Sunset Boulevard

Following the the pandemic and its devastating effects within theatre as a whole, it was a great pleasure to be able to see to such an enjoyable production as ‘Sunset Boulevard’ presented so professionally and competently by The King’s Lynn Players. This show provides a series of challenges for any amateur company, particularly from the point of view of the musical presentation. The pace needs to be fast moving and a relatively serious subject needs to be presented in such a way as to capture and retain the interest and enjoyment of the audience throughout.

In addition to all of this, the relatively small stage at the Guildhall presented challenges of its own which also had to be overcome in an appropriate way. No space for a grand sweeping staircase or the range of special effects of the original production. Taking all of this into consideration, Director Sharon Fox and Musical Director Samantha Ashby have a great deal to be proud of. This production had obviously received a great deal of thought, consideration and sheer work behind the scenes. The result was unique and a thoroughly memorable achievement for which the whole company deserves sincere congratulations. Well done.

I thought that placing the small orchestra at the back of the stage worked very well although, of course, it reduced the potential acting area. Perhaps surprisingly, this had the effect of creating a greater intimacy between the cast and the audience which, I thought, worked particularly well with this show. The settings had been cleverly thought out and provided everything that was necessary to create the right illusion. The slick pace was maintained throughout by Stage Manager, Seamus Power and his crew who, dressed appropriately in period, managed the scene changes with great efficiency.

This, of course, contributed to the overall impression of solid team work from everybody concerned and, in particular, this extended itself to the hard-working and versatile ‘chorus’ which was made up of a refreshing mixture of ages. With a variety of costume changes appropriate to the period, this particular team had to undertake many of the more minor roles while, at the same time, often being responsible for keeping up the pace and, generally brightening up the proceedings. On top of all this they had to cope with some difficult musical numbers and recitative. The opening number in particular, must have involved a lot of rehearsal and hard work but it was especially effective which was a great tribute to everybody.

Finally, however, the success or otherwise of this musical must rest on the quality of the four main principals for whom I have nothing but praise. Amanda Mason was a delightful and very believable Betty who maintained sympathy with the audience throughout. The attractive love song, ‘Too much in love to care’, was beautifully performed by both participants and effectively led us towards Betty’s heart-breaking disillusionment. Presenting a similarly low-key but, nevertheless, very strong performance was Anthony Maley as Max Von Mayerling. A very competent interpretation that enhanced every scene in which he appeared.

Joe Gillis is a difficult part to cast and I’ve seen a couple of poor choices in the past. Joe is, of course, a rather self-centred individual who manages to bring unhappiness wherever he goes which finally leads to his own destruction and the great unhappiness of others. However, we are being required to follow the plot of the musical through his eyes and, if we are unable to sympathise with, and relate to, Joe, we are unlikely to enjoy the production at all! Tom Clarke managed to deal with this particular challenge very well. He displayed an appealing and attractive manner combined with an excellent singing voice and enabled us to, occasionally, forgive him for some of his rather obvious shortcomings. Quite an achievement,

However, no production of ‘Sunset Boulevard’ can succeed without an excellent Norma Desmond and, in this, the Players were very lucky to have the services of Sarah Krill who was absolutely superb. Her singing voice, her considerable range of emotions and fluid movements, combined with some stunning costumes were everything that could be desired. Her facial expressions and changes of mood made it quite easy for us to believe that she had been a silent movie star of some significance. This was a beautifully judged performance. The embrace at the end of the first half and the very effective movements of her hand and arm were perfect.

I enjoyed this performance very much and would like to pass on my sincere congratulations to Sharon,Sam, Seamus and the whole company. As a visiting rep, I was grateful for the kind welcome that I received. This was, undoubtedly, a production that deserved much more public support. Thank you for providing me with a very enjoyable afternoon.

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