When you are at the top of your fame, the world is your oyster and anything is possible. When the show-business star begins to fade, what next for a faded Hollywood starlet?
That is the dilemma at the heart of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical hit Sunset Boulevard, which is coming to Norwich Theatre Royal on January 25-30.
Presented by the Norfolk and Norwich Operatic Society, it tells the story of Norma Desmond who, at one time, was a big silent movie star with the world at her feet.
The advent of talkies saw her popularity fail and she retreated to her decaying mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Enter young screenwriter Joe Gillis who is desperate for money and success. As these two fame-hungry characters meet, the scene is set for a story mixing glamour and passion which can only end badly.
Winner of seven Tony Awards, the musical sets out to explore the darker side of Hollywood life and boasts some fantastic songs including With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye and the number one hit The Perfect Year.
Joe Edwards, who takes on the role of Joe Gillis, said: “Joe is at a crossroads. He is trying to write screenplays and get one of them filmed. He has had a bit of success in the past but his agent is not interested in helping him, and is in debt with people trying to take his car.
“He ends up in this false relationship with Norma and is also having a growing relationship with an assistant at Paramount Studios who is engaged to his best friend, and he is helping her build her skill as a writer. With a real relationship and a fake relationship at the same time, things are not going to end well.”
The production has a special place in director Jeremy Tustin’s heart, as he auditioned for the original production and was also offered a role in a German version of the show, which he could not take. He said: “I have tried to keep it very similar to the film and have added in parts from the movie, that were not in the West End production.
“The cast are fantastic. Joe is on stage for almost the whole show, and Linda Campbell has an incredible role. We auditioned 16 Norma’s. Some were good vocally and some were great actors. Linda just shone with her powerful and striking voice.”
And he urged people to come along and see the performance, which boasts some fantastic songs, incredible choreography and stunning acting. Jeremy said: “This is something completely different from Andrew Lloyd Webber and it is not like his earlier work like Evita or Jesus Christ Superstar. The cast are working really hard and it is getting better and better during rehearsals.”
