August 5th 1962. News breaks that the world’s most iconic movie star is dead. But it quickly becomes clear that there is more than just one woman struggling to be heard behind the millions of column inches and the blonde bombshell persona the world calls Marilyn Monroe.
Caught together in a limbo between reality and fantasy Marilyn, Norma Jeane and their alter ego Zelda Zonk laugh, cry and fight their way through their conflicting versions of the most famous life and death in movies revealing the innocence, ambition and flaws behind the myth.
Who was the real Marilyn Monroe? It seems that the truth depends very much on who’s telling it and at the heart of the show is the struggle between sensitive and needy Norma Jeane desperate for love at any cost, intellectual Zelda grimly determined to be recognized for her talent, and the public icon Marilyn trapped in her own invented image.
But as Marilyn, Norma Jeane and Zelda relive the highs and lows of their rollercoaster career as well as the relationships with some of the most important men in their lives, they cannot escape their increasingly deteriorating relationship with each other.
As their stories hurtle towards the inevitable end it is this conflict which threatens to destroy them all in a way more sad and shocking than any conspiracy theory.
Originally developed by Greenwich Theatre, London, and showcased to sellout houses there and at the Brighton Festival, this new musical featuring stunning original music and a unique take on the iconic story is currently being developed for a full London production.
