Born to give voice to iconic Marlene

Sarah Parks was always the perfect actor to play Marlene Dietrich.

Not because she particularly resembles the famous movie star who appeared to invent the notion of celebrity, but because of the voice.

Regular visitors to Yorkshire theatres will understand – the chances are they will have come across Parks, who has acted on most of the region’s stages. Her voice, which sounds like it snakes its way from a throat gargled in Jack Daniels, is what you need if you are going to play Dietrich on stage.

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“We do have a similar range,” says Parks. “And fortunately, there are quite a few recordings of her speaking in interview – she did Desert Island Discs, which was really useful.”

Parks is playing the lead role in Marlene, a play by Pam Gems which is being directed by Chris Monks at Scarborough for this summer’s season. Gems, who died in her sleep this week aged 85, imagines the scene in a Paris club where Dietrich is performing her cabaret act and we get to see her both on stage and behind the scenes.

Parks says: “Although it is Marlene, I’m not on stage doing an impression. It’s about peeling away the layers to understand who she is as a character. It isn’t a cabaret act, but a play. Pam has written this amazingly insightful piece of drama about an incredibly complex woman.”

In Marlene, the character of Dietrich talks about how she became one of the most iconic women of her age and how she controlled her image and her celebrity.

Marlene, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, May 6 to Sept 3. 01723 370 541, www.sjt.uk.com

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