Commissioned by Gavin Bryars' long-standing collaborators, ensemble Aventa, and with a libretto by author and poet Marilyn Bowering,Bryars' Marilyn Forever examines the inner life of Marilyn Monroe, and her intellectual and emotional relationships with death and love. Often seen as a victim, fantasy and sex object, the character of Monroe is fleshed out in this chamber opera: 'We are given through Monroe's own voice her combination of sensitivity and exhibitionism, allied to the narrative of the “chorus”, a view from the “inside” of the conflicting emotion and ambitions of this compelling and timeless personality.' (Aventa)