The Marilyn Conspiracy (rating 4/5)
It’s more than 50 years since Marilyn Monroe died and the manner of her death continues to be the subject of speculation. Was it really suicide, or was there something more sinister going on? Her connections with John and Robert Kennedy, and their subsequent deaths only adds to the rumour mill, opening up other interpretations and allowing for ever larger conspiracies to emerge.
The Marilyn Conspiracy is the product of four years work and 19 drafts and main writer Vicki McKellar has carried out painstaking research to put the project together. The result is a rich production that fleshes out one of the most common theories about Monroe’s death and offers an explanation as to why suicide had to remain the official verdict.
The action takes place a few hours after the actress’s body was discovered as seven people assemble at her home. They include psychiatrists, doctors, friends and a member of the Kennedy family. As they work through the events of the evening, trying to establish exactly when Monroe died and whether anything else could have been done to save her, doubts and questions emerge.
The cast play out the courtroom style drama with great finesse, each of them defending themselves from accusations and either seeking to discover the truth or cling on to the suicide verdict that has yet to be pronounced.
The production doesn’t offer any theories that haven’t been heard before, but it does put flesh on the bones of some of them and provides an entertaining piece of theatre in the process.
Assembly, George Square until 27 August
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