A Hollywood “has-been” is at the heart of Tryst Theatre’s new show in Behind the Wall next month.

Sunset Boulevard – The Lunchtime Cut by Morag Fullarton is based on the original Sunset Boulevard film from 1950 starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden.

Tryst fans will remember Morag wrote Casablanca – The Gin-Joint Cut which Tryst performed last year to sell-out audiences.

In the play, Joe Gillis is a struggling screenwriter and Gloria Swanson is Norma Desmond, a former silent-film star discarded by Hollywood with the advent of “the talkies”. She draws him into her deranged fantasy world where she dreams of making a triumphant return to the silver screen.

It’s both a bitter comedy and a dark tragedy which centres on the egotistical, faded star obsessed with “returning to the millions of fans she deserted” and the young, down-on-his luck writer who sees an opportunity to exploit the situation. Their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.

In Behind the Wall, Rhona McColl plays the manic Norma Desmond, Brian Tripney is Joe Gillis and other parts are taken by Howard Sargeant, Stephanie Wallace, Carol Clark, Jim Allan and Callum Nicol.

The technical team is Davie Dobbie, David Allan, Brian Paterson and Alan Clark.

Director Jim Allan said: “Sunset Boulevard is a mesmerising Hollywood classic which has been superbly adapted for the stage by Morag Fullarton.

“It’s intense, enthralling and unforgettable, presenting Norma Desmond as a creepy, vain and deluded spider-woman desperately fighting becoming obsolete.

“It has some wonderful dialogue. In one scene Gillis says to her: “You used to be big.” And she replies with the great line: "I am big. It's the pictures that got small.””

Tryst’s Sunset Boulevard - The Lunchtime Cut runs in Behind the Wall November 6-10.

Tickets, for which you get a pizza, a drink and the play, are priced at £14 and available now from www.ticketsource.co.uk/trysttheatre

Doors open 7pm for pizza and drinks, with the play starting at 8pm.

Picture shows Rhona McColl as Norma Desmond; Howard Sargeant as Max; and Brian Tripney as Joe Gillis.