NEWCASTLE BOULEVARD_

THE NEWCASTLE JOURNAL
Free drinks make up for delayed Sunset

West End musical Sunset Boulevard hit the wrong note on its first night in Newcastle as technical problems delayed curtain up.

But a cheer welcomed the announcement at the Theatre Royal just after 7.15pm that the show would be delayed until 8.30pm - as the audience were told free drinks would be served in the bars.

Managers put the delay for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical down to some 'teething technical problems'.

Theatre general manager Peter Sarah said: "We were more than happy to accommodate our customers, in the circumstances, although I am not promising that it will become a regular feature.

"We have near-full houses for the next few weeks and we could not possibly have re-accommodated people on other nights.

"The Theatre Royal and the Really Useful Group thought it inappropriate to open Sunset Boulevard to customers until the show's director was satisfied that the performance would be of the highest standard that we demand." One happy theatregoer last night was Jo Taylor, 24, of Dovecoat Farm, Chester-le-Street.

As she headed into the upper circle minutes before the show started, she said: "I was excited enough to be coming to the opening night of such a great show but the free drinks have certainly made for an electric atmosphere."

The musical is in Newcastle until October 6. Lord Lloyd Webber said he was thrilled when he saw it in Plymouth recently.

THE NEWCASTLE JOURNAL
Sunset reviewed
by David Whetstone

Could that really be Norma Desmond? One time star of the silent movies and favourite of Mr Cecil B DeMille? Now reduced to an empty life of longing and regret? And could that be Faith Brown? Who once served a valuable role as the imaginary funny side of Margaret Thatcher? Now glammed up to play the afore-mentioned in a touring Lloyd Webber musical?

On the day when news that the Conservative Party had voted for yet another unprepossessing bald leader, sneaked apologetically into the bulletins, the

parallels were irresistable. When the writing was on the wall, Norma and Maggie went with comparable lack of grace and - with Maggie went Faith.But she is back. Hurrah! And forgive me if I couldn't help but see the one time leaderence in Faith's gutsy performance as the grand dowager of 10086 Sunset Boulevard - slightly barking, not always quite hitting the right note but gloriously and awesomely certain of her own star quality.

This is the latest Lloyd Webber to hit the road and it officially opened here as the new Jesus Christ Superstar did a few years ago. It tells the same dark tale told in Billy Wilder's 1950 film of the same name but can't quite bring itself to be as uncompromisingly bleak. Joe Gillis (Earl Carpenter) who is a struggling screen writer stumbles into the palatial residence of one time screen goddess Ms Desmond who mistakes him for the man who has come to bury her chimp. Joe's mistake is not to inter the monkey and get the hell out - instead he hangs around and is charged with the task of turning Norma's dreadful script for a film about Salome - no dialogue, naturally - into fodder for the modern movie production mill, now served by the pragmatic DeMille.

He takes the money and gets on with the job. Pretty soon though, he finds himself in the same sort of predicament as the poor old monkey, imprisoned in a guilded cage and unable to make the most of a promising relationship with 22 year old film wanna be Betty Schafer (nicely sung by Ceri Ann Gregory).

There are some good moments. After some eccentric vocal offerings, Ms Brown hits the spot with her rendition of 'As if we never said goodbye' - marooned in a spotlight on the set that doesn't want to know her.There are also some good tunes, as you would expect of Lloyd Webber, who may well produce his best work when he leaves the stage for a while and plies his trade as a songwriter. But the parts did not add up to a wholly rewarding evening. Possibly in the wake of this week's real life news, it seems like small beer - even without that I reckon it would be hard pressed to generate any real, gut-wrenching emotion.

THE EVENING CHRONICLE NEWCASTLE
Sunset reviewed

The story of Norma Desmond is brought visibly to life in this astounding production. Faith Brown excels in the role of Desmond, but mention must also be made of co star Earl Carpenter, who must have Michael Ball quaking in his shoes with a voice that would melt snow from a thousand paces.

Sunset is a show (in every sense of the word) and it revels in it. As a critic none too enamoured with Lloyd Webber's past works this comes as a pleasant surprise. At times it seems like he is stealing from Evita (one of the pieces that I adore). But hey, who cares when you have star quality like this. Faith is chesty in every sense of the word.

As a fading silent movie star who befriends and beds a screen writer believing her career is about to make a return. I was on the edge of my seat - not through suspense - but wondering whether Faith would deliver those high notes in that afore-mentioned chesty style. She does every time to spectacular effect!! The show is also high camp at times. No drag queen would ever come close to this portrayal of Desmond. Slick scene changes, a moving score and triumphant voices - again note should be made of Earl Carpenter - Sunset is a fine star of the Theatre Royal season. A show not to be missed.

METRO LIFE NEWCASTLE
Sunset reviewed
by Deane Hodgson

THE NORTHERN ECHO
Sunset reviewed
by Viv Hardwick

Sunset almost stretched into midnight as the opening of Britain's second biggest touring show of all time (Phantom being the largest) was delayed by an hour. Kevin Wallace, executive producer for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, came out on stage to explain that company and theatre staff had been working without meal-breaks since Sunday to move the show from Plymouth to Tyneside. All bar six of the 1,000-plus audience opted to stay.

After all that, it was hardly surprising that Lloyd Webber's 'best adult musical' then burst on the ears like a Bigg Market with a loud hailer.

Sunset could never be accused of subtlety. This is a big, brash, bold, hooray to Hollywood of the 1950s with the astonishing Faith Brown clutching at our heart strings as the former silent screen star Norma Desmond. "I am big... it was the pictures that got smaller" - is the character's famous riposte as she attempts to end 20 years of self imposed seclusion at 10086 Sunset Boulevard with the help of desperately-in-debt young writer Joe Gillis (a confident display by Earl Carpenter).

Brown's voracious appetite for this role perfectly matches Desmond's predatory nature and her emotional singing voice earned a well-deserved standing ovation. A support cast of 22 provides the essential Tinseltown trimmings as Michael Bauer growls his devotion to Desmond as her servant Max Von Mayerling.