If you have ever wondered whether some of the twentieth century’s most notorious deaths have more to their stories than the official versions suggest, Speculations could be the London theatre production for you.
This new political thriller by playwright Torben Betts, best known for Murder in the Dark, receives its world premiere at Marylebone Theatre this autumn. Directed by legendary theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, it stars Olivier Award-winner Janie Dee as American journalist Dorothy Kilgallen.
And Kilgallen is not prepared simply to accept the answers she has been given.
A journalist searching for the truth
The play takes audiences back to New York in 1965, when Kilgallen was one of America’s best-known journalists and television personalities.
Three deaths had captured the world’s attention. Marilyn Monroe had died in Los Angeles in 1962. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas the following year. Then Lee Harvey Oswald, accused of killing Kennedy, was himself shot dead on live television. For most people, the story was over. For Kilgallen, it was only beginning.
Her investigation leads her from Hollywood to Washington and into the murky world surrounding the Kennedy family, organised crime and the assassination. Along the way, she begins to identify possible connections between figures including Robert Kennedy, Oswald, Jack Ruby, crime boss Carlos Marcello and Marilyn Monroe.
But asking difficult questions can come at a price. As the investigation moves closer to potentially dangerous territory, Kilgallen discovers that the story she is pursuing could put her own life at risk.
Janie Dee takes centre stage
At the heart of Speculations is Dorothy Kilgallen, a fascinating real-life figure whose name is perhaps less familiar today than those of the people she investigated.
Janie Dee takes on the role, bringing considerable stage experience to a character whose determination to uncover the truth forms the backbone of the drama. Dee is a two-time Olivier Award winner and has appeared in productions including Comic Potential, Carousel and Me and Orson Welles.
The production is directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, whose extraordinary career includes some of the most significant theatre productions of the past half-century. His involvement adds considerable pedigree to a world premiere built around political intrigue, journalism and one of history’s most enduring mysteries.
Fact, theory and speculation
The title is important. Speculations is not presented as a definitive answer to the mysteries surrounding the deaths of Monroe, Kennedy and Oswald. Instead, Betts uses Kilgallen’s investigation to explore the questions, contradictions and possibilities surrounding them.
That makes the production particularly intriguing for anyone fascinated by the way history is constructed, challenged and sometimes contested.
The play also asks a question that extends beyond these particular events: how far would you go to uncover the truth when powerful people would rather you stopped asking questions?
It is a subject that feels remarkably relevant in an age of misinformation, investigative journalism and endless arguments over what can and cannot be trusted.
A new political thriller in Marylebone
Designed by Lee Newby, with lighting by Johanna Town and sound by Gregory Clarke, Speculations promises a production combining the glamour of 1960s America with the darker atmosphere of a political thriller.
The Marylebone Theatre is becoming an increasingly interesting destination for London theatre-goers looking beyond the West End, and this world premiere offers the chance to see a new work before its wider reputation has been established.
With its combination of famous names, real historical characters and a mystery that has fascinated generations, Speculations should appeal particularly to anyone who enjoys theatre that sends them away with something to discuss afterwards.
And given the subject matter, there should be plenty to discuss.
Speculations at Marylebone Theatre
Speculations by Torben Betts, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and starring Janie Dee, runs at Marylebone Theatre from 30 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
The production has a strictly limited nine-week run, making this one for the diary if you’re planning a London theatre trip this autumn or winter.
Further casting is due to be announced.
When: 30 October 2026 – 3 January 2027
Where: Marylebone Theatre, London
Director: Sir Trevor Nunn
Writer: Torben Betts
Starring: Janie Dee as Dorothy Kilgallen
Tickets: On general sale now
Social media: @speculationsplay
For tickets and further information, visit the Marylebone Theatre website.
