EDINBURGH 2025: Review: MOTORHOME MARILYN, Gilded Balloon
Motorhome Marilyn runs at Edfringe until 25 August
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Aug. 07, 2025
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Motorhome Marilyn is the debut Fringe appearance of Michelle Collins. The play was inspired by someone Collins met and was initially worked on by Stewart Permutt and then completed by Ben Weatherill.
Denise is a 60 year old woman in a trailer in Vegas. Originally from England, she has headed for the bright lights of Vegas to pursue her dream of being a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. She’s fascinated by Marilyn and her trailer is a shrine to the starlet.
For some inexplicable reason, the hour-long monologue is delivered to Denise’s pet snake Bobby. There is a darker back story but it takes far too long to get there, making this quite the slog to get through.
Collins is a likable performer, but as we are now out of previews at the Fringe, there isn’t the same forgiveness for fluffed lines. As an impersonator, she’s good and as a singer, she’s great so it’s a shame that more of that isn’t utilised in the play.
Denise draws parallels between Marilyn’s life and her own and there is some potential there, but the points get lost in a rambling script. Motorhome Marilyn is not a bad idea, but its execution is somewhat lacking.
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