Sunset Boulevard

The adaption of Billy Wilder’s classic black and white film is far from having the happy ending that we expect from most musicals. The story of Norma Desmond, the black and white silent movie star who refuses to accept that her career is over, demands countless scene changes (seamlessly achieved) and a good lighting plot. Black and white film clips were very cleverly used to add some authenticity to the story. It also requires two actors in the main roles who can bring out their bittersweet relationship and all the emotions that it evokes. TWODS took on this challenge head on and achieved it stupendously.

We find out the tragic end of the story right from the start by the black and white newsreel film of the events at Norma’s house. The action then takes us back in time to see how the story unfolds. Jamie Thomas was superb as Joe Gillis, the broke screenwriter, who called at Norma’s opulent house by chance. She manages to persuade him to help her complete a script that she hopes will re-launch her film career. Joe had also agreed to write a screenplay with Betty (excellently portrayed by Sophia Wallace). They fall in love and when the insanely possessive Norma finds out, threatens suicide but Joe, in the end, decides to leave her, a decision that ends in tragedy.

It was clear right from the start that Lorraine Fawcett was going to give an outstanding performance as Norma. In lovely glittering costumes she gave a faultless performance of the fragile woman protected from reality by her ex-husband, turned butler, Max (also an outstanding performance, both acted and sung by Michael Jamieson-Smith).The many smaller parts gave excellence in both singing and acting while the chorus were animated and slickly professional with their moves. Martyn Saville’s orchestra played the dramatic score with sensitivity. Sound problems delayed the start of the performance but this was soon forgotten as soon as the curtains opened. Director Helen Thorpe and her team are to be congratulated on another TWODS theatrical masterpiece.

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