Sunset Boulevard reviews: Nicole Scherzinger stars in new London revival
Reviews have dropped for the West End revival of Sunset Boulevard with Nicole Scherzinger
Directed by Jamie Lloyd, the brand new London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, runs for a limited 16-week season at the Savoy Theatre.
Nicole Scherzinger stars as Norma Desmond in the new revival alongside Tom Francis, Grace Hodgett Young and David Thaxton.
Haunted by her memories and dreams, movie star Norma Desmond yearns to return to the big screen. A struggling screenwriter who can’t sell his scripts to the Hollywood studios may be her only hope, until their dangerous and compelling relationship leads to disastrous circumstances.
Sunset Boulevard West End reviews
The Stage – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The casting in the lead role of former Pussycat Doll and X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger – a sex-bomb popstrel now in her mid-40s – is a stroke of genius, pointing up our rampant appetite for fame and exploding stereotypes about how women in middle age should look, think, feel and behave, while rubbing our collective nose in our persistent tendency to slap a sell-by date on female stars” – Sam Marlowe, Read the full review
Daily Mail – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Nicole Scherzinger nails it from the off. Any doubts I had about a Pussycat Doll playing Hollywood’s answer to Miss Havisham were banished pronto.” – Luke Jones, Read the full review
The Telegraph – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“he unrelentingly stark evening has its longueurs, but it’s hard not to salute Scherzinger’s unmistakable triumph or fall in love with Lloyd Webber’s satisfyingly sinister opus once again.” – Dominic Cavendish, Read the full review
London Evening Standard – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Nicole Scherzinger absolutely bloody smashes it as Hollywood diva Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1993 musical, dazzlingly reborn by director Jamie Lloyd. She brings not only an operatically powerful voice but shrewd comedy, harrowing pathos and a dancer’s physical precision to the washed-up silent star, besotted with young screenwriter Joe (newcomer Tom Francis, who is excellent).” – Nick Curtis, Read the full review
The Guardian – ⭐⭐⭐
“Lloyd brings hipster edginess, style and unpredictability to this revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical – though it’s more surface-level than penetrating closeup” – Arifa Akbar, Read the full review
WhatsOnStage – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Jamie Lloyd’s production of the musical version of Sunset Boulevard puts an extra grand into grand guignol. It’s both over the top and perfectly controlled – as hard and rigorous as adamantine, as brilliant as a diamond.” – Sarah Crompton, Read the full review
The Times – ⭐⭐⭐
“This audacious production from the enfant terrible Jamie Lloyd will no doubt pull in audiences purely on the strength of Scherzinger’s name. She looks fantastic, although that isn’t necessarily an advantage when you are portraying a star whose best days are far behind her” – Clive Davis, Read the full review
Sunset Boulevard plays Savoy Theatre, London currently booking through to 6 January 2024.
