BRASSNECK Theatre brings the popular Sunset Boulevard to Yeadon Town Hall.

Set in 1950’s Hollywood, the musical with book and lyrics written by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is based on Billy Wilder’s Academy award-winning 1950 film ‘Sunset Boulevard’ about former silent screen star, Norma Desmond, and her romance with young screenwriter Joe Gillis.

Their chance meeting when they accidentally cross paths on the Los Angeles street where Norma lives in a decaying mansion eventually turns to tragedy.

BrassNeck Theatre’s Laura Judge takes on the role of Norma: “Norma’s whole life is based on self-delusion. She firmly believes that she can resurrect her career in an industry which has moved on and forgotten her.

“She is desperately obsessed with her own celebrity, yet very much a victim of the whole Hollywood machine. The biggest challenge for me has been to look beyond her melodramatic exterior and find the truth and humility in the character,” says Laura.

Her favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber songs in the show are ‘As if we never said Goodbye’ and ‘This time next year.’

Expanding on her choice, the mother-of-three from West Morton, says: “‘As if we never said Goodbye’ encapsulates Norma’s imagined glorious return to the screen. It comes fairly late in the show, so the audience already know that she’s deluding herself which lends this powerful song a kind of sad melancholy.

“The other is ‘This time next year’, an ensemble number featuring the young hopefuls from the studio at a New Year’s Eve party, showing the flip side of Hollywood.

“Our director has juxtaposed this warm party atmosphere against the contrasting scene at Norma’s house, it works incredibly well.

“I also love the opening of Act 2 ‘Sunset Boulevard’ - a triumph of a song in which Joe brings the audience up to speed and rationalises his lifestyle choices,” adds Laura.

Laura’s introduction to BrassNeck Theatre came when she was invited along with her pal Caroline to appear in Royston Bayfield’s production of Carousel in 2007 at Yeadon Town Hall.

No stranger to stage and screen, Laura has worked in both television and film appearing in the Yorkshire-based soap, Emmerdale, Spooks: Code 9, Diamond Geezer, Heartbeat and Blue Murder.

Now also working in theatre in education and in local theatre, Laura has also appeared in BrassNeck Theatre productions with roles including ‘Golde’ in Fiddler, ‘Morticia’ in The Addams Family and ‘The Witch’ in Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

BrassNeck Theatre was formed in 2010 by the merger of The Grove and Rawdon Theatre Company and Stampede Theatre Company.

Sunset Boulevard runs from May 14 to 18 at Yeadon Town Hall.

For tickets, or for more information, visit brassnecktheatre.com or call 0113 250 5011.