Everything about this show promises a fun piece of theatre with a dark twist somewhere along the storyline. The marketing is good, the poster looks compelling, and the title is excellent. Michelle Collins is the big name starring in this one-woman play by Ben Weatherill and the audience is thrilled to see her in the flesh.
However there are a number of reasons why this piece does not actually deliver the goods. Collins plays the role of Denise, a woman living in a motorhome who is obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. The actress makes her entrance in one of her Marilyn Monroe costumes, and kicks off with a clear narrative that she’s in a job which has plenty of things to moan about.
It just feels like Collins does not have the freedom to really enjoy playing this character. There are so many quirky moments in the play, which just didn’t spark as they could have. For some reason Collins is not free inside this character, and she needs someone to give her the permission and insight to make those moments of electricity. Instead, the moments felt mannered, and slightly held-back.
In the curtain call, we suddenly see a completely different body language and a personality and charisma of a real star. She is genuinely radiant. Until this moment I was really questioning why some of the audience were finding moments in the play such fun.
If only Collins had brought more of her own charisma to this troubled character, then I feel it would have been a performance really worth experiencing. It’s a great idea – and maybe one that will fly in the future.
The idea of this play is fantastic. However there is a long way to go in order to reach its full potential. I feel compelled to see another incarnation of this play in the future, as it will hopefully take that next step up in its development. However for this particular run, it’s just falling short of expectations.
Motorhome Marilyn Gilded Balloon, 17.50, until August 25
