The Late Marilyn Monroe, Sutton Arts Theatre
Written by Charis for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Late Marilyn Monroe showcases the last day of Marilyn Monroe’s life, 4th August 1962. The piece written by Darren Haywood and directed by Dexter Whitehead attempts to unravel what may have happened to Monroe on her last day, showcasing her downward spiral which unfortunately led to her death. While the piece was not without flaws the overall feel of the piece achieved the aim of showcasing the enigma of Monroe’s last day and life in general.
The performance takes place solely in Monroe’s plain white bedroom at her home in Los Angeles. The set is a stark contrast to the glamorous elusion of Marilyn Monroe. Her bedroom is simply a generic bedroom of the 1960’s demonstrating that beneath everything she is a person similar to all else. Similarly, Georgia Kerr-Jones’ Monroe spends a significant portion of the performance in her night clothes stripping Monroe of the glamorous clothing she is often pictured in. The choice to showcase Monroe this way opens her up to demonstrate her vulnerabilities and difficulties. Marilyn Monroe was not a perfect character who could be put on a pedestal, she had her insecurities the same as everyone else. Everyone believed they knew her but nobody really did, Kerr Jones’ performance shows this distrust.
All the insecurities and paranoia felt by Monroe are demonstrated within the piece. At the young age of 36, she is afraid she is old and losing her looks. This is the reason she feels gained her the sack from the making of Something's Got to Give by Fox. Monroe’s hard upbringing is also examined, with a father she never knew and a mother in and out of mental hospitals which led to her being brought up by foster parents and orphanages. All she wanted when she was younger was for everyone to know her name, as an adult she came to realise that such aspirations come at a price. With everyone in her life wanting a piece of ‘Marilyn Monroe’ she is unsure who she can trust. This distrust is shown through her erratic and changing behaviour towards Pat Newcombe. Ailish Reel as Newcombe is treated by Monroe as her best friend and sister one minute and as mere staff the next. The reason supplied for this drastic change in behaviour is Newcombe’s connection to the Kennedy’s suggesting that she is a spy. Reel portrays a loving, sympathetic and at times confused Pat Newcombe. No matter how Monroe treated her Newcombe was determined to be there for her. Maureen George as the loyal, housekeeper Mrs Murray is another individual with whom Monroe is erratic. Murray is regularly put down, apologised to and even sacked by Monroe amongst the drastic change in behaviour.
The final individual in this four person performance is Mark Natrass as Dr Ralph Greenson. He is Monroe’s doctor, specifically psychiatrist. The fact that she had her own psychiatrist on hand demonstrates her state of mind and the pressure of stardom. Greenson is also one of the only individuals Monroe believes she can trust; she does however become difficult with him when he states he needs to leave for dinner with his wife.
Natrass also created the set including the cut out at the back of the stage with the curated Hollywood images and items relating to the persona of ‘Marilyn Monroe.’ The stark contrast of the curated images versus the erratic and plain portrayal of Monroe serves as a demonstration that nobody really knows who she was.
The piece ends with Marilyn Monroe becoming increasingly pained and sluggish by the amount of pills she had taken throughout the day, ending with her slumped at the door with Mrs Murray screaming ‘Marilyn’ in an attempt to get her attention when she could not open the door. Monroe could be seen taking the pills at a wide variety of times within the piece so it certainly would not be too farfetched to believe that she had overdosed. Whether this overdose is on purpose or accidental is unclear.
At Sutton Arts Centre until 4 May 2024.
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