Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." This show is truly ready for its close-up... and shows the audience frequently with its use of cameras and a projection screen. A refreshing, and fresh perspective of a loved classic that I would highly recommend seeing before it closes.

This show boasts a beautifully diverse casting whose costumes are all interlinked whilst also having semblances of individuality as the black & white theming is continued across all of this show's ensemble. Each member features a unique style of clothing that is black & white which feels representative of their life in Hollywood as it leaches individuality from them whilst they simultaneously try to grasp onto a slither of themselves so that they do not disappear into the crowd. The theming of the show and stripped-back production style allows for the focus of the audience to be on the content and as a first-time viewer of this show this raw rendition felt extremely fitting. Also, the theming gives the show a much darker ambience and causes the audience to enter and begin to watch the show with a feeling of anticipation

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

This show boasts an incredible cast which is beautifully led by Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond and features Tom Francis as Joe Gillis, Grace Hodgett-Young as Betty Schaefer, David Thaxton as Max Von Mayerling, Carl Au as Myron/Jones, Georgia Bradshaw as Lisa, Hannah Yun Chamberlain as Young Norma, Jordan Cork as Camera Operator/Ensemble, Catherine Cornwall as Camera Operator Swing/Cover Young Norma, Tyler Davis as Sheldrake/Cover Max Von Mayerling, Laura Denning as Standby Norma Desmond, Kamilla Fernandes as Dorothy/Cover Betty Schaefer, Ahmed Hamad as Artie, Laura Harrison as Catherine/Cover Norma Desmond, Charlotte Jaconelli as Joanna/Guard, Olivia-Faith Kamau as Nancy/Cover Betty Schaefer, Luke Latchman as John, Michael Lin as Swing/Cover Artie/Assistant Dance Captain, Emma Llyod as Mary/Heather, Mireia Mambo as Jean/Dance Captain, Shanya McPherson as Camera Operator/Ensemble, Gregor Milne as Sammy/Cover Joe Gillis, Kody Mortimer as Finance Man/Frank, Jon Reynolds as Swing, Kirsty Anne Shaw as Swing, Jon Tsouras as Finance Man/Stan/Cecil B. DeMille/Cover Max Von Mayerling, Charlie Waddel as Morina/Hog-Eye, Harrison Wilde as Swing/Cover Joe Gillis, and Lillie-Pearl Wildman as Swing.

The show opens with Norma Desmond staring into the audience for about 5 minutes which slightly heightened my anxiety as I was expecting a sudden noise but reflecting back this is the perfect way to open the show as it keeps your attention only on Norma which was her main desire and sets the tone for the whole show. When the music begins and the show seems to actually start the young Norma dances for a little bit and then Joe Gillis unzips and steps out of his own body bag. Whilst some people may not like this I always love when shows start how they end as it feels very full circle and once again creates an atmosphere for the show to continue into. Between the Overture and Let's Have Lunch there is an almost film-opening video played on the screen and this shows how the screen and cameras are going to feature throughout the show and provides the perfect introduction of the use of cameras to highlight the Hollywood aspect which is paramount (no pun intended) throughout the show. I particularly was grateful and pleased to see the use of cameras and screen throughout the show as it allowed for the emotions of all characters to be captured and conveyed to the entire audience rather than just those on the front row. There is a brilliant use of the ensemble in Let's Have Lunch and provides an insight into all the brilliant ways in which the ensemble is utilised throughout the show, especially in terms of the dynamics and how they are used to set the tone of each scene. Tom Francis is simply phenomenal as Joe Gillis, his voice and portrayal were stunning and felt true to the character and how they would act. The same can be said for Nicole Scherzinger whose voice is truly unmatched and her almost narcissistic portrayal of Norma Desmond perfectly embodies the decaying star mindset of the character. Nicole's interactions with the camera and her small mannerisms during these moments provide the perfect link to Norma's former days as a silent film star and her unwavering need to relieve her glory days. Grace Hodgett-Young must also be mentioned as her incredible voice is beautifully shown in her portrayal of Betty Schaefer and it must be mentioned that this is her professional debut which you would have not thought for her second due to her talent.

The Act 2 opening has become fairly well known due to many videos of it being recorded and due to this knowledge I for one was intrigued as to how this would translate to the stage and how it would be shown to the audience. The opening could not have been done better and the subtle nods to the ending of the show were so perfectly placed and I did not expect all the comedic moments as well during this song but they somehow still felt fitting and did not subtract from the impact that this song has. The full song from start to finish is beautifully performed by Tom Francis and his ability to sing perfectly night after night whilst walking along a street in London is a testament to his talent. I must mention that at the show I watched he was brilliantly accompanied by some members of the public dancing in the middle of the road who I do not believe were part of the show but definitely brought the audience some joy and gave us all a good laugh. The use of chairs and dynamics during Act 2 was brilliantly executed by the ensemble and provided a mirror back to Act 1 which causes the audience to reflect on everything that has happened since this style of scene was first featured in the show. Furthermore, these scenes allow for the stripped-back and raw nature of the stage to showcase the actors and let their abilities to shine without any distractions. Nicole's ending song showcases a beautiful use of her range to truly encapsulate the insanity of Norma Desmond at this point and was the perfect end to the show before Norma's final address. The final address has been said by Nicole herself to be her moment to talk to the audience and in my opinion this rollercoaster of a show could not have ended in a better way.

Content Warnings:

I want to preface this section by saying that as soon as I mentioned my anxieties surrounding the show to Front of House staff they were all quick to provide advice and pointed out the full content warnings on entry to the theatre's foyer and another member of staff in the cloakroom said that she would be able to find a full breakdown of the show should I feel that I need it. This guidance is such an important part of making theatre accessible and meant so much to me.

This show does have a no readmittance policy which means that should you need to leave the theatre for any reason you will not be permitted to reenter and will have to watch the duration of the Act on a TV screen, this could cause stress as audience members may feel unable to leave but I have never left the auditorium during a show so on this point I cannot speak for others.

Sunset Boulevard does have many content warnings and the shorter content warnings are featured on posters in the theatre which also have a QR code that can be scanned to reveal a more detailed content warning.

This is the wording of the content warning poster that can be found all around the theatre:

The production features loud, sudden noises, flashing, strobe lighting, smoke effects, a moment of complete darkness and scenes that some people may find upsetting. Please scan the below QR code if you have any concerns.

The content warnings which appear when you scan the QR code are as follows:

PRODUCTION WARNING & RESOURCES

Sunset Boulevard includes themes of depression, self-harm, psychosis, death, violence, entrapment, and suicide.

There are also moments of complete darkness, loud noises, flashing, strobe lighting, smoke effects, loud gunshots and blood.

Should you wish to find the resources or talk to someone relating to these themes please visit samaritans.org or call them for free on 116 123.

Personally, despite my presumptions, the only parts of the show that I struggled with were the beginning and the blackout which occurs near the end of Act 2. However, after watching the show these are the moments which I felt should be highlighted as they seemed as though they may prove to be triggering or difficult for some people:

The opening of the show could cause some anxiety or stress as Norma stands on stage for about five minutes in silence just looking around and personally, I felt worried that a sudden loud noise was going to occur but nothing happened and the show just started after a certain amount of time has elapsed

The blackout occurs near the end of Act 2 when we see Norma and Joe on stage after Joe has removed his clothing and stood facing Norma. The theatre is first plunged into complete darkness which includes turning off the emergency exit light and then the stage is slightly lit.
Also during the blackout, gunshots occur and these are accompanied by a bright flash. Whilst you can sense when the gunshots are coming the fact that they occur during the blackout means that you cannot correctly assume when the gunshots will occur. I will mention that whilst the warnings say that the gunshots are loud and the first one did make me jump due to not expecting it I did not find them too loud, however, I was sat in the Dress Circle so I cannot comment on how loud they are in other areas of the auditorium.
The show mentions a suicide attempt in Act 1 and the actress for Norma appears on stage wearing stained bandages. They do mention her method as well as mentioning that she frequently attempts.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer