REVIEW: Hello Norma Jean, Park Theatre ✭✭

Hello Norma Jeane

The Park Theatre

24th February 2016

2 stars

Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood’s most intriguingly enigmatic figures – adored by so many, yet understood by so few. In many ways, she typifies the distinction between private and public identities, a theme that is at the centre of Hello Norma Jeane.

The protagonist is Lynnie (Vicki Michelle), an elderly woman with a failing memory, and a tremendous secret. Escaping her Essex nursing home, she is tracked by her grandson Joe (Jamie Hutchins) to a Los Angeles motel. Here she reveals that she is Marilyn Monroe, having faked her death decades earlier. Joe desperately wants this to be true, not least because it might mend his relationship with his abusive partner Scott. When ‘CIA Agent’ Bobby (Peter McPherson) bursts onto the scene, claiming to be searching for Marilyn, Joe is convinced. Yet we soon discover that Bobby is Lynnie’s hired actor, casting doubts on the veracity of her story.

The play tackles a number of difficult themes, including domestic abuse, dementia and the superficiality of fame. It is also infused with a great many one liners, some of which are extremely funny, if a little sub Carry On. Yet whilst Hello Norma Jeane has undoubted potential as a rollicking dramedy, it fails to live up to its promising premise. Though it contains a number of excellent moments, it is rather unfocused; character development is crushed under the weight of quips and twists, and consequently the drama often feels a little forced.

Much of the narrative is dedicated to Joe and Lynnie tracking down “proofs” of her identity. When the play is at its best, this provides a narrative hook for the development of an eccentric, but endearing story of a grandmother and grandson looking out for each other. We hear Lynnie describe her revelation as “coming out”, and the comparisons with Joe revealing his sexuality to her are touchingly explored. In turn, Joe’s guilt at putting Lynnie in a home is an implicit motivation for his supporting her quest, even when he has cause to doubt her claims.

Nevertheless, such moments are countered by a number of inelegant ideas. The domestic abuse that Joe is said to suffer at the hands of Scott is rarely touched upon; although Scott’s presumed affair with an ex is examined at length. Joe’s burgeoning relationship with Bobby is ostensibly informed by these mistreatments; yet their emotional connection is undersold, making their declarations of love seem somewhat perfunctory.

Joe’s inner life is further confused by regular hallucinations of a young Marilyn (Farrel Hegarty), explicitly stated to have began once Scott began to mistreat him. The idea’s potential is undermined by the odd disconnect between her and Lynnie. Joe’s interactions with Young Marilyn do not evolve, even as his relationship with his grandmother does – a missed opportunity to compare and contrast the identities of both figures. In turn, whilst Vicki Michelle is often brilliant as the foul-mouthed, plain speaking Lynnie, we only see her ‘Marilyn’ at occasional, signposted intervals. Consequently the two facets of her personality remain dichotomised which, considering the play is driven by the reclamation of her identity, is dramatically unsatisfying.

The play is however enhanced by four solid central performances. Vicki Michelle is a very capable comic actor, and she shares excellent chemistry with Jamie Hutchins. Though she stumbled over a few lines, it is an engaging performance which will surely strengthen as the play continues its run. Peter McPherson is a likeable Bobby, convincingly insecure in spite of his striking physique, whilst Farrel Hegarty’s reasonable imitation of Marilyn Monroe combines with a hilarious cameo as a loathsome television presenter. Hutchins deserves the greatest praise, embellishing Joe’s dramatic and comic functions with a measured and appealing performance. Praise should also be given to Zoe Hammond’s set; a small and seedy motel room interior which pointedly juxtaposes Hollywood’s glitz and glamour.

Hello Norma Jeane doesn’t live up to its intriguing premise, and it suffers from a lack of subtlety. Nevertheless, the solid central performances and occasional excellent moments may make this worth a watch if you’re a serious Marilyn enthusiast. Hello Norma Jeane runs until 19 March 2016 at the Park Theatre

Photo: Mia Hawk