Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard will return to the stage in a new production at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre in spring 2027, marking part of the venue’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The revival will tour to Northampton and York after its initial run.

Sunset Boulevard is set to play at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton from 2 April to 1 May 2027 as part of the theatre’s milestone 60th anniversary season. Directed by Octagon artistic director Lotte Wakeham, the production will then transfer to the Royal and Derngate in Northampton and York Theatre Royal, with dates for the latter still to be announced.

This new staging offers an intimate interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, featuring a company of actor-musicians. The story follows the faded silent-film star, Norma Desmond, and her encounter with struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis as she plots a dramatic return to Hollywood.

Sunset Boulevard’s book and lyrics were written by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, complementing Webber’s music. The musical premiered at London’s Adelphi Theatre in 1993 with Patti LuPone as Norma, before transferring to Broadway in 1994, where Glenn Close assumed the role.

The show has seen multiple revivals, including a 2016 London production starring Close and the recent award-winning 2023 West End revival directed by Jamie Lloyd, which starred Nicole Scherzinger. This revival transferred to Broadway in 2024 and won seven Tony Awards in the 2025 cycle, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Wakeham described the opportunity to present such a major work in the Octagon’s intimate space as “an honour,” highlighting the challenge and excitement of reimagining theatrical epics like Sunset Boulevard and Romeo and Juliet. The theatre recently premiered The Book Thief in 2022 under her direction.

Details around casting and further members of the creative team for the revival are yet to be confirmed. The production’s brief run in Northampton is scheduled for 5 to 22 May 2027, while York’s dates and casting remain to be announced.

The revival underscores the Octagon’s role in commissioning and staging ambitious new work, linking past theatrical successes with bold reinventions for contemporary audiences as it celebrates six decades.