam Giancana. But would that have got her killed because she knew too much? Many refuse to accept that Monroe may simply have taken her own life. There has to be another explanation that allows the legend to be re-written in more palatable terms. But there's no evidence to suggest she was murdered, only innuendo fuelled by circumstance. It was a toxic environment that sealed her fate at the hands of exploitative men.
What stands out most is a towering performance from Pixie Lott in the title role. Anyone can perfect the look but capturing her character is by far the greater challenge. She achieves this with a portrayal that proves Monroe was anything but a dumb blonde. Her complexity and intelligence shine through in a performance that is a tour-de-force.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Brian Penn
Who Killed Marilyn plays at the Emerald Theatre until 29 October with further info here