Motorhome Marilyn

When a woman teams up with a snake, a storm always follows.

A new dark comedy by Ben Weatherill, Motorhome Marilyn follows Denise, an aspiring actress with an obsessive relationship with Marilyn Monroe, who headed to Hollywood in the 1980s, hoping to live up to the icon’s fame and allure. But somewhere along the way, her dreams went dangerously off script.

As the ghosts of her past close in, Denise is forced to reckon with fame, fantasy, and the true cost of reinvention. And just what is she hiding in the desert?

Inspired by Michelle Collins’s real-life encounter with the woman known as Motorhome Marilyn, this twisted and funny play reveals the toll of living in the shadow of an icon - exploring failure, survival, and the heart-breaking cost of unattained dreams.

Published to coincide with the world premiere at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 starring Michelle Collins, this unforgettable one-woman play delights and surprises in equal measure.

Ben Weatherill is a British writer from the East Midlands. He was playwright in residence at the Curve Theatre, where he wrote his debut full-length play, Chicken Dust. His next play Jellyfish was developed with The National Theatre Studio and premiered at The Bush Theatre. The play was nominated for four Offies and shortlisted for the Writers Guild Award for Best Play before transferring to the National Theatre. Frank and Percy premiered at the Theatre Royal Windsor/Bath in 2023, and starred Ian McKellen and Roger Allam. The play transferred to The Other Palace in London and enjoyed a sold-out run.