A Revelation From Start To Finish!

Best bit: Everything from curtain up to curtain down. Glenn Close absolutely deserved her 10 minute standing ovation.

Any boring bits? The intermission.

Who would like it? Anyone with eyes and ears.

Who wouldn't like it? Those who detest Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Morning after effect: Singing Sunset Boulevard rather badly in the shower, what a tune!

Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars.

It's been a wee while since I've seen a show that's simultaneously knocked my socks off and satisfied musical theatre cravings I never knew I had to begin with. I confess, I've never bought into the Andrew Lloyd Webber hype. Sure, his name is often mentioned in the same sentence as the word genius, but I've always been ambivalent. Until Sunset Boulevard that is. The ENO's fresh reincarnation of the classic is setting the West End alight with its holy trinity of magnificent leading lady, timeless score and brilliant ensemble casting. I can't stress this enough - get thee to the London Coliseum post-haste!

Upon taking my seat in the rafters, I was resigned to the fact that I'd be watching Glenn Close make her West End debut through the tiny cracks between the heads of two tall individuals. By some miracle, one of these punters leant far enough to the side and at just the right angle so that I had a spectacular panorama of the evening's proceedings. From the opening strains of the title theme I was riveted, hairs rising on the back of my neck as the lush orchestral arrangements transported me to another time and place entirely, namely early 50s Los Angeles and her twinkling streets.

The siren call of the city draws budding performers, artists and writers from far and wide and unceremoniously chews up and spits out the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as protagonist Joe Gillis learns. Passed from pillar to post, the down-on-his-luck scriptwriter stumbles into the life of faded silent film actress Norma Desmond and her sprawling palazzo on, you guessed it, Sunset Boulevard. Together they embark on a tumultuous relationship that plumbs the depths of despair and taboo.

Glenn Close is an absolute revelation, reprising her Tony-winning role as the fiery diva with aplomb. Her Desmond is the powerful balance of formidable and wounded, and her descent into madness is horrifying and somehow deeply satisfying. Few performers of her age could pull off what she did - from her technical vocals to her sheer magnetic energy. There is also a delicious irony in her return to Sunset, some 21 years later.

Languishing in his gilded cage, Joe Gillis is the epitome of a tragic hero, a kept man cracking under the strain of the charade to which he adheres, held to ransom by Norma's fraying mental state. Michael Xavier's turn as this wiseguy with a conscience is brilliant - his voice is in fine form (and so, might I add, are his abs). Every member of the cast deserves plaudits, for the production is seamless.

Labelled on the ENO's website as semi-staged, Sunset Boulevard is nothing but fully and perfectly formed. From its music and book to its stellar performances of both cast and orchestra, this is the sort of show that makes musical theatre non-believers see the light, from any seat in the house.

Reviewed by Teia Fregona

Saturday 5th April 2016
London Coliseum
Find me on Twitter: @_londontheatre_

View our show pages for more information about Sunset Boulevard, London Coliseum.