4 STARS, April 11-14. Vibrant and beautifully-cast, Amanda Hodges enjoys a sparkling new production of a classic Lloyd-Webber hit
It is indeed the stuff of which fairytales are made. In 2016 Ria Jones was understudying Glenn Close as Norma Desmond at the Coliseum when Close’s ill-health meant Jones had to go on at the last minute. She subsequently transformed a frustrated audience into an appreciative one and now she has the opportunity to assume the lead in her own right for a new touring production which must be richly satisfying for any actress.
Sunset Boulevard surely ranks as one of Lloyd-Webber’s best scores. Its story about writer Joe Gillis who stumbles upon Desmond’s secluded mansion in Sunset Boulevard- is an inherently melodramatic one (with echoes of film noir) and the perfect vehicle for his lush melodies. The new show boasts a strong pairing in the shape of Jones’s Norma Desmond and recent Strictly sensation Danny Mac as disenchanted Hollywood writer Joe Gillis.
Trying to escape the clutches of debt-collectors Gillis discovers the opulent world of faded silent-screen star Norma Desmond and swiftly finds himself seduced by a sybaritic lifestyle which he both craves and abhors. Both actors inhabit their roles well, Mac in particular capturing every nuance of Gillis’ complicated character; it would be all too easy to play him one-dimensionally but what he does so well is to convey the inner contradictions that torture the man. Caught between fascination with all that Desmond’s luxurious but brittle life provides and the conflicting desire for a free existence writing quality material there seems no way out.
Jones seems most impressive in the second act, her singing is always strong but she is most persuasive as the woman vainly trying to retain her hold on a tenuous reality and as Desmond crumbles so Jones gathers dramatic authority, her swansong both poignant and oozing pathos. Adam Pearce deserves mention too for his wonderful turn as Desmond’s solicitous - and deeply strange- butler Max Von Meyerling, his vocal range being quite extraordinary.
Stylishly staged with projections of Desmond’s mansion projected onto a central soundscreen, the live orchestra are superb, as integral to the success of the show as any of the characters. Overall, despite its dark tone and sombre subject-matter it's a flamboyant, fabulous night of showbiz razzmatazz.
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