Sunset Boulevard, starring Sarah Brightman, kicks off its Shanghai tour

Tim Draxl, who plays the hero in the musical, said he understands the desperation Joe Gillis feels as a young playwright trying to survive in Hollywood. "I lived in LA for seven years, so I know what it's like to go into an audition room and do not get work for two or three years."

Such desperation "pushes people away", he said, adding he wanted to find something that is endearing to the audience in his portrayal of a character often disliked by audiences. He wants to bring into this production a different aspect, which is that "he genuinely cares about Norma" and "gets torn between the world of Norma and Betty, but he's only doing what he thinks is the right thing to do at that moment."

Sunset Boulevard started its China tour in Beijing last month, and after the performances in Shanghai, it will head on to Wuhan in Hubei province and Shenzhen in Guangdong province.