Who really was Marilyn Monroe? Sadly after seeing I Wanna Be Loved By You Im still as clueless as when I went in. Confused and awkward this is an unfocused show which has some interesting ideas but fails to follow through on any of them. Which is a real shame because Marilyn Monroe is probably one of the most intriguing Hollywood stars of them all and a fascinating subject for such a piece.
Five performers lead us through a series of scenes which take us from the beginnings of vulnerable Norma Jeane and follow her as she bed hops her way into Marilyn Monroe. Although her mentally ill mother is mentioned, I Wanna Be Loved By You puts the majority of its focus on Monroes relationships with the men who shaped her life and so we have Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio represented here briefly as well.
Representing not one, but three icons on stage is a daunting prospect for any performer or company. The About Turn Theatre Company seem to have dealt with this by completely ignoring that they are supposed to be presenting accurate representations of people on stage. The movement and voices are all completely neutral indeed the performers are called by the names of these people but have none of their characteristics. This may have been a justifiable decision (three actresses play Marilyn so its obviously not supposed to be naturalistic) but it doesnt come across clearly enough about what the reason for this decision is and as such this appears to be an entirely half hearted production.
Indeed the whole of this show seems to suffer from an absence of the passion which was so indicative of its subject. Although there are some devised moments of interest within it (the press sequences are energetic and pacy) these are not enough to lift the energy of this show. The space is far too small for the five performers, and their entrances and exits seem clunky and should have been made much smoother.
I Wanna Be Loved By You should have been a captivating journey. Sadly instead of asking probing questions about Monroes life, this show simply recreates what happens to her and so by the end we are no closer to understanding this woman who captivated so many.
