“The story is set in the golden age of Hollywood … Unfortunately, the set design tells another story”
We already know so much about Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) – the multiple books, films, documentaries, interviews with people who knew her, interviews with people who saw her from afar once – that it’s hard to imagine how a new play could bring to light anything unknown. So it’s quite a relief to discover that ‘Goodbye Norma Jeane’ isn’t really about her at all.
Liam Burke’s script tells the tale of unsung hero Jack Cole (Tim English), Hollywood choreographer and, apparently, the real talent behind the stars. The story is set in the golden age of Hollywood – satin gowns dripping with diamonds and fur, debauched pool parties, decadence and glamour for days. Unfortunately, the set design (Stewart J Charlesworth) tells another story – a lot of grey furniture, and a lot of empty bottles. Presumably the latter are supposed to insinuate that a good time has been had, but the effect is quite the opposite.
For a man who claims to have given dozens of stars their sexiest and most iconic moves, English portrays a very understated character. There is a lot of bitterness in the script – “I made Gwen like I made the rest of them”- but English misses it completely, favouring head-shaking disappointment and unconvincing humility, perhaps in an attempt to make Cole more likeable. We’re also left straining to hear his very patchy American accent at times as he struggles to make himself heard.
Rachel Stanley, playing all of Cole’s ‘muses’, is an entirely different animal. She’s a triple threat – singing, dancing and acting – and whilst a lot of her performance is quite hammy – introducing every new character with a shimmy in a spot-lit doorway for example – her delivery is entertaining and, at times, quite funny.
Admittedly, I imagine it would be quite a challenge to anyone to bring the glamour and tragedy of Monroe-esque Hollywood to a small fringe theatre, but it’s hard to see where Robert McWhir’s direction even attempted it. Everyone loves a story of a forgotten hero, and Jack Cole’s contributions to cinema and dance certainly make him a contender for such a tale, but unfortunately ‘Goodbye Norma Jeane’ does little to reinstate his forgotten Hollywood legacy.
“The format of the show is stuffed full of comic and satirical potential”
[title of show] charts the story of writer and composer Hunter and Jeff (Michael Vinsen and Jordan Fox respectively) trying to write a musical with their friends Susan (Natalie Williams) and Heidi (Kirby Hughes) for an upcoming festival and all the trials and tribulations that accompany it. The beautifully meta aspect of the show is that Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen were actually the creatives behind [title of show], which is the musical they wrote for an upcoming festival – it’s at one point described as ‘a musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical’. This provides a delicious sense of spontaneity to the way the action on stage unfolds, as all the characters are aware that they are in a musical that is being written – one character remarks that Susan has been very quiet during the scene, she responds that it’s because she didn’t have a line in the script until now. The format of the show is stuffed full of comic and satirical potential, and moments like this wring all its possibilities fully.
However, the show was originally written in 2004 and has been considerably successful, even making it to Broadway in 2008, and so the second act of the show – which charts the journey of the show following the festival – feels disjointed and not quite as polished as a result. The first act’s blend of snappy dialogue, clever commentary and engaging songs that are fully integrated with the plot and characters are in the second act replaced with a messier concoction that feels more like a play that drags out a contrived conflict between two characters and begrudgingly throws a song in every now and then until the final sequence.
Thankfully, the shortcomings in [title of show]’s writing in the latter half is made up for by stellar direction and performances throughout. Director Robert McWhir takes every opportunity to let the story and the characters shine through, ensuring that the weaker elements feel more fleshed out and that the comedy and pathos is given the full spotlight. His smart staging makes the relatively cosy space feel huge, giving the actors ample room to take advantage of – and they certainly do. Every single cast member delivers an imaginative and encapsulating performance, although Michael Vinsen is especially exemplary in the relatability, drive, and hilarity he brings to Hunter. The only shortfall is that – as the actors don’t have mics – if they are at the opposite end of the space, lyrics can occasionally be lost.
This is a shame, as the music and lyrics are often catchy and clever. Numbers such as ‘Monkeys and Playbills’, ‘Die, Vampire, Die!’, and ‘Nine People’s Favourite Thing’ are all gleefully inventive and, thanks to Oli George Rew’s expert accompaniment, feel vivid and characterful in their composition.
The sheer love of musical theatre and the process of creation that [title of show] displays will make you fall in love with it despite some missteps, and will have you leaving the theatre truly charmed, and a little more inspired in your own dreams and aspirations.
![[title of show]](https://i0.wp.com/thespyinthestalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/L-to-R-Natalie-Williams-Michael-Vinsen-Jordan-Fox-Kirby-Hughes_Photographer-RBGSTUDIOS.jpg?resize=604%2C270&ssl=1)
