Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Sunset Boulevard is heading to London’s West End next year, accompanied by Academy Award nominee Glenn Close who will make her West End debut in the production. Next April will see Close reprise her Tony Award-winning role in Sunset Boulevard, also famous for roles such as in Damages and Fatal Attraction. The US star will lead the semi-staged production at the London Coliseum, brought to the venue as part of the English National Opera’s partnership with the GradeLinnit Company.
The limited run in the West End will give London audiences the chance to see Close play the iconic role of faded silent movie star Norma Desmond, a part that was highly acclaimed in America. It also won her numerous accolades following her appearing in the show’s Broadway premiere production more than twenty years ago, making it a role close to the star’s heart. Close is no stranger to the stage, with many Broadway credits, including high-profile productions of The Real Thing, Death And The Maiden and A Streetcar Named Desire.
The Emma Thompson-led Sweeney Todd is currently running at the London Coliseum as part of a similar agreement between English National Opera and the GradeLinnit Company. Sweeney Todd’s director Lonny Price will return to the venue to direct the musical, which will see the full ENO orchestra on stage alongside the cast, performing tracks such as the musical’s title, in addition to As If We Never Said Goodbye and Every Movie’s A Circus.
Based on Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic film, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Close is the forgotten movie star Desmond who passes the time living in her fantasy world. When an impoverished screen writer stumbles into her life, he finds himself seduced by the intriguing star and her luxurious, but ultimately suffocating, world. When another woman comes into the picture, her attempts to break him free from Desmond’s hold lead to dramatic consequences.
Sunset Boulevard will play at the London Coliseum for a limited season of 43 performances from 1 April to 7 May.