Originally booking to April 18, then extended to June 27, the musical has now opened bookings for a further extension period, through Sept. 19. The show, based on the classic 1950 Billy Wilder film, has book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.
This new and intimate production was first seen at Newbury's Watermill Theatre in 2008. It follows in the Newbury tradition of using actors who double as their own musicians, which led to John Doyle's production of Sweeney Todd that eventually played Broadway. The Tony-winning orchestrator of that production, Sarah Travis, who won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations, is the musical arranger for this production.
Sunset Boulevard is directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, last represented in the West End by Flamenco Flamen'ka that ran at the Lyric Theatre. He is also known for his work as a regular judge on the TV series "Strictly Come Dancing." He has previously staged Hot Mikado and Martin Guerre at the Watermill. He began his career as a dancer in his native Australia, and has since received Olivier nominations for his choreography for Spend Spend Spend and My One and Only in the West End.
Kathryn Evans – the last actress to play the title role of Evita in that show's original run at the Prince Edward Theatre – is playing Norma Desmond. She has also played leading roles in the West End productions of Anything Goes and The Fix and in the U.K. tour of Aspects of Love. The cast also features Dave Willetts (Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera in the West End) as Max Von Meyerling and Ben Goddard (who starred in Horwood's production of Martin Guerre at Newbury) as Joe Gillis. Also in the cast are Elisa Boyd, Tomm Coles, Alexander Evans, Kate Feldschreiber, Sam Kenyon, Nick Lashbrook, Tarek Merchant, Craig Pinder, Laura Pitt-Pulford and Helen Power.
The production is designed by Diego Pitarch, with lighting by Richard G. Jones and sound by Gary Dixon. The Watermill Theatre production is produced in London by Howard Panter for the Ambassador Theatre Group Limited, Tulchin/Bartner Productions and Bill Kenwright Ltd. To book tickets, contact the box office at 0870 060 6637 or visit www.sunsetlondon.com.
