The Marilyn Conspiracy
If you love a good conspiracy theory then you might want to check out The Marilyn Conspiracy at the Park Theatre, London. You can’t deny the circumstances surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe are incredibly suspicious, and in a mafia run, corrupt country it is very scary to think what actually goes on behind the closed doors of the rich and famous.
It was nice to be transported back to the 1960’s for the evening, and set in the living room of the blonde bombshells house, we jump back and forward from the lead up and aftermath of her death.
Genevieve Gaunt gives a great performance and accurate representation of Marilyn Monroe. I like her softness and fragility. Her vocal delivery is perfect and gives a good impression that isn’t too caricatured, she definitely gets the balance right. However she doesn't play the intellectual/real Marilyn as heard in her off screen tapes and interviews but maybe this deliberate to play to the mainstream crowd.
Susie Amy (Pat Newcomb) gives a passionate performance as Marilyn’s best friend; she is likeable and believable in this role. Maurey Richards (Dr Hyman Englebert) also shines, his accent is great unlike some of the others, which makes me question casting choices, but I did like the twist having a doctor leading the interrogation opposed to the stereotypical FBI.
Some of the scenes get repetitive with too much dialogue and not enough time for the actors and audience to digest it, dragging the piece out. The action escalates very quickly, but unfortunately this leaves the actors nowhere to go which means all the text is shouted rather than dramatically tense and no one is giving the piece space to breathe, leaving the audience desperately begging for Marilyn to return for some light relief.
I love the dramatic underscores and voice clips and I did like the idea of the revolving set at first but seeing as the theatre is in the round and no one stays in the same place for more than a minute it just becomes another distraction.
Overall, I found the piece thought provoking and I did leave wanting to do some investigating myself, but unfortunately I didn’t get the answers I thought I would from this show.
This show was reviewed on the 24th June 2024 at the Park Theatre, London where it runs until the 27th July 2024. Tickets available here: The Marilyn Conspiracy - Park Theatre
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Photo credit: NUX Photography
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