Perth Theatre have announced the cast for Sunset Boulevard: The Backstage Cut.

The show will star Juliet Cadzow (Balamory) as Hollywood star Norma Desmond, and John Kielty (The Belle Stratagem) as screenwriter Joe Gills. Frances Thorburn (River City) will play Betty Schaefer, and Mark McDonnell (Good Omens) will play Max and Billy Wilder.

It is written and directed by Morag Fullarton, who previously created Casablanca: The Gin Cut for Perth Theatre. The production will show the drama that occurred both on-screen and backstage of the iconic film Sunset Boulevard, and delve into cut-throat attitudes and practices that are still relevant today.

Fullarton 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.”

Sunset Boulevard: The Backstage Cut is one of four shows in Perth Theatre’s 2026 programme that has been produced in-house. All shows have a focus on amplifying strong female voices.

Christopher Glasgow, Director of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall 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.”

Sunset Boulevard: The Backstage Cut will be performed at Perth Theatre from 9-16 May.

Words by Ellen Leslie