Reviewed by Deborah Mackenzie
The stage musical by Al Senter, written by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and the music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based Billy Wilder’s 1950 film of the same title.
Down on his luck screenwriter Joe Gillis tries to get work at Paramount Studios, but nothing is going his way. He meets Betty Schaefer, a pretty young script editor who suggests that they get together to rewrite one of his earlier plays. As they are chatting car repossession agents see him and he flees in his car. A car chase ensues and seeing a huge mansion he pulls into the garage.
The butler Max beckons him inside the mansion where he meets Norma Desmond, the ‘greatest star of all’ who dominated the silent film era but didn’t make the transition to ‘talkies’ (sound film). Joe suddenly recognises her and comments, ‘You used to be in pictures; you used to be big’, to which Norma responds, ‘I AM big – it’s the pictures that got small’.
Norma who is living in the past is convinced that she is still as beautiful and in demand as she was an era ago; made worse is that her butler Max plays to her illusion by writing fan mail and boosting her ego at every opportunity. Norma informs Joe that she has written a script with Salome, and plans to return to screen starring as the lead teenage biblical temptress. Joe accepts her offer of work as editor and stay in her home.
During his stay Norma lavishes attention on Joe, giving him the best of everything; but also become very demanding of him and is virtually a prisoner at the house. But he breaks away to meet with Betty to work on his script. Over time, their working relationship turns to romance and Betty reconsiders her engagement to Joe’s best friend.
Norma receives a message from Paramount and she is convinced it is about her script. The three of them go to the studio where Norma is warmly greeted by former colleagues and the famed director, Mr DeMille in noncommittal about her script Salome. It is then that Max discovers that the studio in fact is only wanting her exotic car.
Norma is convinced that she will soon be in front of the camera and on big screen again and begins to prepare for the role. Her possessiveness of Joe, she finds Betty’s phone number and calls her to tell her to come see how Joe lives. Joe realises that his affair with Betty is over, that he is staying with Norma. Betty leaves confused and heartbroken, and Joe then tells Norma it is over, he is leaving. Bluntly and sharply he tells Norma that her script is unfilmable and that she her fans have abandoned and forgotten her. Angry and grief stricken she shoots Joe as he is leaving the house. Now insane, she mistakes the police and reporters as part of the set of Salome, as she descends her grand staircase and utters, ‘And now, Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close-up.’
Sunset Boulevard is a mixture of cinematic, lights and quick-change scenes that bring the story to life. It is bold and grandeur in costume and song, the music performed by a live orchestra with favourites like ‘Girl Meets Boy’ and ‘The Greatest Star of All.’
From the beginning to the end I was mesmerised, sitting on the edge of my seat and hanging on each spoken word and song as the beautiful love story unfolded, wilted, died and ended in tragedy. This up class show is beautifully performed, the acts flowed smoothly with each scene change… it has burnt a memory deep inside that will not end in tragedy but continue as a love story.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £18 to £62.50 (plus £4 transaction fee).
Sunset Boulevard is at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 3-7 October 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh or call the box office on 0844 871 3014.
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18–22 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA | 0844 871 3014
