Over the past decade, Morag Fullarton has carved a niche with her compact Hollywood adaptations. With a campy style and a versatile cast, she has condensed classics like Casablanca and It’s a Wonderful Life. Her previous take on Sunset Boulevard, billed as a “lunchtime cut,” premiered in 2015 at Glasgow’s A Play, a Pie and a Pint, which she later co-directed for four years.
Now associate director at Perth Theatre, Fullarton reunites the same four-strong cast that succeeded the first time, adds 20 minutes of material, and presents a full main-stage production. However, despite its mimicry and affection for Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, the show lacks a clear purpose.
The play opens with a pre-shoot discussion, debating potential casting choices like Mae West or Gene Kelly, and whether Gloria Swanson would be a risk. Beyond this brief commentary on a callous film industry, the “backstage” framing quickly gives way to a faithful, word-perfect rendition of the movie.
Set Design and Performances
Fraser Lappin’s set captures Norma Desmond’s extravagant tastes with marble arches, leopard-skin throws, and luxurious floor tiles. Juliet Cadzow portrays the faded silent film star as brittle and grandiose, a woman whose career and identity have been swept away by time.
John Kielty plays Joe Gillis, the down-on-his-luck screenwriter, with both brashness and vulnerability, destined to end up face-down in Norma’s pool. Frances Thorburn, also serving as narrator, brings a bright-eyed energy to Betty Schaefer, the script reader who turns Joe’s head, showing a keen ear for snappy Hollywood dialogue. Mark McDonnell is masterfully dry as butler Max and other roles.
A Faithful but Pointless Rendition
Yet, in this context, the play offers little new. It is neither pastiche, parody, reimagining, nor commentary. Instead, it is a faithful and somewhat pointless rendition of a film that inevitably does the same job better. The production runs at Perth Theatre until 16 May.
