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Perth's Sunset Boulevard: Faithful But Flat
12 May
Summary
- Stage adaptation of Billy Wilder's film lacks clear purpose.
- Juliet Cadzow excels as faded silent film star Norma Desmond.
- Play is a faithful rendition, but offers little new insight.
Morag Fullarton, known for her adaptations of Hollywood classics, has brought Sunset Boulevard to Perth's main stage. This production reunites a strong four-person cast, including Juliet Cadzow as the grandiose Norma Desmond and John Kielty as the vulnerable screenwriter Joe Gillis.
Fraser Lappin's set design effectively evokes Norma's extravagant tastes. Frances Thorburn also shines as Betty Schaefer, doubling as narrator to help navigate the narrative. Mark McDonnell provides masterful dry wit as the butler Max.
Despite the cast's strengths and the production's affection for the 1950 film, the play struggles with a clear sense of purpose. It serves as a word-perfect rendition, yet offers no discernible new perspective, leaving it feeling like a faithful but ultimately pointless theatrical exercise that the original film surpasses.
