Trevor Nunn's direction of Torben Betts's play at Marylebone theatre demonstrates considerable theatrical skill, but even the most accomplished staging cannot overcome the fundamental weakness of its source material. Nunn has crafted what the production notes call 'a spicy conspiracy drama,' yet the conspiracy itself—Dorothy Kilgallen's theories about the Kennedys' involvement in Marilyn Monroe's death—offers little of substance to justify two hours in the theatre. The machinery of the production, as polished as it may be, cannot disguise that the play largely retreads well-worn ground.
The cast, notably Natalie Dunne's transformative portrayal of Monroe and Janie Dee's steely performance as journalist Kilgallen, rises admirably to the occasion. Dunne's achievement is particularly noteworthy, given how many times Monroe has graced the stage. She captures the actress 'variously dishevelled, vulnerable, angry and unglamorous yet able to turn on the allure,' and at her most upset, she evokes Monroe's 'exposing final performance in The Misfits.' Lee Newby's set design, rotating 'elegantly between timeframes,' shows equal ambition. Yet strong performances and technical ingenuity cannot compensate for a script that feels, ultimately, static.
The play's structural convenience strains credibility throughout. That someone as shrewd as Kilgallen would confide her entire investigative theory to Flo, the babysitter she has just met, stretches believability beyond breaking point. The fact that Flo conveniently happens to be 'a wannabe journalist' and African American—and therefore invested in the Kennedys as 'vital forces for good in the civil rights movement'—only underscores how transparently the plot device serves the narrative rather than emerging organically from it.
More troublingly, the play leaves crucial threads dangling. The 'questions around the death of Kilgallen herself in 1965' hang 'abruptly' unresolved, suggesting the playwright recognizes these mysteries matter but lacks the courage to pursue them. As the review notes, this represents 'one speculation too few'—a damning assessment that the material itself simply does not justify the theatrical investment.
Nunn and his cast have produced a technically accomplished production, but they deserve a script with the depth and freshness their efforts demand. Until 17 January, audiences at Marylebone theatre will witness considerable artistry in service of diminishing returns. The question is not whether Nunn can direct—he clearly can—but whether Kilgallen's recycled conspiracy theories warrant the attention this ambitious staging lavishes upon them.