REVIEW | Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Nicole Scherzinger (Norma Desmond) in Sunset Boulevard. Credit - Marc BrennerWritten by Eleanor
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Ever since this show was announced in May 2023, with the casting of Nicole Scherzinger generating additional buzz, Sunset Boulevard has been one of the most highly anticipated West End shows of the year. It marks the first production of the newly formed Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals company, a joint venture by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michael Harrison. From its creative team, and its past casts, to the plot itself, Sunset Boulevard is a musical I have always been aware of but never seen. I didn’t know much of the plot before going in and I didn’t know any of the score. But I knew this was a bold reimagining, and I couldn’t wait to see it for myself.
Overall, Sunset Boulevard is exciting, gripping, and visually stunning. The show as a whole is thematically very strong, but the abstract nature of the staging does mean that some elements can be lost in translation.
Upon entering the theatre, I was first struck by how dark it was - you may not want to make your way to your seat too early! But this certainly set a darker and more serious tone before the show even started. The lone figure of the young Norma Desmond (played beautifully by Hannah Yun Chamberlain) enters the stage, obscured slightly by a curtain of pearls, and stands looking out to the audience. This is not only a striking image in itself, but also relates to the show as a whole; many within Hollywood know of Norma Desmond’s face from her early career before being introduced to her as an older woman.
The show opens with Joe Gillis (Tom Francis), a struggling writer with no job and no money. While trying to hide his car from repossession men he meets Norma Desmond (Nicole Scherzinger), an ageing silent movie star who is planning her return to Hollywood. Together they work on a new script to bring her back into the world of film, but at the expense of Joe’s friends Artie (Ahmed Hamad) and Betty (Grace Hodgett Young). As the New Year chimes in, their relationship becomes increasingly volatile but also more romantic.
One of the key aspects of this modern retelling is the use of additional cameras and screens on stage. These hand-held cameras are manned by members of the ensemble and provide different aspects to scenes as well as highlighting key emotions. This is first used at the beginning of the show when a cross-section of Joe’s face is projected onto the back wall alongside the names of the creative team and the title of the show, as you would see at the beginning of a film. Here, and throughout the musical, this really helps link you to the idea of old Hollywood and classic films, and the idea of wanting to live your life on a screen. Because of this, the scenes with Norma herself are very captivating. Nicole Scherzinger really draws you in and uses the camera to give the audience an idea of how Norma’s personality can shift when she is in front of a camera. It is also just such a rare treat to see the raw emotions of these actors so close up.
Sunset Boulevard’s use of lighting (designed by Jack Knowles) is also extraordinary. It is simple in design, using white spotlights to contrast with the dark backdrops and minimalistic set (by Soutra Gilmour). The lighting changes dramatically to show less or more of the stage, which heightens the tension and can also change the sense of space. This works particularly well when a character is singing alone in total darkness and then, as the song ends, the space widens back up. However, sometimes the lighting and set can feel a little bit too minimalistic and leaves a lot up to the audience to imagine. You never see Norma Desmond’s mansion, the studios or Joe’s flat as the background is only ever black. All is left for the audience to visualise. This lack of setting can even be confusing at times when a scene shifts, or during more abstract dance numbers.
Within the first act of the show, I was particularly surprised by how innately funny the material was. The humorous dialogue was supplemented by the movement choices of the actors. For example, the way Nicole Scherzinger moves around the stage (trying to recreate one of Norma’s dances from her youth) received a very warm response. It is this use of humour which helps balance the overall tone of this musical, which can become particularly dark in places. But there was an instance at the end of the first act when the tone shifted very dramatically, which did not work for me.
Much of the dialogue and songs within Sunset Boulevard are directed out to the audience rather than to the other actors. This concept is most effective for the character of Norma Desmond; she is forever drawn to the film screen, and to her audience and chooses to focus on them more than the people around her. It is only later in the show, as her relationship with Joe grows, that she begins to look and speak at him more rather than out to the auditorium. This is excellently contrasted with Joe and Betty’s relationship. They more frequently make eye contact and therefore their growing relationship is shown to be more sincere from the beginning. Directorial choices such as these really distinguish the show from anything else in the West End or previous runs of this musical.
A note should also be made on the choreography. In line with the more modern style of the show, Fabian Aloise’s group numbers are dynamic and bold, often adding additional layers to the scenes in which they appear. This works particularly well in the song ‘Let’s Have Lunch,’ conveying the hustle and bustle of the Hollywood studios and how Joe increasingly feels cast aside.
The second act opens with Tom Francis’ expert rendition of ‘Sunset Boulevard’, which is staged very dynamically (and in a way which may not have been seen in the West End before). This was the one song that really stuck with me after leaving the theatre in regards to the song itself. Every ballad sung by Nicole Scherzinger stood out due to her commanding vocals. The score as a whole is cohesive, but many of the other songs did not leave an individual impression on me.
As with the first act of the show, all the staging choices made were incredibly impactful. The way Norma, Betty and Joe are positioned on stage, and on screen, is so clever and builds the tension and suspense between them. I also enjoyed how some scenes took place behind the scenes, allowing the actors to walk around the wings. This definitely made the more dialogue-heavy scenes more dynamic. But again, some of the ways movement was incorporated were just too abstract and did not work for me. But nevertheless, by the end of Sunset Boulevard, I was left empathizing with every character and feeling as if a really satisfying conclusion had been reached.
Overall, Sunset Boulevard was a visually stunning and impactful piece of theatre. The more modern staging elements mostly work well. I came away excited, thinking about how these same elements could be used in other future shows. If you enjoy Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work, you will not be disappointed. All of the material is only elevated by the excellent performances of the entire cast. Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond is transfixing, with Tom Francis as Joe Gillis giving an extremely captivating performance. But I do think I would have enjoyed some slight variations in costumes and set throughout. At one point, Betty does say that modern audiences are smarter and be treated as such, so maybe I am just not quite there yet when it comes to this particular show!
At Savoy Theatre until 6 January 2024.
★ ★ ★ ★
