DROWNING IN VERONICA LAKE Holden Street Theatres Until 07 Mar 2012 Review by Nikki Gaertner Take a journey back to the golden era of Hollywood where the stars were all beautiful, glamorous and talented. Or were they? Born Constance Ockelman, Veronica Lake moved to Beverley Hills from Florida with her fame-obsessed mother and stepfather at the age of only sixteen. Before she was twenty she had already been transformed into a star by Paramount Pictures, with a new name and an iconic image and personality. But the ‘real’ person behind “Veronica Lake” can only be unveiled through a confusing meld of stories from the media, Paramount, her mother and herself – with it hard to discern between fact and fiction. And how does this person cope when her entire persona is a fabrication by those wanting to create a star? Alex Ellis fully embodies Veronica, in voice, stance and demeanor, telling her story from the optimistic beginning, up to the pinnacles of her fame, and through her downward spiral into obscurity and ill-health. Standing alone on the black stage, and fitted in a stunning white dress (designed by Elizabeth Whiting) with a skirt that spills out to fill the entire room, Ellis’s Veronica is glamorous and tough at first, but it is soon evident she is trapped by the identity that has been created for her, and she doesn’t know how to get out. Ellis is captivating in her performance, slowly drawing you further and further into the midst of the fallen star’s story (an achievement, particularly as her movement is restricted for the full hour). She easily transforms between Lake, her mother, and other characters, spurring the story forward, with the assistance of some clever lighting design by Nik Janiurek. This is a very polished show that takes you behind the alluring mask of a Hollywood star, and reminds you that all that glitters is definitely not gold. Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)