I want to start this off by saying that this is not a traditional review. (hence no star rating, though the rating I would have given it will be fairly obvious) We saw this quite far along into its limited run and to be honest, there is not much that can be said about it that hasn’t already been said in its many (mainly glowing) reviews.

No. This is a personal piece and reflection on theatre.

I saw the original production of Sunset Boulevard in the 1990s with Elaine Paige and John Barrowman. I remember it being a lavish production and even now can visualise in my mind the moment the staircase raised up off the stage to reveal the other New Year’s Eve party rising up from underneath the stage. I knew this production was going to be different.

Like a lot of others I was very sceptical when the casting was announced. I struggled to see how Nicole Scherzinger could play Norma Desmond. Part of it was age – how was she old enough? But then of course I realised that she is about the same age that Elaine Paige and Glenn Close were when they played the role – it is just that I was a lot younger and so they seemed older! But even putting age to one side, how could she possibly cope with the demands of the role?

So I didn’t book to see it. Until the reviews started to come out and then I just couldn’t help myself.

Of course everyone who has seen it or read will reviews will know that this production couldn’t be further from the lavish one that played at the Adelphi Theatre in the 1990s. Intrigued, I certainly was.

Now, having seen it, I can’t stop thinking about it.

This is the second Jamie Lloyd production I’ve seen (the other being The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre). That had very mixed reviews but I loved it and so after these two productions I would go out of my way to see another Jamie Lloyd production.

However, I know that, had I seen this version of Sunset Boulevard in the 1990s I would have hated it. Back then I wanted theatre to be traditional. Even whilst studying it at uni I disliked things that weren’t naturalistic. Back then you wouldn’t have wanted to get me started on Brecht or Meyerhold! In that respect I was different to most people on my course. Despite being the same age as me they wanted to see theatre that challenged. I wanted to be transported to another world and still feel comfortable. We saw this as the second show on a two show day. The matinee had been Crazy for You. In my youth that would have been the best show of the day. Whilst I really enjoyed it, my love of theatre has flipped.

I suppose I’ve done the opposite to what you would normally expect and as I’ve got older I’ve looked for theatre that has been ready to challenge me more. I’ve enjoyed shows and plays that have not been traditional in their presentation.

This version was the perfect show for me right now.

I’m trying to think of the moments that stood out for me. Of course, everyone talks about the opening of Act 2 – when we saw it the video feed failed at one point and never came back. There was definitely something Brechtian about the first part of the Act 2 opener, backstage in the dressing rooms. From the photo of the Pussycat Dolls, to the cut out of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the actors coming out of their dressing room, it was a reminder that you are, after all, watching actors. Theatre is about creating illusion but at the heart of it this is a story about actors and the movie industry, performed by actors in the theatre industry.

Another number that stood out – especially in comparison to the original – was ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ (which was originally ‘Let’s Have Lunch’). I remember this being almost frenetic as life rushed around in LA, people meeting up, parting with arrangements to meet again – most likely they never would. This was different. It was only the lyrics that indicated the action and the promises to meet up and do lunch and chat about work opportunities seemed as superficial as they actually would have been.

Much has been said about the lack of set and indeed it was the lighting design that was the star – coping with the vast open space of the stage and the black and white contrast. This is, after all, a show about the movie industry at a time when it was all black and white. A star from the silent movie era preparing to make her big comeback. The use of video reflected this world of the movies and the raw nature of it was shocking at time, but also breath-taking. There was no attempt to ‘prettify’ anything. Norma was striped back to reveal the unhinged star that she is supposed to be. Unlike the original, this wasn’t done with garish over-the-top makeup but with the complete opposite.

Was it a perfect show? Probably not. But I left the theatre thinking that I had seen something that was probably as close to perfection that I am likely to see on stage for a long time. It was also a realisation for me that my wish list for a piece of theatre has changed since I was in my 20s.

Just give this show every award there is. And Broadway? You don’t know what you have got coming.

Photos © Marc Brenner