Pop singer Pixie Lott is taking on the role of Marilyn Monroe in the new play "Who Killed Marilyn?", a production that proposes the Hollywood icon was murdered rather than dying of an overdose in 1962.
The play, written by American writer Sharleen Cooper Cohen, suggests a conspiracy involving Hollywood, the Press, the Mob, the FBI, and the CIA, positing that Monroe's affair with President John F. Kennedy and later his brother Bobby led to her death because she knew too much. The narrative claims that FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover, with the help of the Mob, orchestrated her death to cover up her drug addiction.
Reviewer Patrick Marmion of the Daily Mail described the play as having "all the drama of a Wikipedia entry," despite its ambitious plot. He noted that Cohen's assertion that the well-supported facts of an overdose make the official version suspect is a core element of the narrative.
Lott, known for her pop music career, is described as a strong physical resemblance to Monroe, donning the iconic blonde wig, pearl necklace, white dress, and red lipstick. "Boy is she a ringer," wrote Marmion. However, the production, directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, is called "zestless."
Marmion observed that Lott's performance leans on Monroe's famous persona, including breathy intonation and flirtatious gestures, which he felt reinforced the myth rather than exploring the person behind the mask. Despite these critiques, Lott's portrayal reportedly becomes more emotionally charged as the play progresses, culminating in a psychological revelation with a therapist character.
The play is staged at the Emerald Theatre, a former cabaret club on the Embankment in London's West End, which has been redecorated to resemble a high-end brothel. Marmion suggested the venue is "hardly the sort of place for a serious reappraisal of stereotypes and deep state cover-ups," adding that the production is more likely to reinforce existing beliefs about Monroe.
"Who Killed Marilyn?" runs for 140 minutes and explores Monroe's celebrity and personal life from beyond the grave, as described by Lott's character.