Silent Screen Star Hits the Road in SUNSET BOULEVARD UK Tour

Michael Harrison and David Ian will present the UK and Ireland tour of the Curve production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's award-winning musical SUNSET BOULEVARD. Starring Ria Jones as Norma Desmond and directed by Nikolai Foster, SUNSET BOULEVARD will open at Curve tonight 16 September 2017 (press night Thursday 28 September), before touring the UK and Ireland. See the tour schedule below, with more dates to be announced soon.

One of the all-time great musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award-winning (Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical) masterpiece SUNSET BOULEVARD is a compelling story of romance and obsession, based on Billy Wilder's legendary film, with Don Black and Christopher Hampton's wonderful book and lyrics. This much-loved score includes the title number Sunset Boulevard, With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The Greatest Star Of All and The Perfect Year and will be performed by a full orchestra.

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.

Last year, Ria Jones played the role of Norma Desmond at the London Coliseum when Glenn Close was indisposed, receiving rave reviews and standing ovations for her performance. Ria has recently starred as Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Her West End credits include Fantine in LES MISERABLES, Grizabella in Cats and Florence in Chess. Her touring credits include Alex in The Witches of Eastwick, Mrs Overall in Acorn Antiques - The Musical, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes and The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Director Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve, one of the UK's leading regional theatres. His work at Curve includes Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing and Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, both on tour and in the West End; A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and the musicals Grease and Legally Blonde. He directed the hugely successful recent productions of Annie starring Craig Revel Horwood and Calamity Jane Starring Jodie Prenger.

SUNSET BOULEVARD UK AND IRELAND TOUR 2017/18:

2017

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER - SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

CURVE, LEICESTER www.curveonline.co.uk

ON SALE NOW

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER - SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

ON SALE 21 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER - SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

Newcastle Theatre ROYAL www.theatreroyal.co.uk

ON SALE 17 MARCH

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER - SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER

MANCHESTER PALACE www.atgtickets.com/manchester

ON SALE 21 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER - SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE, ABERDEEN www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/venues/his-majestys-theatre

ON SALE 10 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER - SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME www.birminghamhippodrome.com

ON SALE 6 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER - SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

ON SALE SOON

TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER - SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER

MILTON KEYNES www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

ON SALE SOON

2018

TUESDAY 9 JANUARY - SATURDAY 13 JANUARY

BRISTOL HIPPODROME www.atgtickets.com/bristol

ON SALE 21 FEBRUARY

TUESDAY 16 JANUARY - SATURDAY 20 JANUARY

SOUTHAMPTON MAYFLOWER THEATRE www.mayflower.org.uk

ON SALE 20 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 22 - SATURDAY 27 JANUARY

NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING www.atgtickets.com/woking

ON SALE 21 FEBRUARY

MONDAY 29 JANUARY - SATURDAY 3 FEBRUARY

CLIFFS PAVILION, SOUTHEND www.southendtheatres.org.uk

ON SALE SOON

MONDAY 5 - SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY

THE ALHAMBRA THEATRE, BRADFORD www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

ON SALE SOON

Further cities to be announced!

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