Writer: Ben Weatherill after Stewart Permutt
Director: Alexandra Spencer-Jones
This is high-concept theatre with a super star. Michelle Collins makes her impressive Fringe debut as Denise, an aspiring actor and fan of Marilyn Monroe, who scrapes a living by impersonating her idol. The set is superb, showcasing Denise’s collection of Marilyn artefacts, while hinting that we’re inside the motorhome of the show’s title.
The idea for the show came from Michelle’s encounter with a real-life version of her character in Los Angeles. As with many solo shows, there is a conceit that explains why Denise is speaking lines out loud: she’s addressing them to her pet snake. While that becomes rather wearing rather quickly, the details of Denise’s life start to be revealed, and we’re hooked. She tells us that she’s been spat on by another lookalike, playing Captain America, for encroaching on his territory. Hopefully this is not the kind of scenario being acted out between buskers on Edinburgh’s streets.
Denise shares her dreams and disappointments. She gives us some good laughs, sings a beautiful song, takes off her blonde wig. This is where things get really interesting. With that display of vulnerability, for all her bravado, we get a sense of how difficult it’s been for Denise to make her way in show business. It occurs to us that, as an ageing actor, it must be getting harder to go on pretending to be someone who died young. Arguably the script might have been stronger if it explored this a little further.
As it is, having opened as a cosy character-based piece, the show later veers into shock horror. Although it’s billed as a dark comedy, the contrast doesn’t sit too comfortably within the framework of an hour-long show. It’s as if the stakes had to be raised to make the drama rewarding in brash plot terms, when there was a perfectly good storyline that deserved more attention.
Nevertheless, this is a creditable production and a very watchable show. As acting royalty, Michelle Collins is making her mark on the Fringe by delivering something different and special, while showing great versatility.
Runs until 25 August
