Sunset Boulevard

This new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Christopher Hampton’s glitzy 90s take on the 1950 Billy Wilder film is overall a phenomenal re-interpretation. The stage is spartan and dark, the cast is racially blind and there’s none of the opulence that went with the original set. The enduring image of the film and the musical was the body of Joe Gillis floating in a swimming pool. Gillis narrates how he got there and we find out. But of course the big songs and the big drama emanate from the screenwriter’s killer—faded movie star Norma Desmond. There’s a lot to say about the different women who have taken this role, with Glen Close probably being the most famous. This time it’s Nicole Scherzinger.

Norma is on stage before the overture begins, and is an omnipresent figure throughout. Joe Gillis (Tom Francis) emerges from a body-bag to narrate his story: fleeing creditors who want to repossess his car, he goes to Paramount Studio to pitch an idea to a producer, but the studio doesn’t like the film—it’s read and rejected by ambitious young Betty Schaffer, who challenges Joe to reach back to his talent and come up with something original—based on a story of hers that she’s read. Gillis ends up fleeing the money-men and ends up swinging into an old mansion, owned by the silent star and her diligent butler Max. This setup is presented as a pre-title sequence because there’s back-projected credits, and two camera operators prowl the stage to provide some visual dynamism and of course close-ups.


The video effects work very well showing Nicole Scherzinger in close-up as she is terrifically powerful and vulnerable by turns, reeling Joe in as she eyes a chance for a ‘return’ to movies. Scherzinger delivers “With One Look” with tenderness and substantial power. Meanwhile Grace Hodgett Young plays Betty with the required youthful determination, opposite Tom Francis' cynical dead man walking vibe. The stripped back focus on Norma at the expense of some of the studio locations makes the Joe and Betty storyline a harder sell but it worked.


This is a slick, funny, clever and modern interpretation of a Lloyd Webber musical, such a change from the days of identically-produced versions consumed the world over. The use of cameras leads to some fantastic visual coups, and Nicole Scherzinger is a legitimate star whose transfer from pop music to theatrical performer is legitimately a success.


Savoy Theatre, 6th October 2023

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