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Photos: Musical Puts Rare Monroe Pics in Spotlight

Rare Getty images of Marilyn Monroe will feature in a new musical being staged in the West End next year. The show, Exposure, is being written and composed by Mike Dyer with co-writer Stephen Lowe, and will be directed and choreographed by Javier De Frutos (who won an Olivier Award for Cabaret).

The production, which is yet to confirm venue or dates, is billed as “a contemporary Faustian tale; a musical odyssey that dissects the power of photography for good or evil”.

It marks the first time Getty Images, a stock photo agency that holds the rights to over 80 million photographs and illustrations, has opened its archive for creative purposes.

Matthew Butson of Getty Images said: “Getty Images is thrilled to be able to be involved with such an exciting venture as Exposure. Having seen the project grow and develop from its initial conception, we had no hesitation in wanting to be a part of what we see as a ground-breaking musical and, coupled with our world class imagery, a visual as well as aural feast.”

Exposure’s creator, Mike Dyer, added: “It will be wonderful to have my vision fleshed out by these marvellous photographs. I’m absolutely thrilled to have the research and support that Getty Images can provide, to help us uncover some visual gems that will make the show visually stunning.”

Monroe has proved a continually popular subject for dramatists since her death in 1962, with recent examples including one-woman tribute show Marilyn: Forever Blonde, which ran at the Leicester Square theatre in 2009, and Bonnie Greer's 2008 duologue Marilyn & Ella.

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