Sunset Boulevard’s Tom Francis on His Nightly ‘Fever Dream’

In the current Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard, Tom Francis plays Joe Gillis, the ambitious screenwriter who becomes ensnared in the web of faded screen star Norma Desmond, played by Nicole Scherzinger. Trained at London’s Arts Educational School, with theater credits including roles in & Juliet, Rent and What’s New Pussycat?, Francis won an Olivier for his performance as Joe in the West End.

Francis spoke to Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek on The Broadway Show about the excitement of performing in New York, his process of discovering the role of Joe Gillis and his chemistry with Scherzinger. He also talked about the high-wire exhilaration of the show’s on-camera Act Two coup de théâtre, in which he retreats from the St. James Theatre to stalk down 44th Street and Shubert Alley, singing the musical’s title number.

“Honestly, it's kind of a fever dream every single night,” Francis said about the sequence. “It's just a blur every single time 'cause you've got so much adrenaline. I've got an 18-piece orchestra and me in my ears and sometimes, if there's a bus in the way, then that will cut out for 10 bars and I have nothing. And I just have to go with like an inner metronome.”

Check out the full segment below.