Who Killed Marilyn? – Emerald Theatre

There is a particular pleasure in a story that makes you impatient for its next revelation, and ‘Who Killed Marilyn?’ taps into precisely that feeling, unfolding with the intrigue of a crime novel whose pages you keep turning long after you intended to stop. An expansive retelling of Marilyn Monroe’s life and death, it draws Hollywood glamour, political power and conspiracy into a theatrical mystery that is thoroughly captivating.

Written by Sharleen Cooper Cohen and directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, the production follows Monroe’s story after becoming famous, through the relationships and powerful interests surrounding her, including the Kennedys, organised crime and the machinery of celebrity, which all enter the frame as the circumstances of her death come under scrutiny. Conspiracy theory abounds, and the play’s interpretation should be approached as a dramatic proposition rather than a settled historical verdict. As theatre, however, its appetite for intrigue gives the production an absorbing, rather decadent sense of purpose.

At this performance, Emma Haines, the alternate Marilyn, took the role usually played by Pixie Lott, and she owned the stage entirely. Playing someone, whose image is so instantly recognisable as Marilyn Monroe carries an enormous weight of expectation, yet Haines’s stage presence and skill made it easy to invest in the performance. She shone bright like a star throughout, providing the central attraction in a production crowded with characters, competing interests and possible explanations.

What impressed most was the assurance with which Haines carried the production. She made Marilyn feel like a person beyond the familiar image, bringing warmth and vulnerability to the role without leaning heavily on recognisable mannerisms. That attention to the woman behind the celebrity made her portrayal especially engaging. With so much narrative revolving around Marilyn, the leading performance needs to hold our attention through each new encounter and development, and Haines did exactly that. Whatever intrigue was gathering around her, she remained the person the audience wanted to watch, and by the end, it felt entirely appropriate to describe this as “her show”.

The supporting ensemble was also consistently strong, tackling multiple characters across the incredibly detailed, unfolding story. That collective contribution matters, a mystery populated by so many figures needs performers capable of sustaining interest beyond its central role, and despite a few questionable accents, the cast supplied strong support for Haines while helping to give the retelling its considerable breadth. Eliot Giuralrocca was particularly noteworthy as Ralph Greenson, Marilyn’s therapist, delivering an assured presence to the role, and made Greenson a compelling figure among the many people surrounding Marilyn.

There were, nevertheless, some technical frustrations. The lighting (Jack Weir) did not always catch the performers properly, leaving some action insufficiently illuminated. Sound (Christopher Reid) coverage also seemed uneven, with the seating layout apparently placing some audience positions outside the speakers’ most effective reach. In a production where following the detail is part of the enjoyment, those lapses deserve attention. They did not, however, undo the production’s appeal.

‘Who Killed Marilyn?’ is a creative and engaging way of telling a familiar story, with enough intrigue to make its destination feel worth waiting for, with the sensation of mentally turning another page, eager to discover where the next disclosure would lead. Above all, it was a delight to have seen Emma Haines take possession of such a demanding central role, and her Marilyn made this a compelling trip to the theatre.

The production runs at The Emerald Theatre, London until 29^th October and tickets are available at www.whokilledmarilyn.uk

Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin

Reviewed: 10th October 2026

North West End UK Rating: