Producers Michael Harrison and David Ian have announced that the Curve production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical will be touring the UK from the 16th September this year.
Opening at the Curve Theatre in Leicester from the 16th to the 30th September, this production of the classic musical is directed by Nikolai Foster and will star Ria Jones as Norma Desmond.
In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded, silent-screen goddess, Norma Desmond, lives in a fantasy world. Impoverished screen writer, Joe Gillis, on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive world. Persuaded to work on Norma’s ‘masterpiece’, a film script that she believes will put her back in front of the cameras, he is seduced by her and her luxurious life-style. Joe becomes entrapped in a claustrophobic world until his love for another woman leads him to try and break free with dramatic consequences.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary Tony Award winning musical ((Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical), is based on the classic Billy Wilder film and is a story of romance and obsession that features songs such as As If We Never Said Goodbye and The Greatest Star Of All.
Ria Jones returns to the role of Norma Desmond having played the role at the London Coliseum when Glenn Close was indisposed, receiving standing ovations for her performance. Her other West End credits include Fantine in Les Misérables, Grizabella in Cats and Florence in Chess.
Further casting for the UK tour has yet to be confirmed.
Nikolai Foster is the Artistic Director of the Curve Theatre in Leicester. His work at the theatre includes Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing and Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, both on tour and in the West End. Meanwhile, he has also directed the successful UK touring productions of Annie, starring Craig Revel Horwood and Calamity Jane starring Jodie Prenger.
The touring schedule for Sunset Boulevard is as follows:
16th -30th September: CURVE, LEICESTER
3rd – 7th October: EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
9th – 14th October: NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL
23rd October – 4th November: MANCHESTER PALACE
6th – 11th November: HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ABERDEEN
13th – 18th November: BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME
20th – 25th November: BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN
28th November – 2nd December: MILTON KEYNES
9th – 13th January 2018: BRISTOL HIPPODROME
16th –20th January: SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER THEATRE
22nd –27th January: NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING
29th January – 3rd February: CLIFFS PAVILION, SOUTHEND
5th –10th February: THE ALHAMBRA THEATRE, BRADFORD
Further dates for the UK tour are to be announced soon. For more information and booking information visit: http://sunsetboulevardtour.com/.