Musical Review: Sunset Boulevard The Musical - Curve Theatre, Leicester [Emz]

I recently went to see this production at the Curve Theatre, Leicester. I am from Leicester so luckily over the last few year we have had quite number of brilliant shows that are touring from the West End like for example Sister Act, Miss Saigon and Bodyguard The Musical (De Monfort Hall, Leicester.) 

I wasn't very familiar with the majority of the cast or the storyline but I knew that Danny Mac was playing one of the lead roles.

The music for the show was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Here is a brief idea of the storyline from the website:

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award®-winning masterpiece Sunset Boulevard, stars Ria Jones, who received standing ovations every night when performing the role at the London Coliseum, as Norma Desmond and Strictly Come Dancing's Danny Mac as Joe Gillis. Sunset Boulevard is a compelling story of romance and obsession, based on Billy Wilder’s legendary film, with Don Black and Christopher Hampton's wonderful book and lyrics.
In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded, silent-screen goddess, Norma Desmond, lives in a fantasy world. Impoverished screen writer, Joe Gillis, on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive world. Persuaded to work on a script that she believes will put her back in front of the cameras, he is seduced by her life-style. Joe becomes entrapped in a claustrophobic world until his love for another woman leads him to break free with dramatic consequences.

Review:

I really enjoyed the show. as I previously stated I didn't know what to expect from the story as I had never really heard of it before, but I was interested in seeing it when I first saw it advertised. 

So the show is set in the 1940's/50's and Danny Mac's character of Joe Gillis a script writer at Paramount Pictures, who is down on his luck and in a lot of debt. In a bit to escape the people who want to take away his car, he dives off and ends up in someone's garage. This someone is Norma Desmond portrayed by Ria Jones.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ria Jones' performance as Norma. The various different emotions she has to portray at once and also they way she believes she is still a huge Hollywood star and that if she goes back into acting she will bring back the Silent Movie era. 

Joe starts working on her script that she has and ends up becoming much more to Norma. We see in the second half a shift in his emotion that lead him away from Norma and finally resulting in his death.

The show never stopped (apart from the interval) and Danny Mac hardly left the stage. This was a brilliant production and it is now off touring around the UK. I would recommend catching if you can.

Thats all for now. This was my first review of a musical so I hope you liked it.

If you have seen any other production of this show in the past or are planning on seeing this show feel free to leave me a comment on your thoughts below.

Till next time

Emz x