Who Killed Marilyn

Emerald Theatre

This show is a diamond in the making; it has the glitz, drama and tragedy, but it's just not grabbing the audience yet. Pixie Lott stars in the upcoming show, wowing audiences with her emotion.

First things first, you could not have cast a better performer to play Marilyn. Pixie Lott has the charm, the beauty, and can mimic Marilyn so well. Don't get me wrong, no one can perfectly be 'Marilyn' other than Monroe herself; everyone, of course, is different, and Pixie Lott has clearly spent so much time crafting her character to make the audience feel like she is a vessel through which Marilyn is communicating to the audience through her performance. That's exactly the idea of the show. It is a two-act play that takes you from Marilyn's deathbed (potential crime scene) to the early stages of her career, right to the end. Marilyn narrates and controls the story; it's from her perspective. However, as Marilyn is controlling the story and showing the audience what happened, there are many scenes where Marilyn was not present and would have gone on without her knowing. Having a story told by her, you would think she could only show you what she saw and knew, right?

Her tragic fate in this story was all down to her fractured love life. The other characters in the show are her lovers and those who played some part in her death. Whilst it is not set in stone what happened to Marilyn, this story is very much set on the Kennedys being the villains of her story. Whilst this is believed by many, there are so many different theories about the real Marilyn Monroe's death, but none are factually confirmed. It should be noted that this show is not based on solid facts before watching. The question of 'Who Killed Marilyn?' is not answered at the end, and it shows you the suspects, the stories and the difficult life of being a famous woman at that time. The danger and loneliness fame thrust upon her. Pixie Lott clearly holds so much emotion for Marilyn; the performance she gives is heartbreaking. Watching her go from glitz and glamour to mascara rolling down her face and breaking point is so real and raw. Her emotion is incredible; she is so in tune with her character, and it's quite a rare performance. That being said, whilst she can charge her performance with emotion, you lose a climactic moment for Marilyn because there is no build-up of her emotion; it seems to stay at the top from the end of Act One. This makes it difficult for the audience to connect with her and feel for her, as much as they should, because you don't see her vulnerability growing and her image being chipped away piece by piece.

The other characters in the piece being on stage for a lot of the show is such an interesting choice; it shows how Marilyn can't escape the public eye, and there are always people around forming their opinions of her from fragments of her life that they manage to see. It shows how she has no control over what they see; it's decided for her by her peers. As the cast are made up of mostly men, they spectate her and make comments/sounds at what happens in her love life; it also shows how she was sexualised by men, and this also reflects on how women were viewed by society, the film industry and how much power was taken from them by men. These directing choices by Philip Wm. McKinley really get you thinking quite deeply about not only her death, but what control she had over her own life and not just Marilyn, but every other woman in the public eye at that time; her love life is chosen for her and broken down by choices made by others and how they are viewed.

Visuals of the show are minimalistic, and this feels more due to budget. The clink of plastic glasses, whilst it's such a small thing, does taint the glamorous image they are creating, and the lighting does feel a little too dim at times. Whilst the show is written with such a strong message about women and the film industry, the visuals don't seem to match the level of intricacy that has gone into the writing and direction. That is essentially an element of the show that takes away from the standard of the show. Whilst the costume is so well thought out by Jasmine Swan and really shows the naivety and purity Marilyn has, the other visual elements do not match.

This show could be so hard-hitting and powerful! There is so much potential to capture the hearts and manipulate the emotions of the audience. Especially since Marilyn Monroe is treasured in the hearts of so many people, being able to see a show that brings her back to life for a couple of hours right in front of you is quite a rare treat. It's worth watching because the performance is quite something, and if you are someone who likes conspiracy theories, then this is your cup of tea! This is something that is on its way to being incredible!!