Juliet Cadzow Will Lead SUNSET BOULEVARD: THE BACKSTAGE CUT at the Perth Theatre

Perth Theatre has announced the full cast for its bold new in-house production, Sunset Boulevard: The Backstage Cut. Written and directed by the award-winning Morag Fullarton, the production lifts the curtain on one of the most iconic films in cinematic history, focussing not only on the on-screen action, but on the volatile, often hidden world behind the lens. 

Leading the cast as Hollywood icon Norma Desmond is acclaimed Scottish stage and screen actress Juliet Cadzow, newly announced as returning to the BBC's Balamory in its high‑profile revival later this month. Best known to generations of viewers as Edie McCredie, Cadzow brings her distinctive screen presence to the role alongside award-winning composer, writer and actor John Kielty (The Belle Stratagem, Royal Lyceum; Glasgow Girls, National Theatre of Scotland; Outlander, Amazon; Taggart, BBC), who stars as struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis. They are joined by Frances Thorburn (River City, Taggart and Waterloo Road, BBC) as Betty Schaefer, with Mark McDonnell (Good Omens, Amazon/BBC; Velvet Soup, ITV) completing the cast in the dual roles of Max and Billy Wilder. 

In front of the camera were award-winning performances centred around the story of a faded star Norma Desmond, desperate to return to her prime, and a down-on-his-luck writer who sees an opportunity to exploit the situation. Backstage, the drama was no less fraught:  how did the screenplay, initially conceived as a comedy, evolve into one of the most savage indictments of the Hollywood star system?  Why was the leading man re-cast 3 days before the shoot began?  We glimpse some of the ruthless attitudes and creative comprises which surrounded the making of Billy Wilder's legendary film – many of which feel as prevalent today as they did in 1950.

Morag Fullarton, writer and director, said: “The making of Sunset Boulevard is itself a story full of ego, mythology and competing versions of the truth - exactly the kind of material that makes for compelling drama.  What fascinates me is how close this masterpiece came to being something else entirely - and what that tells us about the fragile, unpredictable nature of the creative process. 

The production follows Fullarton's acclaimed production Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut for Perth Theatre, establishing a distinctive strand of work that re-examines iconic Hollywood stories from unexpected angles. 

Perth Theatre and Concert Hall Director, Christopher Glasgow, said: "Morag has created something genuinely original with this show. The Backstage Cut isn't a retelling. It's a bold re-examination of stories we think we know, and with Sunset Boulevard, that feels especially resonant today. Beneath the familiarity of a classic title lies a story about visibility, value and identity, and this production takes us further, exposing the pressures and decisions that shape it. That balance between recognition and risk is exactly where we want to be as a producing theatre, building trust with audiences while offering something distinctive, challenging and emotionally complex."

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