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The Dame and the Showgirl

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The Dame and the Showgirl

By: Simon Berry
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About this listen

Dame Edith Sitwell is on the final leg of a sell-out Recital Tour of America. Eccentric, old, aristocratic and extremely English, she has taken the States by storm. Nevertheless she is annoyed that her sponsors, Life Magazine, are holding her to her contract getting her to write an article interviewing a relatively unknown film actress, about to hit the big time.

Marilyn Monroe.

Life Magazine and Dame Edith know perfectly well that the two are unlikely to hit it off. But somehow these two opposites attract, surprise each other and forge a deep bond. Despite their totally different backgrounds, they lose their minders and find much more in common than either would have guessed. By the end of their allotted hour, they have discovered truths about motherhood and childhood, beauty and ugliness, the price of fame and the masks we hide behind‚ as well as the human truth that we have more in common than things that divide us.

The Dame and the Showgirl have become friends.

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Episodes
  • Ep 1: The Dame and the Showgirl

    Ep 1: The Dame and the Showgirl
    May 5 2021

    Dame Edith Sitwell is on the final leg of a sell-out Recital Tour of America. Eccentric, old, aristocratic and extremely English, she has taken the States by storm. Nevertheless she is annoyed that her sponsors, Life Magazine, are holding her to her contract getting her to write an article interviewing a relatively unknown film actress, about to hit the big time.

    Marilyn Monroe.

    Life Magazine and Dame Edith know perfectly well that the two are unlikely to hit it off. But somehow these two opposites attract, surprise each other and forge a deep bond. Despite their totally different backgrounds, they lose their minders and find much more in common than either would have guessed. By the end of their allotted hour, they have discovered truths about motherhood and childhood, beauty and ugliness, the price of fame and the masks we hide behind – as well as the human truth that we have more in common than things that divide us.

    The Dame and the Showgirl have become friends.
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    56 mins
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All stars
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In a world filled with intolerance and division, this gentle, witty story of two very different women forging an unlikely friendship is nourishing beyond words. Simon Berry's story is simultaneously nostalgic and modern (if that's possible) and one can't help warming to the two characters, whose reputations have both been battered considerably in other renditions.
The performances were beautiful too. A shred of Wooster but nothing like sufficient to make it cheesy. A chasm of emotional liberation and stuck-up-ness that is explored and closed. In short, delightful. Please listen to it. I guarantee you will find a precious hour of nothing but joy.

Refreshes the parts that I had forgotten

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An exceptionally well written and delightful play written about a real meeting between the two ladies, about which I think there is no information or records.

Charming poignant and funny

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I have listened to this repeatedly. The new friendship between Dame Edith and Norma Jean unfurls beautifully.

Loved it

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I enjoyed this very much. I was only a little frustrated that it's made to sound as if the famous movie sketch "The vessel with the pestle (etc)" comes form the Bing Crosby movie 'A Connecticut Yankee (In King Arthur's Court)', whereas it actually comes (famously) from the Danny Kaye movie 'The Court Jester'.
But the acting is terrific, and the pairing of Sitwell and Monroe a delightful surprise!

Fascinating and fun - one niggle ;-)

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This short play lives up to its recommendations. I thoroughly enjoyed both the text and the acting - a very happy hour. More please Simon Berry!
AL

An absolute treat

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This dramatic, fun, interesting, well presented/fantastically performanced podcast, has now been put into my top 10 favorite audio library. Please go & have a listen, you will NOT be disappointed. This dramatic podcast has given me an opportunity to delve into a whole new outlook on what life was possible like for starlets like Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe & how the 'Industry' wanted them portrayed in their 'showbiz' lifestyles.
5* podcast, highly recommended by an avid reader/audio book lover 😍

The intelligence of Norma Jean

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A highly entertaining feat of the imagination which inspired me to learn more about these two formidable women and speculate on their subsequent conversations. More please!

Treat in store

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This is a very entertaining listen, well worth the time.
The cast is perfect

Very enjoyable

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I loved every minute of this beautifully written and very entertaining play. Huge congratulations and thanks to Simon Berry for writing such a gem and to the great cast. I could not recommend The Dame and the Showgirl more highly.

A wonderful play!

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Simon Berry has created an absolute gem. The true story of Dame Edith interviewing Marilyn Monroe makes one desperate to discover what was exchanged between them. This re imagination of that interview is credible, engaging, witty and utterly charming from start to finish. And unsurprisingly Emma Thompson is an absolute genius as Dame Edith Sitwell. Sinead Matthews is a brilliant foil with her clever and subtly different positioning of Norma Jean and the Hollywood version of Marilyn. I was left wondering whether Marilyn would ever have come to England to meet Dame Edith at her home. I was certainly left longing for more by the end. A really great example of an audio play and in my own experience, well worth listening to more than once. A delight.

Magical hour....

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