Helston Theatre Company will be presenting the South West premier of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard later this month.

The musical is famous for being a spectacular show with large set, dazzling costumes, and film sequences and projections.

For a local amateur company this would ordinarily be an impossible show to pull off but the theatre company has been assisted by Cornish businesses and individuals.

One of the highlights of Sunset Boulevard is film star Norma Desmond being chauffeured to Paramount Studios.

Roaring 30’s Automobiles, a wedding car business in Looe, provided the car for the company to film with. The car is a Beauford, a replica of the 1930s Dussenburgh Grand Tourer which was hand built by Paul Hicks, owner of Roaring 30’s Automobiles. Paul built the car as a hobby to fill his time in retirement and his wedding business grew by accident.

Production manager Ben Blaber was delighted with the results of the filming.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better looking car to use,” he said. “We are so grateful to Paul for giving up so much of his time to help us. It’s going to be such a spectacular moment in the show.”

It is not just cars that are being loaned to the group, a private house in Redruth kindly lent its swimming pool for additional filming, and Chris Oliver from Olivers in Coingehall Street has donated timber to create the set for the show.

Props are also being loaned to the group to give an authentic feel to the show, including a vintage typewriter from Helston Museum.

Director Paul Blaber said of the generosity shown: “It is such a privilege for the group to be presenting the South West Premier of Sunset Boulevard, and we hope that we will do justice to such a brilliant show.

“We have be overwhelmed by the kindness of people as we have made this show and we can’t wait to see the finished effect.”

Sunset Boulevard will be staged at the Epworth Hall from April 13 to 18, with shows at 7.30pm and a 2.30pm matinee on April 18. Tickets are available from the Cornish Riviera Box Office (crbo.co.uk) and Gillian’s Larder in Meneage Street. For more information visit www.sunsetcornwall.co.uk.