The main speculation is ‘why’

Marylebone Theatre

Torben Bett’s play Speculations follows a reporter’s investigations into the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald. The critics liked Janie Dee in the lead but found the rehashed conspiracy theories too familiar, even with Trevor Nunn directing.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar was moderately happy: ‘Director Trevor Nunn creates a smoothly oiled production …, eliciting strong performances from the cast which never seem like tacky imitations.’

Caroline McGinn for Time Out noted: ‘Dee is always a dream to watch, but the play suffers from too much exposition and, because we know what’s coming, not enough peril. It feels scattered and unsettled (…) The speculations are intriguing and Nunn has put together a well-crafted production. But in an era where political lying has gone beastmode, to the algorithmic next level, this just didn’t feel to me like an urgent story to re-tell.’

2 stars ⭑⭑

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe declared: ‘The writing seems to be aiming at noirish, hard-boiled, side-of-the-mouth wit. Instead, it’s slow, clunky, laden with exposition and often laughably melodramatic. And it’s improved not one iota by Nunn’s stodgy direction.’

Julia Rank for WhatsOnStage said: ‘Betts‘s writing and Trevor Nunn’s production both fail to grip and are hampered by a stilted talkiness (…) Unfortunately, the speculations raised by this piece aren’t enough to make for compelling drama.‘

Clementine Scott for BroadwayWorld reported: ‘The setup for Torben Betts’s new political thriller is an unlikely one: a successful New York journalist in the 1960s hires a new nanny, then proceeds to draw her into a dangerous investigative reporting project, before ultimately ending up in an effective hostage situation. Unfortunately, the rest of the show does little to draw the audience away from the absurdity of the premise.’

The Times’ Clive Davis began: ‘Hardcore conspiracy theorists may enjoy it; no one else will. Speculations, which tries to tease out a link between the assassination of John F Kennedy and the death of Marilyn Monroe, is full of mysterious dead ends. Yet the only real mystery here is how Torben Betts’s garbled script attracted the attention of the director Trevor Nunn and that superb actress Janie Dee.’

1 star ⭑

Gary Naylor at The Arts Desk ‘Torben Betts’ play rakes over some very, very well worn theories (never more than a click or two away from where you are right now in the Internet Age) about the assassination of John F Kennedy, The Mob connections of Lee Harvey Oswald and the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe (…) it’s that weary familiarity of subject matter that finally sinks a show, already holed beneath the waterline by flaws in all the components that need to come together for an engaging and interesting evening.‘

The Standard’s Nick Curtis was damning: ‘Maybe the mob did kill Monroe and JFK (and Kilgallen, whose research was missing when her body was found after a supposed overdose, and then RFK and MLK). Who knows? Who cares? I’m not sure Betts or Nunn really do, otherwise they’d come up with something more considered and less cloth-eared.’

Critics’ average rating 2.0⭑

Speculations can be seen at Marylebone Theatre until 17 January 2027. Buy tikcets from the theatre marylebonetheatre.com

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